Iced Flowers
Dry Point 17.5 cm x 12.5 cm October 2016 Inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe, I created a print of flowers through the engravings on a plexiglass plate. One thing that two of my flowers did was stay standing after a brisk winter day of cold and snowfall. In the early morning after, these flowers proudly stood with frost covering the petals, looking sharp and unique. These two flowers showed me that even the small things in life have a strength that is extraordinary when noticed, even if it’s a small feat.
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Process
Introduction
A new type of medium I have never worked with before, the process was fun and I was able to apply the elements of block printing to this project. I created a few sketches but I didn't like any of them and I felt lost. Then I looked through my pictures that I had taken over the years. I enjoy photography and have taken and still take many pictures of things that I like or find interesting each with there own little story. While looking through this gallery I saw the picture of the flowers with ice crystals. I thought this picture was fit for the project and it was a beacon of hope, as I finally found my inspiration. Unfortunately, I lost my flash drive along with the picture, but I have this print so the loss is not as bad So with the picture, I put it into Photoshop and adjusted the dimensions so it would fit onto the plate. I printed the picture, taped it onto the back of the plate and began etching. Unlike block print, the plate was much harder and the tool used had a finer point, so I had to shade using the crosshatching technique. The tool had a wood handle and a triangular edge that came to a point. The plate was clear, so I was able to see the picture on the back that I had printed out and all I had to do was trace the lines, and shade in.
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Inspiration
At first, my inspiration was nature, but as I went through my old art journal, I saw that I wanted to create my print similar to the paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe. I wasn't inspired by one articular piece, but all of her flower pieces and as an artist. Georgia O'Keeffe used intense color and exceptional shading and since shading was a must in a project, I followed her example. But instead of blending, I used crosshatching. It would be impossible to bland with the carving tool. Unfortunately, I did not get to use colored ink, which would of made my print much better. |
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After a few hours of etching and hand cramps, I had the plate finished. Then came the printing process.
- Put water in a bucket of water
- Put a piece of drawing paper in the water and set a timer for 8 minutes. The paper is in the water so that the paper fibers can expand and pick up the ink in the plate easier
- During the 8 minutes, I used a palette knife to spread the ink into the crevasses of the plate.
- Using newspaper, wipe of all the excess ink.
- Place the etched plate onto the platform of the roller
- Then place the paper onto the plate.
- Start the roller and wait for it to come out on the other side
- Critique and decided whether it's good enough
The roller we have a school is a small and simple one which has a platform to put all the things on. The plate goes onto the cardboard platform and then the paper goes on top. On top of that is a large piece of linoleum so that the roller doesn't damage the paper or plate. Once everything is in place, the handle is turned, it rolls, and the plate and paper are compressed together. When the plate and paper goes all the way through under the roller, the print is made. I performed this process several times because the ink smudged, the ink did not fully show or there was too much or too less ink.
Reflection
In conclusion, this project was a success. I was able to make a decent print and learn more about printing. The carving was a bit difficult, but the printing was smoother, Compared to the block printing process, this took less attempts and less time. I feel like the idea in my head was better than what I was able to produce. The crosshatched shading was a big challenge as I'm not that good at shading. But this gave me practice, so I can do better next time.
In conclusion, this project was a success. I was able to make a decent print and learn more about printing. The carving was a bit difficult, but the printing was smoother, Compared to the block printing process, this took less attempts and less time. I feel like the idea in my head was better than what I was able to produce. The crosshatched shading was a big challenge as I'm not that good at shading. But this gave me practice, so I can do better next time.
- "What Do You See in Georgia O'Keeffe's Flowers?" Phaidon. Web. 2 Dec. 2015. <http://www.phaidon.com/agenda/art/articles/2014/february/05/what-do-you-see-in-georgia-okeeffes-flowers/>.
- "Gegorgia O'Keeffe and Her Paintings." Georgia O'Keeffe. Web. 3 Dec. 2015. <http://www.georgiaokeeffe.net/>.