What You Know, and What You Don't

Early Monday morning I began the day at the Ear Nose and Throat doctor to get some much needed medication and relief.  If each day promised to be as informative as the two hour orientation and dinner, I was going to need some much needed help in keeping up.  When I finally arrived at my new printmaking classroom at Stockton, each of the participants shared a little bit about why they came to aTi.  I found that I was one of two high school art teachers, and that each of the other participants had been a part of an AEI grant, or was currently involved in the process of one.  My instructor, Eileen began by showing us a portfolio of work in each of the techniques we would learn.  I was impressed by so much of the work, and I had never thought of printmaking as being such a diverse medium.  I wrote down note after note about how students could benefit from making preliminary drawings on black scratch art with clear or white underneath, and how the imagery could take place within the area of the linocut without being surrounded by the shape of the box.  I also came to finally understand the difference between Monoprint and Monotype. 

One piece of information I did not expect to learn was how to hold paper.  Eileen told us that most people hold paper the wrong way, with the pointer finger and thumb pressing down on the paper, and how this almost always causes an irreversible dent to occur in the paper.  With the incredibly delicate paper we were to be working with, if a dent like this was formed, it would be impossible to overlook.  She therefore showed us that the proper way to hold paper, and teach our students how to hold their own artwork, is to pinch the paper lightly between your pointer and middle fingers so that more surface area is holding the paper and a dent will not occur.  This also helps us to hold the paper with a cleaner part of our fingers, since art teachers almost always have dirty finger tips. 

The work Eileen showed us was astounding, and yet I couldn't help but feel like I was missing the point.  When she would say that a work of art went through the press 20 times, I couldn't conceptualize how long that might take or how difficult that may be right in that moment.  For the first time in a long time, I felt like a true novice, and it felt wonderful to be learning so much. 

        

One of the images that really sunk into my memory was an image that was created with so many layers it sat on the edge of becoming muddled, but balanced perfectly.  The rich colors of the of the corn field had me thrilled at the possibilities of a developed print.  

 There were also beautiful images of landscapes with rock formations that were created using the reductive method, where you take the ink away.  It was amazing to think that a rock face could be created simply by wiping away ink with a bounty paper towel.  

Right before lunch, Eileen demonstrated how to make the plates for the Chipboard Relief prints by cutting pieces of very thin cardboard(or you could use cereal boxes!!  Awesome!) into the desired shapes that will fit together like a tight jigsaw puzzle.  For instance, the flower petals, which I created later, would be a different color from the stem and leaves but the two colors would fit seamlessly into one another when the stem and flowers met. 

I learned that before creating many images in printmaking, much like in other arts disciplines, an artist first has to create their "road map" or template of how you want your final product to be arranged.  The difference is that this "map" will stay with you as a tool for the entire duration of the art making process.

Eileen showed us how a simple change in the application of acrylic medium on the printing side of the chip board would change the texture of the print so dramatically from the otherwise wood-grained texture.  It was incredible to see how much each layer of ink affected another as they crossed over one another.  The process seemed so simple to me at first... until I actually started to make my chipboard pieces after lunch.

Eileen planned for us to begin working on our chipboard relief assignment after lunch, and I had such a hard time choosing my subject matter when we returned to class.  Since I often work with pastels, pencil, or other mediums that lend themselves to using multiple values of a color, it was difficult for me at first to think in "flat" shapes. 

I eventually chose to work with sunflowers, as a way to remember my father who passed away recently.  My father was a cheerful, positive man with a wonderful sense of humor, and he loved bright colors like yellow and orange.  In creating these sunflowers, I wanted to add some of that playfulness and cheer into the petals.  Little did I know how long it would take me to cut the petals out! 

As I was discussing my idea with Eileen, she had a wonderful idea to add an inner layer of orange by adding another piece of chip board.  This way I would have the large flower layer, the smaller, jagged orange area of each petal within the flower, and the brown center of each flower as a separate piece.  Unfortunately, in my tissue-covered state, I did not have the time or energy to finish cutting out this middle piece at the time, but it is certainly an idea that I will explore further and show my students when I demonstrate the chipboard relief.  Another brilliant idea Eileen had was to have me drill holes in my sunflower centers so that the yellow from the flower underneath would shine through tiny areas of the darker brown center.  It was so much fun using the dremel to create my tiny little dots.  I don't know about you, but I believe a great sense of empowerment can come from the use of a power tool.

Due to my working so slow on our first day of class, I brought my chipboard pieces home to cut out for homework.  Here's to a faster pace tomorrow!