Menonday Art Vibe; An Artist's Process

Last Friday, I shared some images of a piece of wood that had 'history'. It was sitting in the garden of Mac1's home, and she had plans for it. As long-termers here will know, my sister has spent much of her last ten years taking courses (and qualifications) in embroidery and quilting. During that time, part of the course required that the students learn skills in creating their own fabric patterns with the use of various printing techniques... and Mac1, being who she is, followed that path further and further, so that now printing has become her favoured and much-practised art medium. 

On this one, before getting out the ink, she took a graphite rubbing, as this gives a good idea of what might be obtained once the (expensive) inks are employed. This produces a 'positive' image. When printing, a 'negative' is obtained.

Inking is done by use of a glass plate, rollers (sometimes sponging), and very careful placement, as that stuff sticks! Several prints are taken from the 'master' (on this afternoon, it was a total of five). After, to use up the ink remaining on the plate, marks are made and further prints created - I show just one here, but they all came out beautifully and each with it's own characteristics.

Interestingly, I used to do quite a lot of rubbings and screen-printing (decades ago!), and my fingers were itching a bit being in amongst all this creativity. I did use some of her various items to take some rubbings and then added some dimension with use of a black marker pen. The result is a slightly apocalyptic scene, but I am pleased enough with it to have placed it in the van for any who visit to see... and thus you have a glimpse of the diversions the Mac Clan are inclined to!