applehead

just add sunlight....

There were a few questions about the solar plate print process so here is a very quick rundown...
First you make a transparency ( you can photocopy onto a transparency or draw/paint directly onto one. Anything can be photocopied- photos, drawings, collages, found objects....)
The transparency is placed onto the solar plate(coated with a light sensitive polymer which is water soluble) and exposed in the sun or under a UV light source. The UV light penetrates the clear areas and hardens the polymer coating, the opaque areas remain water soluble.
The plate is developed by washing and scrubbing in a water bath, then dried.
The plate now has the design etched into it- you then ink it up and wipe the surface to create an intaglio print or roll ink on to the surface to create a relief print. There are all sorts of ways to ink up and rub back using different colours. The plate and print paper is then rolled through a print press to make the final print. Often a second ( or even third) 'ghost ' print can be made from the one inking of the plate.

This print was made from this watercolour I did for Illustration Friday....
I also made a collage using postage stamp images, a black and white photograph, sheet music and some bits of vintage book end papers. Below is the original collage...

and here are two prints...

The top one is one colour ( my favourite Payne's grey) and the bottom one a mix of a few different colours applied using the a la poupee method.

I'm going to frame a few of the prints that I made for Christmas gifts...I also think a few print supplies might be on my wish list for this year.....

Speaking of Christmas, I was lucky enough to be given a whole heap of used postage stamps from my very generous Aunty .Knowing my passion for such things, she is always on the lookout and hit the jackpot at a friend's garage sale. I always put some stamps into my mostly old paper packs as well as save some special ones for my own use ( that's where the lovely tree and the small bird image in the above collage came from). I thought it might be fun to share a bit of stamp goodness around so I have made up five small packets of stamps - if you think you could find a use for them just leave a comment  and I will draw out five names on Sunday night.

solar plate printing

Went off to Primrose Park for my last workshop of the year- solar plate printing. I have had no experience with this printing technique so I was looking forward to seeing how it all worked.
Unlike sculptural weaving, this is a technique that I just loved experimenting with.And the added bonus of no toxic chemicals ( very important!)
For my first plate I used a collage/drawing that I did for Rose's birthday invitation last year.

This is my second print using three colours and the a la poupée process.
This is a way of printing many colors from a single plate: colors are painted directly onto the plate before printing, giving each impression the appearance of a monoprint with uniquely varied coloring.
I didn't rub back the plate as much as I should have so her socks are a bit blue rather than white. I might touch those up with a bit of white gouache. Or not.
Next up, I used a quick line drawing as my starting point.

After printing the plate using one colour , I added a little water colour.
I had time to do two other prints which I'll hopefully get scanned and post tomorrow....

chicken love.....

Look what turned up from the generous Ute in Zurich, with a bundle of Marie Claire Idees, chocolate, buttons, ribbons and sweets.....

Chicken eggwarmers! Ute's great aunt, Mamie Jeanne ( who lived to be 99!) taught her how to make them. Mamie Jeanne knitted hers- Ute has adapted the pattern and crocheted them instead. Ute suggested that if you didn't fancy boiled eggs, that they could be used as a finger puppet instead. The girls loved them both with and without egss! With Ute's permission I am planning to try and make a few for stocking stuffers - thanks Ute and of course Mamie Jeanne!

chicken love.....

Look what turned up from the generous Ute in Zurich, with a bundle of Marie Claire Idees, chocolate, buttons, ribbons and sweets.....

Chicken eggwarmers! Ute's great aunt, Mamie Jeanne ( who lived to be 99!) taught her how to make them. Mamie Jeanne knitted hers- Ute has adapted the pattern and crocheted them instead. Ute suggested that if you didn't fancy boiled eggs, that they could be used as a finger puppet instead. The girls loved them both with and without egss! With Ute's permission I am planning to try and make a few for stocking stuffers - thanks Ute and of course Mamie Jeanne!

in the bag....

I was lucky enough to have a day wandering around Surry Hills with Damian...we were able to spend time  browsing in the many design and homewears shops that are normally off limits with two small children in tow.

One of my favourites was Koskela where I picked up a few early Christmas gifts- I couldn't resist the bag they came packaged in ( usually I pull out one of my own reusable ones). The bag is made from recycled broadsheet by young adults and village women at 'Karm Marg"- a center and initiative set up to help children and young adults living on the streets in New Delhi. This paper craft is one of the many projects used to help the center become self sustained as well as teach skills to help the children survive.The bag is surprisingly sturdy and lasted a day of being lugged around filled with bits and pieces.Every where I went  it attracted attention - not bad for a bag made out of someone's discarded newspaper!

By the way, if you're in Surry Hills,it's worth the effort to stop in for a quick( or not so quick) look at Koskela- inspiring homewears, textiles and furniture and warm friendly service as well. Other enjoyable places of note were David met Nicole, Planet Commonwealth and of course Chee Soon & Fitzgerald.

didn't forget the paints...

It wasn't all swimming and relaxing......I found leaves....

and a moth...

bula.....

...Charlotte's favourite word at the moment, after a week or so on Castaway Island, Fiji.
Lots of swimming, sandcastle building and shell collecting- and the weather was just perfect.
I have never been much of a one for snorkeling but decided (with a little encouraging from Damian) to give it a try. Amazing. I could have floated out there for hours- I only wish that I could have worked out a way to take my drawing stuff along for the swim!
In the middle of the day, when it was just too hot to be out in the sun, we found other things to occupy ourselves. Reading, making shell necklaces or just lazing around doing nothing. Nice.
One day we did a bit of weaving with banana palm fronds to make a 'mat' to put in the fairy house that the girls built.

Of course no holiday would be complete without a holiday craft project. I really wanted to make a start on a small crochet bag for Charlotte for Christmas,so I took along a hook and a few balls of some Nepalese banana silk that Maggie had bought for me last year in New Zealand. I had been looking for some way to use it -the yarn has a lovely dry feel and lustre and a bag seemed like a good choice.
Until I started that is....
I found the banana silk quite difficult to work with due to its very uneven texture. Admittedly I used a fairly small hook ( 3.50mm) as I wanted the fabric to be firm enough to hold its shape - perhaps with a bigger hook the fiber might have been easy to work with. Anyway, I persevered and was quite happy with the result- I just need to line it and sew on the small flower.

The plan was to make another for Rose in green and white but now I'm not so sure...perhaps I will try the same pattern in a cotton yarn instead. (Any hints, tips or suggestions for working with banana silk are most welcome- I still have a skein of lovely bright green to use up......)