FRUITs of my labour
There are times when being innocent (or being engrossed) can make life... tricky.
Like the first time you eagerly dollop some wasabi on sushi, so fresh and green and bright and fun then... KERPOW! - your head explodes. Such power, from something so tiny, so herby, so pea-green looking, so innocent. Who knew? (YOU who laughed like a hyena did, you know who you are!).
Or take that Saturday night when you had to fly down to Cornwall for a photoshoot early next morning. You say to your visiting friend; "Let's just stay in, order in a pizza, open a bottle of wine and take it easy". "Fine' she says "oh, hear, listen, did I tell you what happened...."
Hours later, emergency supplies of vodka depleted, you marvel at how your friend has grown two heads when you remember the photoshoot. You race to bed knowing that it's too late (it was) and that tomorrow was going to be challenging (it sooo was). You see. Innocence and engrossment. Not always good.
Which is exactly what happened when I came across the technique of chine-collé at printmaking last term. It seemed innocent enough. You basically glue some thin paper (fine Japanese paper is the norm) and you lay it (glue side up) on an inked etching plate, lay the dampened art paper on top of that, roll it through the press and hey presto, the Japanese paper sticks to the dampened art paper with the print visible on top. Looked straightforward, seemed logical. "I'd like to utilise that" I thought "and I've just the images in mind".
Of course, it didn't quite work out so straightforward. I wanted to add some texture, to add some pattern. I wanted to bring in some colour block techniques. I doodled, then made some collograph plates (a new technique for me), printed onto japanese paper to add pattern and texture, cut out areas so the background etching art paper would show through as white and set about printing.
With 13 pieces of chine-collé eyebrows were raised in the print studio, experienced heads nodded, glances exchanged. You see, they knew what I didn't. It was going to be mega-challenging. And, of course, the first test print worked. "Cool", I thought, "I'll just change some of the coloured paper" and settled down to print an edition of 10. I started with the print above, "Papaya Slices on Turquoise".
So here we are, months later and I've now learnt a HUGE amount about the printing process, collograph plates, chine-collé, glue, damp paper, methods of preparation. And have now just 3 good prints for all the efforts!
I'm not complaining, just marvelling at how innocence and being engrossed in a subject has once again led me down a path I might never have attempted if I'd known what was involved. I'm really happy with the print and hopefully by Easter I'll have 10 good prints (edition varié) ready to show for my efforts. And then there's the second print ready to edition; "Papaya Plate on Turquoise"
