Mix media - drawing, plate etching and painting

 Canoe Trip 

close up of the final work on paper with 

 watercolour and acrylic ink applied

 into the print using a brush

In 2009 I created a work titled Canoe Trip that began as a pencil sketch. I converted the sketch to a plate etching. This was possible by using a light sensitive polymer coated thin metal plate. I made a high res. scan from the sketch and then printed it in grayscale onto a clear inkjet transparency. Additional details and elements were incorporated by using technical pen and thinned washes of black tusche and water onto the film.

I exposed the film positive onto a solar plate in two stages. First I pre-exposed a fine dot screen onto the surface of the thin metal polymer coated plate for about 3 minutes under an home made exposure unit consisting of 4 rows of UV emitting black light. The half tone screen (aquatint screen) that I placed on top under a piece of clear glass would allow variations in tonality from the sketch to be captured onto the plate surface. I then followed this with a 3 min exposure of the actual inkjet transparency. 

I developed the plate using lukewarm water and gentle scrubbing with a soft bristle toothbrush post exposure. The plate was hardened by post exposing it once again under the UV blacklight.

Oil based etching ink was applied to the plate surface and wiped into the etched surface of the polymer. Damp 250 gm cotton rag printmaking paper was placed over top of the plate and was then printed on my small etching press by hand turning the wheel to move the press bed under a tightly set top roller.

the single colour print on rag paper. I secured the print onto a piece 

of smooth  masonite board using gum adhesive butcher's tape.

I started to paint colour into the print using washes of fine watercolour pigments. 

Below are some of the brands that I like to use for my painting applications. These are in tubes and my palette includes Fragonard from France, Daniel Smith and Da Vinci manufactured in the USA.

I also applied thinned out washes of liquid acrylic inks made by UK company Daler-Rowney. These gave me a bit more intense colour when I thinned them with water and applied it to the print.

the cloud shapes were blocked out with masking frisket. It was carefully removed by rubbing with my finger tip once the washes that define the blue of the sky had dried.

early stages of mapping in colour using watercolour paints

A close up showing the interplay of the transparent layers of colour media applied into the etching.

The final result from the marriage of pencil sketch, plate etching and painting.

Artist in Residence - Quetico Park Northwestern Ontario Canada

misty morning at French Lake

I am presently into week #2 of a 14 day artist in residence placement in Quetico Provincial Park about 2 hours west of Thunder Bay, Ontario just south of Highway 11.

artist studio at French lake

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetico_Provincial_Park

Quetico is the wilderness jewel of parks in Northwestern Ontario and it borders the state of Minnesota at its southern boundary. It is a vast stretch of pristine wilderness that encourages low impact camping and canoeing into the interior. I am doing my residency at Dawson Trail campgrounds in a small one room modern heated studio building on the shores of French Lake. Where I am situated is a bit private and removed from the general mass campground areas of Chippewa and Ojibwe. There are public beaches a little bit down ways on either side but I am separated by thick woods. The studio is accessible by 2 trails. One is called the artists path and runs between the beaches through the woods and allows the public access to the studio should they choose and if the artist feels comfortable having an open studio arrangement. The shorter trail extends down about 10 m (30 ft) from the road up on a rise north of the cabin. Artists from all over N. America have been using this space for several years now.

The program for the artist residency is titled Inspired by Quetico. It provides a waiver of camping and parking fees in exchange for the usage of the artist studio and a small campsite nearby with a large modern tent and fire pit for the artists use. The artist is required to contribute a piece of work to the park in exchange for the two week placement. They also are paid an honorarium of $300 towards cost of materials and framing.

Needless to say the landscape is quite stunning and encountering unique boreal woodland flora and fauna and witnessing incredibly beautiful sunsets makes this very inspiring indeed.

I am finding the solitude of this place very calming and it has put me in touch with nature on a level I don’t often get living in the city. 

Back in 2010 I applied to the program and was accepted. However due to poor health that summer I decided it wasn’t the right time for me to do the residency. Earlier this year I reapplied and was accepted. A few dates were suggested as to when I might like to come to the park and knowing that the weather is generally ideal in early to mid Sept (late summer) I chose this time frame. The biting insects are pretty much over and the days are warm and the nights cool allowing for great star gazing and incredible sunsets.

Some of last weeks highlights included a full day of canoeing with a friend across French Lake and down along the Pickerel River at the south end of the lake. We explored the shore, did a little fishing for pickerel and pike (Walleye to you US folks), and took photos of flora and fauna for source material for new studies.

On Saturday Sept 7 I gave a workshop in drypoint on acrylic plate at the Log Cabin Education centre in the park. Participants were shown a demo and then created their own plates which were printed using Akua intaglio inks onto rag printmaking paper. It was well enjoyed by those who attended.

I am making good use this week of the studio facilities and have set up a small print studio on site. Yesterday was spent producing a quantity of etchings from a study of a canoe on a Quetico lake shore. This is not a new study but I had a solar plate etching from a few years back I thought I would print a few more from as it was an open edition. Once these are dry I will add in colour by hand with water based media such as thinned down acrylic inks or watercolour.

 

The remaining days this week will see me create brand new work in the form of a relief and plate based studies based on my direct experiences here.