Friday, July 22, 2005

July 11-12 Working on the monotypes

I got back to work on the monotypes I started in Santa Fe now that I'm finished with the collage work I started before I left. I got out the old oil based relief inks so that I could use something compatible with what I call "starts".

Suddenly it dawned on me that I no longer had the ghost image on a plate so that I could match up and register the print with a new layer. I finally remembered the old light box back behind the work table. It's large enough for a full sheet of paper so I turned my "start" from the workshop on it's face and could see enough of where the design was placed that I could ink the plexiglas for another layer.

I started with the piece that was the least developed and had design problems due to a prominent piece of chine colle on the left side. I do this all the time (starting with the one that might be beyond help) so I don't have to worry about ruining something with a lot of promise. Practice makes perfect so they say so maybe I'll have had a little more practice by the time I get to the ones with more promise.....or that are almost resolved.

In looking through all the "starts" I've decided that if I like some of the ones that slipped under the press and caused a "craftsmanship" problem with the edges, I'll just cut them off and float them like any other work on paper..............who says you can't? I don't like messy edges, reserving apparent messiness for the painting. I've never preferred work that looked too "slick".

When I started the roll outs, I'm finding I don't like what I'm getting in the layering process. It makes beautiful layers but layers alone don't make a painting in my estimation. The inks just don't move like paint. SO............out came the old oil paints and brushes. These heavier applications may take a gazillion years to dry in comparison to my acrylics but they sure worked better for the overall look of the work.

Over the next two days, I'm working on more and more of the works. I don't need to do much to the small 12 x 12" square ones. Looking and working on them, a few titles came to mind.........Fields and Holiday..........Holiday since some have elements of some of my traveling around in France and Spain.

I'll post a link to some of the before and after when I'm done with all of them.

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