25 Days until Printmaking Exhibition XXX+WHY 1May-27 June 2010: Carbide Grit Collagraph

Welcome, and thank you for joining me today in my discussion about printmaking.

I have had an interesting day exploring the printmaking technique of collagraph. I use this technique as a relief and intaglio process in one. I am able to apply carborundum grit to the surface and other objects that hold ink as the relief and I score into the surface for the intaglio process effect. I find the rich textures very appealing.

The Collagraph technique is an affordable and environmentally friendly way to print. It allows me to print multiple colour prints with amazing results. This process only allows for small editions which when working large in multiple panels is ok for me .

I am working on six new plates based on the theme of the exhibition and pulling out details of this body of work that have X or Y somewhere within the picture naturally.












Warmly
Jo Lankester
The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one's destiny to do and then do it.
Henry Ford
Collagraphs: And Mixed Media Printmaking (Printmaking Handbooks)

26 Days until the Installation of XXX+WHY Printmaking Exhibition, Pinnacles Gallery, Townsville, Australia 1May-27 June 2010

Welcome,
With only 26 days until XXX+WHY printmaking exhibition I'm feeling good after a successful day printing on my friend Donna's beautiful Enjay printing press. I am very grateful to have access to such a beautifully engineered press. Thanks Donna.

I set out with the intention to print all plates in black individually then print all three plates in black on the one sheet. And if I had time to print a three colour etching but when I was preparing my paper I saw three of my printers proofs on the wall in my studio and thought that I would print a single colour plate etching over these prints to see how they would look.

My thinking was that the two plates together would work well and it would link the two bodies of work together. I'm so glad I tried it as they worked beautifully. Sometimes you just have to take risks with your ideas and go with it. I can always print in black at tomorrow.

I am now starting to work on a series of drypoints 800 x 600 mm focusing on the concept of the title XXX+WHY.
X marks the spot.

Warmly
Jo Lankester

P.S If you are interested in checking out the Enjay Printing Press click on the link below.
http://www.enjaypresses.com.au/home.html

Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing, it's when you've had everything to do and you've done it.
Margaret Thatcher

Colour Etching (Printmaking Handbooks)

27 Days until the Installation of XXX+WHY Printmaking Exhibition, Pinnacles Gallery, Townsville, Australia

Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to join me, Jo Lankester, on my printmaking mission to exhibition with only 27 days to installation.

I've been busy today applying a spray aquatint to three of my recent plates. I have been perfecting this technique over the past few weeks whilst working on a zinc etching plate for Tate Adams. One of the secrets to succeeding with a spray aquatint is to only cover 40% of the plate with enamel spray paint, any more and it will block too much of the plate.




I have included an image of my aluminium plate etching in an acid bath of copper sulphate which was invented by Cedric Green and called Bordeaux Etch.

Here is a photo of me in my printmaking studio washing the plate after removing it from the acid bath.







Tomorrow I will proof all three plates in black individually then all three in black on one piece of paper. If I have time I will print a three colour plate etching also.

Warmly,
Jo Lankester

There are those who dream and wish and there are those who dream and work.
Jeune.E. McIntyre.

P.S If you are interested in the Bordeaux Etch recipe click on the link below http://www.printstudio.org.au/sa/copetch.html
 Joan Miro,The Finest Gift, Signed Etching and Aquatint

28 Days until the Installation of XXX+WHY Printmaking Exhibition, Pinnacles Gallery, Townsville, Australia

Thank you for taking the time to join me today,

I had a very busy day yesterday preparing my printmaking plates.

I managed to brave a trip to the Echlin Street quarry around 3pm in between light rain showers. I was hesitant to go in case the sugarlift application was ruined by the rain. Lucky for me the rain held off. The only mishap was my youngest dog Ronnie Rooster decided to walk on my plate through the sugarlift leaving a paw print behind. Fortunately there was a puddle not far from where I was drawing to wash it off.

This is a photo of my printmaking plates at the quarry and a photo of Ronnie Rooster hanging out in the grass.

I discovered today that the sugarlift will lift easier if it is coated in a thin layer of bitumen rather then left uncoated for the wash out stage. There was large areas of sugarlift on the plate and I thought it may wash off easier but it did not. I recommend painting the whole plate with bitumen first.

I have used our downstairs bathroom to wash out my large sugarlift plates.

Tomorrow I will be applying a spray enamel aquatint, stay tuned for the next installment.







Warmly
Jo Lankester

Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.
Napoleon Bonaparte

Printmaking: A Complete Guide to Materials & Processes

29 Days until the Installation of XXX+WHY Printmaking Exhibition, Pinnacles Gallery, Townsville, Australia

Welcome, and thank you for joining me today on my printmaking journey.

I am in the last 29 days of preparation of my work to be included in XXX+WHY printmaking exhibition and I'm going to tell you what I am doing and what I will be doing to achieve my goal in 29 days.

I currently have about 10 running meters, this is the length of wall my prints will be displayed on including space between the print I will explain in another post how you calculate the required running meter length, of wall space completed and I need another 8 - 10 to create before Monday 26 April 2010. The total length of the wall is 19 meters long.

I am working with large scale aluminium plate 800 x 600 mm. Today I have polished the back of plates that I have already used, this is  great way to maximize your costs just be careful to block out the existing image properly so you do not get any foul biting in the acid.

After polishing the plates i degreased the plates with English Whiting which is a common house hold cleaner in powder chalk form. I have included a photo of me in my laundry doing this.

The next step for me is to block the existing image out on the back of the plate with bitumen paint to protect it whilst the plate is submerged in acid.

After the bitumen is dry I will then place the plate in the acid bath for 1 minute to give the whole plate an even grey tone.

The next step for me after I go and watch my eldest son, Holden, get graded at Taekwon-do, will be to take my plates to the Echlin Street Quarry where I have been drawing my inspiration from for this body of work. I carry the plates into the restricted area, as it is thought to be not safe to the public- hoons basically drive stolen cars up there and dump them, and paint directly onto the plates with sugarlift using either a brush or sticks and rocks found on site. I enjoy using the found objects as i get lovely scratches and unique marks that i could not get with a brush.

I need to be very careful with the plates bringing them home that the sugarlift does not get smudged or removed.

The next process will be to coat the surface of the plate including the dried sugarlift with a very thin layer of bitumen, wait for it to dry then submerge the plate in tepid water and wait for the sugarlift to dissolve and lift the bitumen.

I will then apply a enamel spray aquatint to the exposed aluminium and etch for around five minutes each.

I am working on three plates today which I intend to print each plate in black then combine all three plates to create one colour etching.

Today I have talked about what I have done so far and what I am going to achieve by this evening, tomorrow I will discuss the out comes.

P.S If you have any questions or would like to leave a comment I would love to hear from you.

Warmly
Jo Lankester

The secret to getting ahead is getting started
Mark Twain
Magical Secrets About Aquatint: Spit Bite, Sugar Lift & Other Etched Tones Step-by-Step

Jo Lankester: Writing an Artist Statement

Hi, I'm Jo Lankester and thank you for joining my printmaking blog, today I will be discussing my approach to writing an effective artist statement.

I am required to submit two images and an artist statement for my involvement in XXX+Y printmaking exhibition, 1 May until 27 June 2010, for promotional purposes.

Most artists struggle to write about their own work, me included, so I approached it from the angle of an interview and what I thought a journalist would ask me.

To start writing my artist statement I broke the task into 6 steps. These steps helped me write an effect artist statement which I intend to be a moving testament to my creativity.
Step 1
Brainstorming answers to Why I do what I do, How did I get into printmaking? How do I feel when my printmaking practice is going well? What are my favorite things about my printmaking practice?

Step 2
I then wrote a three paragraph artist statement. I kept my sentences authentic and direct.
Step 3
I then left my artist statement overnight so I could subconsciously think about my writing.
Step 4
I read my statement outloud so I could get a feel for how it flowed and made appropriate changes where required.
Step 5
I then emailed a copy to a friend to proof read.
Step 6 
I then saved my rough drafts and notes so I can refer back to it as I create a new body of work.

I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk.

Anthony Robbins

Writing the Artist Statement

Jo Lankester Printmaking

Hi, I'm Jo Lankester and thank you for checking out my blog today.

My passion is printmaking and I will be discussing all things relating to printmaking, including contemporary printmaking artists, printmaking techniques & processes, current printmaking exhibitions and post images and discuss my work as I create it for XXX+Y, a group printmaking exhibition I am involved in which is opening to the public in May 2010 at Pinnacles Gallery, Townsville, Australia.

We will have lots of fun with this blog and I'm sure you will be inspired to get involved in printmaking.

Warmly
Jo Lankester

The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.
Michelangelo

P.S For a comprehensive traditional guide to printmaking go check out the Complete Printmaker I have been using this book as a reference since 1994.