The First Proof!

I spent this afternoon at an Open Access session at Swansea Print Workshop, ready to take a first proof from my coffee-lift-spit-bite aluminium etching plate, developed at last weekend’s BIG Etching course with Andrew Baldwin. I chose a soft textured Somerset paper from St. Cuthbert’s Mill and Intaglio Printmaker’s Drypoint Shop Mix etching ink. It’sContinue reading “The First Proof!”

Coffee And Spit Bite

More geeky printmaking stuff from last weekend’s B.I.G. Etching course with Andrew Baldwin at Swansea Print Workshop. The aluminium plate was degreased with whiting and soy sauce to get it ready for drawing on with instant coffee solution. I forgot to take a photo of mine being drawn, but Andrew Baldwin has kindly lent meContinue reading “Coffee And Spit Bite”

BIG And Greasy

  I spent a happy but exhausting weekend at Swansea Print Workshop on a specialist course in the ‘BIG’ non-toxic etching technique, pioneered and taught by Andrew Baldwin of Trefeglwys Print Studio. Andrew has invented a new etching ‘ground’ and has also experimented with a range of household materials to take the place of someContinue reading “BIG And Greasy”

To Paint Or Not To Paint?

That’s the question, isn’t it? Some printmakers think it’s acceptable to hand-colour etchings and some don’t. I do. This is a little drypoint I did a few weeks ago at The Bagpuss Window based on a drawing I scribbled when I was in Pakistan last year. I’ve added colour with Winsor & Newton half panContinue reading “To Paint Or Not To Paint?”

The Carved Elephant – A Drypoint Etching

I have been doing some printmaking at The Bagpuss Window, the temporary artspace in Swansea’s High Street, making a little edition of miniature drypoints (similar to etchings). I set up a printing area around the little etching press, with an inking table, a blotting table and a drying table. I measured and ripped 8 piecesContinue reading “The Carved Elephant – A Drypoint Etching”

The Elephant In Lahore

I started working on a new tiny drypoint. During my residency in Pakistan last year, I did a fair bit of sketchbook drawings and I spotted this carved elephant in a restaurant in Lahore. I scribbled it and I’ve now redrawn it, with a Faber Castell Pitt drawing pen, onto a small piece of drypointContinue reading “The Elephant In Lahore”

Badge-eater

I ran a short course in using a pasta maker as a printing press at Swansea Print Workshop today. We used paper drypoint plates to make miniature prints. I very quickly re-sketched a drawing of a badger from my sketchbook and cut it into the plate with a drypoint tool. The nose is a bitContinue reading “Badge-eater”

Pasta Printing Press – The Video (with added cat)

  A short video showing the process of printing a drypoint with a recycled pasta making machine. It’s easy. The video is just over 4 minutes long and features my cat as well.   Please try it, it’s very easy and convenient 🙂  

Pasta Print Perfect!

The tabletop pasta maker had it’s first trial as a mobile printing press today. RESULT!!!!! It worked beautifully. It’s taken ages to renovate because we had stored it in a really damp cupboard and it was badly rusted, but WD40, patience and elbow grease did the job. Here’s how I recycled it…………….   First, IContinue reading “Pasta Print Perfect!”

Preloved Pasta Press

I’m recycling my old, unloved tabletop pasta machine into a mini printing press – I hope. Husb spent ages cleaning the rust off and getting the rollers to work smoothly again without creaking loudly. I bought a piece of felted wool to cut down into little blankets and I’m going to try using the machineContinue reading “Preloved Pasta Press”