Tiger Sleeping Collagraph Print

 

Printing a "Tiger Sleeping" Collagraph Print!

I thought it was about time I started editioning this print first started back in 2021! About a month after I proofed this print I ended up in hospital for three days which led to major mobility problems and I couldn't do any printmaking for over two years, so I think I have a good excuse for not editioning him yet!

First of all I cover the collagraph printing plate in Caligo Safewash blue/black etching ink. Then this is wiped off with newspaper and tissue paper. This leaves the ink in all the fine textures of the printing plate but any shiny surfaces are wiped clean of ink.

This is a two colour collagraph print but it is printed all in one go through the printing press. The orange colour is added using a technique called a la poupée, meaning "with a doll", which refers to the wad of fabric, shaped like a ball that is used to apply the ink in selected places. I use a small stencil to mask off anywhere I don't want the orange ink to go and the ink is applied by a small dabber. 

Tiger 'Sleeping print hot off my etching press!

Many more tiger prints to come!

Clare x 

Making a Crackle Printing Plate!

I have been doing a lot of experimenting recently with overlaying a crackle textured printing plate on top of some of my older collagraph printing plates to create some different patterns and age. 

I discovered, by accident, a few years ago a reaction to using two different shiny paints which causes the top coat to crack and then produce fine lines which are an interesting texture to print. These are all completely random so are very fun to produce!

Here's how about making a crackle printing plate:

I use a piece of scrap mountboard cut to size. Then I apply a layer of gloss acrylic medium all over the mountboard. It doesn't have to be too even, infact as uneven as possible seems to produce more interesting cracks!

Once the acrylic medium is completely dry I add a layer of radiator paint (it only works with the cheapest possible radiator paint, this one was about £5 from B & M Bargains) Again this layer doesn't need to be even. The radiator paint then needs to dry out overnight and the reaction is best done in a cold room (I have put the prinitng plates in the fridgeto crackle too!)

A tiny bit of cracking is starting in the corners after a few hours but don't be tempted to touch these plates until at least 24 hours has passed and they are completely dry.

Its hard to photograph the cracks as they are white on white! Heres the finished crackle printing plate all inked up with yellow ochre ink and my Dudley Castle collagraph printing plate ready to be printed.

The castle printing plate goes through the printing press first with the edge of the paper caught slightly under the roller so that I can then align and replace the castle printing plate with the crackle printing plate to print on top of the image.

The crackle plate is then printed on top of the castle image. (As the ink is still wet you can see some residual ink left from the castle on the crackle plate)

I'm only printing these in very small editions, four for this one.

A close up of the finished collagraph print so that you can see the interesting textures created by the crackle plate!

Clare x

Printing a Staircase!

 

After visiting Picton Castle last year I was fascinated by the crumbling staircase there and I really wanted to depict it as a collagraph print. I finally got round to making the printing plate the end of last year but I really felt it needed something more so I made another printing plate to go over the top with crackles on it. I felt this really depicted the age and added a bit more interest and depth.

I inked up and printed both of the printing plates at the same time.

Inking up and wiping both printing plates below.

The first printing plate was printed on my etching press of the staircase inked up in blue/black ink.

I kept the paper caught under the roller of the printing press so it wouldn't move and then placed the crackle plate inked with yellow ochre printing ink ready to print.

This was then printed on top of the staircase print. (A little of the staircase ink transfers to the printing plate too!)

The finished collagraph print hot off the printing press!

I'm really enjoying playing with crackle plates at the moment so will be doing lots more experimenting!

Clare x

Art Exhibitions

In these weird times the way we exhibit artwork has changed an awful lot. I have just entered three online exhibitions (keep your fingers crossed!) and thought I'd have a look back at some of my recent exhibitions.

I started off the year really well by managing to get one of my collagraph prints "Tiger Relax" accepted into a very difficult exhibition to get into, the RBSA (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists) Open exhibition. 

This exhibition opened in March and luckily I managed to see it before lockdown happened and the gallery closed. Sadly I didn't get to wear my posh frock as the closing party was cancelled! The exhibition is actually still on at the gallery, as it couldn't be taken down, and I'm hoping the building ghosts are enjoying their exclusive exhibition at the moment!

My favourite exhibition of last year had to be the Wolverhampton Society of Artists Centenary exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery in December. I was very shocked to win first prize in the Selection Panel Choice and got to meet the Mayor of Wolverhampton who presented me with my certificate!

I also exhibited another couple of times at the RBSA last year. Back in March 2019 for the Open All Media exhibtion, where I exhibited an oil painting for the very first time!

And in July 2019 I exhibited my collagraph print "Tiger Feet" in the annual Friends exhibition and even got to do a 5 minute talk about how I make my collagraph printing plates!

I really have had a busy few years of exhibitions and hopefully soon we will be able to exhibit properly in real life again!

Clare xx

Tigers & Mucky Bottoms!

Normally if I'm printing more than one colour I try and add all my colours onto one collagraph printing plate and print it in one go, as its a lot easier! I decided to challenge myself and try out a different method involving two printing plates and a mucky bottom! I thought I would depict my favourite subject, a tiger.

Here are the two printing plates side by side. One is very much like my normal collagraph printing plate with lots of detail and tone, the other is a bit more abstract and will be used for background of the image.

I started by inking up the more abstract plate for the background with a lovely vibrant orange ink. (apologies for the blurriness of this image, trying to take the photo left handed and not succeeding very well!)

The background plate is inked and then wiped so that the rougher areas of the printing plate hold more ink and the smoother areas hold less ink and will therefore print lighter. It is ready to be printed. 

But first I need to get the main printing plate ready to print as I will be printing them almost at the same time. I've had to completely clean up everything first, getting rid of any orange ink, newspaper, gloves etc so I don't contaminate this plate with any orange ink. The printing pate is then covered in blue/black ink and then wiped with newspaper and tissue paper. 

The main printing plate ready to be printed.

Firstly the background printing plate is placed onto the printing press onto a clean scrap piece of paper and a slightly dampened piece of printing paper is put on top, with the blanket on top of this. This is then run under the rollers so that it prints onto the slightly dampened paper. The paper is then peeled back and very carefully trapped under the rollers so that it doesn't move and the printing plate is removed.

This leaves behind an imprint of where the printing plate was on the scrap paper, its mucky bottom! 

I can then place the main printing plate on top of this mucky bottom (making sure I put it the right way up!) aligning exactly where the first printing plate was on the scrap paper and as the slightly dampened paper was trapped in the rollers it should go back over the printing plate in exactly the same place as where the first plate was.

This then goes through the rollers again transferring the black ink on top of the already printed orange image. The big reveal, has it worked or not?

One tiger hot off the printing press!

Then repeat many times! 

"Tiger Sit" Limited Edition Collagraph Print

Here's the finished tiger print, I'm thinking of trying it in a few different colours too!

Clare xx

Tiger Print

Back in July last year I was in my usual place by the tiger enclosure at Dudley Zoo when the tigers suddenly started mating! The male tiger strutted off looking very proud of himself and the female rolled over onto her back and just looked very chilled and relaxed. I managed to get quite a few photos of her and knew I would have to do some artwork featuring such an unusual pose for a tiger!

I did a couple of acrylic paintings featuring the very happy tiger:

Happy Tiger - Acrylic Painting

Happy Tiger 2 - Acrylic Painting

I also had to depict her in a collagraph print too.  A collagraph print is a print created from a card plate made by adding glue, paint, enamel etc. This holds the ink in varying degrees and is then printed through the intaglio process.

Sadly the original printing plate (which took hours to make!) warped in the printing press due to some of the paint being too thick, so that one had to be binned. This is the second collagraph printing plate just finished and ready to be printed:

Lots of blue/black intaglio ink is wiped all over the printing plate.

And then wiped off again! The ink stays in the textured parts of the printing plate and wipes off the smoother parts which will print lighter or white.

The printing plate is then placed onto the intaglio press and a slightly damp piece of paper is put on top. all of this is covered with a blanket and then put through the printing press which forces the ink off the printing plate onto the paper, leaving the paper slightly embossed.

The finished collagraph print, framed and ready for exhibition.

I decided to enter her into the Wolverhampton Society of Artists new Centenary Exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery and luckily she was accepted! 

Also I was very shocked and proud to receive the first prize for the Selection Panel Choice and got to meet the Mayor of Wolverhampton who presented me with a certificate and book.

The exhibition is on until February 16th and well worth a look and you can see a very relaxed looking tiger!

Clare xx