Finished Work, Saatchi Online and Prints Available

I finally finished this piece! The hold up was because my technique of using layers of ink and Liquetex had one little (well actually not so little) flaw; that being the removal of the ink when I applied the Liquetex!!

I'm not sure what causes it, but I'm thinking it's because when I apply the ink onto the canvas that has already had Liquetex gloss applied to it, it can't soak in to the canvas. So when I then go to apply another layer of gloss, the ink comes right off. This was causing me lots of frustration, until I had a light bulb moment (which probably should have been obvious but for some reason just wasn't!) to use spray gloss varnish first, then apply the Liquetex to achieve the finish I wanted. (Because it seems to be less the actual gloss and more the motion of applying with a brush that removes the ink). Duh!!!

Worked perfectly and I've found myself a new way to complete the layers in my paintings without having to worry about the previous layer being effectively washed away when I apply gloss!

So I finished this one and titled it 'Winter's Approach'. I really love it and my brain is overflowing at the moment with ideas for more paintings.

Winter's Approach, 15 x 30" Mixed Media on Canvas

It's now available for sale through Saatchi Online and will be up on the ARTFULY site shortly as well. Yep that's right, I'm now selling my art to the international (and Australian) market through the massive world wide gallery site! I have prints available of this work (and others) through them, and also through my Etsy store. 

My next post in a couple of days is going to be a little sneak peak of the lessons I have in store for my lovely students in just under a months' time so be sure to come back for a look at that one!

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How to make a reduction lino print

Today I got to work on my reduction lino print! I had already cut away all the areas that I wanted to leave white, so I got to ink up with blue straight away. I made a lovely purpley-blue by mixing ultramarine blue and white together. I have discovered that lino printing is actually very satisfying! Carving away the harder top of the plate to reveal not just your design but also the softer part, hearing the 'squish' of the brayer on ink as you roll across the glass and then your plate...and then pulling up the paper after rolling it through the press to see the backwards image from your piece of lino appear as a beautiful print on paper! It's all a rather exciting and satisfying process, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

As you know, this one is a reduction linocut, which means you progressively carve away the areas as you print. So today I printed blue, next week after cutting away all the sky, I'll print red! Then I'll cut away everything else except what needs to stay black, and I'll ink up black and it will be finished!

First inking of my reduction linocut print.

The first image is the paper after inking with blue. The second image is a ghost print. That's where you put another sheet of paper over the plate without re-inking it up, and put it straight back through the press. The result will be an image that is considerably lighter than the first one as there is less ink on the plate.

Ghost print of the same lino.

 I actually really like the ghost print, and I think seeing as I have enough to play around with and still get my edition of 5, I'm going to leave one exactly as it is, and I'm going to do a reduction ghost print. That is, using one of the ghost prints I did today as a base for a ghost print of each other progressive colour. It will be interesting to see the three prints together after they are done.

Cape Leeuwin - this painting will be on exhibition in March/April at Red Rock Gallery!

On another note, I found out yesterday that one of my paintings has been accepted into a gallery showing! My Cape Leeuwin lighthouse will be exhibited at the Red Rock Regional Gallery and Theatre in Corooroke, just outside of Colac in Victoria! This is a very exciting day for me!

Next time I post, I'll hopefully have another painting finished - I've been working on one for my brother and new sister-in-law as their wedding present! It's almost done, so stay tuned to see it!

That's it for today - see you next time!

Lighthouses!

So I'm feeling like a very smart cookie today! I have linked my website and my facebook page as well as my new online store to this blog! Yes, that's right, I now have my very own personal online shop created purely for selling my work!

At the moment it has a few prints in it, but as time progresses I'll be adding other work as well.

Still working on my lino cut for printmaking - as promised, here is the lino with most of the white areas already carved out.

Lighthouse Linocut

And here is one of the first part of my transcription painting. He already has the beginnings of an awesome looking mohawk!

First draft of Grammatica transcription

I'm also working on a series of lighthouse paintings, two are finished, and I am about to start the third. When I get my images rotated properly, I'll post the two I've already done! The third one is going to be of Split Rock lighthouse which is believe it or not, in Minnesota, USA. Now, yes, Minnesota is in the middle of the country and you would think they wouldn't really need lighthouses, being so landlocked. But the state does border Lake Superior, which is one of the world's biggest inland bodies of water I believe. So they DO need lighthouses for the freight ships to navigate the cold and icy waters!

That's it for today I think...see you all next time!