Project 12: Collatype collage prints - Part 1 Industrial landscapes

For this project you will be working towards a series of representational images the previous section it was pointed out that detail has to be simplified when using collage to represent objects. With this in mind choose a subject where you deliberately have to reduce the amount of visible detail by selecting varied materials to suggest a texture.

I was disappointed that the course notes specified that the prints should be representational at this stage because I had decided to take my work in a more abstract direction. However, during the course I have attended several workshops. One of these at Leeds Print Workshop was experimental collagraphs using various types of tape. During this workshop I produced these images of industrial landscapes using duck tape, textured floor tape, masking tape and foil tape. What follows is a repetition of my account of this workshop:

When I attended the collagraph/monoprint workshop at Leeds Print Workshop, it occurred to me that the combination of tapes we used to create texture (duck tape, anti-slip tape, masking tape, foil tape and many more) would be ideal for creating the textures of an industrial landscape. The tapes themselves are also used by plumbers and in industrial settings so I liked the idea of using them to produce a print representing their usual habitat. 

I first created a collagraph type plate with several layers of tape. I didn't do any pre-planning of this plate - I just used the shapes I had in my head from previous attempts to represent this subject and let it develop as I went along. I decided to try to create a sense of depth to the landscape by using different tapes for the foreground, middle ground and background areas. I used the thickest tape for the foreground shapes which was the anti-slip tape. This is like thick sandpaper and produces a speckled texture on printing. 
I used duck tape for the mid ground elements which has a texture caused by the threads within it. For the background buildings I used masking tape which has quite a close texture. I attempted to create an impression of smoke from the chimneys by applying crumpled foil tape (the type used for sealing chimneys and ducts) I quite like the irony that I am representing smoke by using tape that is used to keep smoke contained!

I started off by printing directly from the collagraph plate onto cratridge paper. I first printed in process yellow then overprinted in process magenta and indigo. There were some parts of this print that I really liked. The bright yellow haloes around the foreground chimneys, the subtle gradation of indigo and red on the background shapes and the sky as well as the texture for the smoke all worked quite well (although the smoke looked a bit too solid). However I had not managed to register the print well enough and the slight offset created a bizarre effect with the foreground shapes. The offsetting of the little dots of colour produced by the anti-slip tape made my eyes go funny! It reminds me of a blurred photograph or interference on a tv screen and is difficult to look at. 

I took a second 'ghost' print of the plate onto wet cartridge paper (intaglio technique) - this transferred mainly indigo ink but with very small amounts of the magenta and yellow which remained on the plate. It picked out more detail of the texture of the duck tape.

Single layer collagraph print on soaked cartridge paper

I proceeded next to adapt this collagraph into a monoprinting technique by offsetting the image onto a monoprint plate to allow me to manipulate it further.  I re-inked the cardboard collagraph plate with a combination of yellow and indigo. I then placed a plastic monoprinting plate of the same size directly over it and sandwiched the two between layers of newsprint before passing them through the etching press together. This transferred the ink from the collagraph plate to the monoprint plate. There was still a small amount of red on the collagraph plate so this also transferred especially in the area of the smoke and age background buildings. 

After obtaining my offset image on the monoprint plate I was free to adapt it further. I used cloth and scrim to wipe into the sky and to break up the outline of the foil smoke shapes. I also used the tip of a sharpened pencil to draw windows into the distant building. I pulled the print onto cartridge paper using the etching press. I was quite pleased with this result. Note that the image is reversed by the offset printing process. 

Offset collagraph monoprint three colour print with subtractive
drawing on cartridge paper

I took a second print from this monoprint plate onto coated paper

Second pass 'ghost'  monoprint as above

I then cleaned my monoprint plate and re-inked my collagraph plate with plenty of red and yellow ink. I offset this again onto the clean monoprint pate. This time I decided to accentuate the foreground instead of drawing into the background. I rolled indigo ink onto the monoprint plate and wiped away to leave only foreground chimney shapes. I got a bit confused as to which chimneys were on which side of the print and plate so the shapes are not accurate reproductions of the printed shapes underneath but this adds additional depth to the foreground. The registration is slightly off. 

Multilayer collagraph monoprint

I took a ghost print from this and then overprinted again with additional yellow. The registration was not great but his gave a dirty smudgy effect which I think is quite appropriate for the subject matter. I realised it was time to stop at this point before I managed to create mud from too many layers of mixed colours. 

Multilayer collagraph monoprint

 I hope these are sufficient to satisfy the representational aspect of this task as I have decided to pursue the line of inquiry I am more interested in at this stage and move ahead with more abstract responses to microscopic and macroscopic forms in nature.

What I learnt

• A makeshift collagraph plate can be used to create landscape textures
• Offsetting the collagraph onto another plate allows additional manipulation of the image
• Spontaneous working without too much planning is sometimes better that having too fixed an idea of the outcome you want as it allows you to respond to what actually happens when you print

Reading and research: Collagraph Techniques

I decided to do a bit more research on collagraph techniques so I read chapter 6 of "Printmaking: A complete guide" (1) and made notes in my 'techniques' notebook. 

This provided a good summary of collagraph techniques. There was a useful table comparing the properties of different base plate materials and the advantages and disadvantages of each. There were also examples of various collage materials; both wet and dry, which can be employed. 

The key to being successful with collagraph seems to be the ability to understand how each selected material will hold ink and release it onto the paper. In the chapter, there are detailed explanations of various types of collage materials and how to get the best out of them. I will not go into detailed explanations in this review but I have made lots of notes to refer to during the remainder of the course. 

The chapter also describes the use of carborundum to create dark areas and the use of 'maniere noir' (silk collagraph or silk aquatint) which I would like to this try in order to create a range of tonal values. It also describes the use of photo collagraph which uses light sensitive screen printing emulsion - this is an interesting technique which I will keep to one side for future reference but is beyond the scope of my current studies. 

I had seen this book (2) recommended on collagraph printmaking groups on social media: 

This is very old book which has been out of print for decades. I had seen it in online bookstores for a ridiculous price (Over £100) and I didn't have access to a local library to borrow it. However, I then had a stroke of luck. I saw a rather battered copy on a website for £35 is I ordered it. After a month of waiting it still hadn't arrived and I had given up hope of ever seeing it. I emailed the bookstore who were very apologetic and refunded my money. They also said that if it did arrive, that I could keep it free of charge as they didn't have another copy they could send me. I was very excited when it finally arrived a week later!!!!

Despite being an old book, it is extremely useful. I read it from cover to cover within 24 hours of receiving it and made copious notes in my techniques book. I will scan or photograph my notes and post them as a separate post rather than re-type them here. 

I was enthused and inspired by this book and came away with a very long list of techniques I would like to try as follows: 

• silk collagraph/silk aquatint and blending a tonal gradation
• using acrylic gloss medium and holding paste
• blind embossing
• making impressions of found objects in moulding medium
• techniques for making lines with media/tape/thread/blade
• spraying/spattering media
• using stencils
• marbling acrylic media
• using incompatible fluids
• burning/blistering the plate
• freezing the plate before media are dry to create cracks
• colour dragging
• jigsaw plate
• overprinting plates
• partial rollup or stencilled/masked rollup
• multiple colour rollup
• roll-on, roll-off
• viscosity printing
• multiple image print
• auxiliary plates

I think this shows how versatile collagraph printmaking is. I really want to experiment further with this but as I have limited time to complete this section of the course, some of my experimentation will have to be carried over into part 5 (and afterwards). I'm excited to get started!

I particularly like the fact that collagraph uses recycled materials and found objects. Although I would like to try using the acrylic media mentioned in the text books, for the time being, I can't afford to buy any new materials so I will have to make do with what I have in my studio: Various types of cardboard and hardboard, PVA glue, acrylic paint, gesso, thin shellac and spray on clear acrylic lacquer. 

References:

(1) Fick, B. and Grabowski, B. (2015). Printmaking. A complete guide to materials & process. Rev. ed. 2nd ed. London: Laurence King, p.142 - 158
(2)Stoltenberg, D. and MacKenzie, R. (1975). Collagraph printmaking. Worcester, Mass: Davis Publications.

Project 11: Further impressions

I tried creating textures with various wet media on my plate. I used watercolour resist medium. I also made brush marks and spirals using white acrylic paint. I covered one side of the cardboard plate with gesso. I drew into the gesso, scratching lines with the tip of a paintbrush handle. I also made impressions in the gesso using various items including the metal washers. I applied some paper to the gesso and lifted it away creating a rippled texture. The impressions formed by objects were not very distinct  - this was because the gesso was still very wet and pliable. I have since found out that it is possible to get a more precise impression by oiling the object (so it doesn't stick) an leaving it in-situ until the gesso or Polyfilla dries. Then the object can be removed leaving a clean impression. 

From left to right: Marks made using watercolour resist medium, acrylic paint and impressions made into gesso

The resulting print using intaglio inking with hawthorn's stay-open indigo

The resulting print with intaglio inking in Hawthorn's sonic orange rolled over with indigo

The prints from this plate were a little disappointing. Intaglio inking and wiping using indigo ink resulted in a very thin print. I had anticipated that the smoother surfaces of the paint and the gesso would wipe clean and print light but I expected more ink uptake by the backing cardboard and the textures in the gesso. Maybe I over-wiped the plate although it still looked as though the ink was there before I put in through the press. The only areas that really took up the ink were the places where bubbles had formed in the watercolour masking fluid.
 I intaglio inked the plate with sonic orange ink and then rolled over in indigo. I was annoyed that my roller wasn't quite as large as the plate so I got lines where the edges of the roller went over the textured area. I went back and forth several times with the roller in an attempt to disguise these lines. This was unsuccessful: On the textured gesso on the right side of the print, roller lines can clearly be seen. However, on the left side, the repeated rolling has all but completely obliterated any textural detail. 

On my next plate I experimented with acrylic paint and carborundum. I tried two grades of carborundum: fine and coarse. I tried mixing the carborundum with the paint and painting it onto the plate. I also tried painting with acrylic pain onto the card and sprinkling the carborundum onto the wet paint. I waited for the paint to dry and then lifted the plate and tapped off the excess. This evoked memories of primary school and applying glitter to Christmas cards. (Incidentally, the whole collagraph project brings back happy primary school memories as we had a great art teacher and we did rudimentary collagraphs by sticking wallpaper, string and corrugated cardboard onto board to create a landscape and printing from these using poster paint - great fun!)

From left to right: Marks made with gesso, acrylic paint mixed with carborundum, acrylic paint with carborundum sprinkled over it and adhered to the surface. 

Intaglio print of the above plate. From left to right: Carborundum sprinkled on acrylic paint, carborundum mixed with paint, gesso. 

On the intaglio inked plate, the carborundum really took up a lot of the ink and created a satisfying dark dark. The edges of the marks were more distinct where the carborundum had been sprinkled onto the surface compared to when the grit had been mixed with the paint and sprinkled on. I had tried to create some interesting marks by applying paint through the stiff lace as a stencil. These marks really didn't show up at all on the intaglio wiped plate, only the areas of paint that had been pulled up and textured by the removal of the lace while still wet showed.

Print from the same plate as above with an additional relief rollover in black.

Relief rolling in black over the residual ink on the plate gave a completely different effect. The carborundum was now lighter than the surrounding flat board and had a slightly grainy or mottled texture. The edges of the brush marks took up more of the black ink lost creating a black outline to the marks (especially those with the sprinkled carborundum).


With my previous experimental plate, I had noticed that sewing thread worked quite well, whereas string was much too thick. I had also had some success using thread in my monotypes earlier in the course. I thought that thread would be ideal for drawing linear elements on collagraph prints so I tried out my theory. I love drawing repetitive lines and repetitive mark making because I find it meditative so I embarked on a project of repetitive line drawing on a collagraph plate using thread. I found that this too was a meditative process. However, because I was using PVA glue and it was drying quite quickly, I ended up having some really thick areas of glue from repeated applications. Because the PVA is shiny and smooth when it tries, I was concerned that this might stop the thread taking up the ink and showing as a line. This was not a major problem. Most of the lines were clear and distinct. 

Intaglio print in indigo of a plate constructed using sewing thread

I printed this plate in intaglio using indigo ink. In a couple of areas, there was a lot more background tone than on the rest of the plate which made the lines less distinct. I'm not sure whether this was the result of uneven wiping, or whether it is because of excessive glue being textured by lots of fingerprints when trying to stick down the thread.

Print from the same plate as above intaglio inked in turquoise with a black relief rollover

I then printed intaglio in turquoise and relief rolled in black. This time I had a problem with lines from the edge of the roller. Each time I tried to re-roll to blend in the lines, I just made more lines. This was very frustrating and takes away from the overall impression of the print. I need to look into getting either a very large roller which will cover the plates in one pass or some very small rollers for filling in detailed and delicate areas without covering the plate. 

Another impression from the same plate with the ghost of the turquoise intaglio inking and another black relief rollover. 

I repeated the roll over without re-inking the turquoise because I thought that the wet ink was partly to blame for attracting the black and making the lines. This worked better in that there weren't the obvious lines but the resulting print doesn't have the same pop of bright turquoise. It is overall quite dark without a great deal of tonal variation.

What I learnt:

• Acrylic paint or smooth gesso wipe almost completely clean so can be used for creating light areas when intaglio inking
• Carborundum attracts the ink so can be used for creating dark or black tonal areas on intaglio inking
• carborundum doesn't look so dark on relief rolling - it can be used for texture rather than tone with this technique
• Creating impressions in the gesso isn't as easy as I had thought - the gesso must be set before removing the object to get a clean impression
• linear elements can be created by drawing into gesso with a pointed object
• Another way to make lines is to use sewing thread. 
• it is difficult to roll over the textured plates without making lines with the roller which subsequently necessitates repeated rolling for obliteration. This also obliterates fine detail. It might be possible to avoid this with a very large roller but they are very expensive. 

Project 11: Making a test collage block

To start this project I raided by 'texture box' which I have been keeping since I started the course and used various textures for making monotypes. I also wandered around the house looking for things which might create an interesting texture when fixed to a collagraph plate. 

For the base plates I used the thick cardboard from the back of some art paper pads. These were A3 in size. Although I created A3 sized plates, I would later realise that I was running short of large sheets of printmaking paper. I would not be able to order any more until payday at the end of the month so it was necessary to cut my plates in half, forming A4 sized plates. I sealed my plates with spray-on acrylic varnish. 

In the course notes, there were instructions for relief printing the plates by hand. However, in the research I had done, most of the prints which I like were printed by an intaglio method (inking and wiping, printing only the ink which remains trapped in the textures). I think that the course has  been specifically designed to allow people to complete it without having access to a press. Given that I now have my own press and am keen to use it I decided to intaglio print my plate as well as intaglio with relief rolling over the top. 

I used the small (low quality) felt I had from the FOME school press to protect the felt blankets on my new press from being damaged by the collagraph plates. 

Print 1: Intaglio. Clockwise from top left. Foil,
cork tile, nylon mesh, handmade paper,
sewing thread, various fabrics, plastic potato net,
plastic tarpaulin, printer paper, 'wundaweb'

Plate 1: Anti-clockwise from top right. Foil,
cork tile, nylon mesh, handmade paper, 
sewing thread, various fabrics, plastic potato net,
plastic tarpaulin, printer paper, 'wundaweb'

The same plate as above printed with  a ghost of the intaglio
inking in blue with a relief rollover in black

The relief and intaglio modes of printing give different qualities to the prints and pick up different features of the textured materials. The subtle textures on the crumpled foil and the cork tile showed up well on the intaglio inking whereas the mesh fabrics and netting held too much ink (maybe I didn't wipe it enough as I was scared of loosening the collaged items). These textures showed up much better with the ghost of the intaglio ink and the relief rollover. I also like the halo effect around the cotton thread on this one. 

Print 2: Clockwise from top left - paper ring reinforcers and metal washers,
onion skin, various papers, wallpaper, dried camomile, rolled oats,
masking tape, hessian and threads from hessian

Plate 2: Anti-clockwise from top right - paper ring reinforcers and metal washers, 
onion skin, various papers, wallpaper, dried camomile, rolled oats, 
masking tape, hessian and threads from hessian

The same plate as above printed with  a ghost of the intaglio
inking in blue with a relief rollover in black

The wallpaper worked very well with the intaglio inking as did the paper ring reinforcers. The metal washers were a bit too proud and made me worry about damaging the press - they created a marked emboss on the paper and they were left with a halo of white around them. I could potentially eliminate that by cutting a recess into the plate before placing them in order to make them less proud of the surface. 

The highly textured items on the bottom row (hessian, rolled oats and camomile plant material) all held too much ink and I found them disappointing on the first intaglio print. However, when most of the intaglio ink had been removed on the first pass through the press, a relief rollover in black revealed their textures quite nicely. The opposite was true for the ring reinforcers and the wallpaper which were almost obliterated by the relief inking. 

Print 3: Clockwise from top left - circles of paper from a hole punch, wallpaper,
mesh tape, rough masking tape and crumpled tissue, corrugated cardboard,
scraps of lino carved out of a block, polo-shirt fabric, rough string

Plate 3: Anti-clockwise from top right - circles of paper from a hole punch, wallpaper,
mesh tape, rough masking tape and crumpled tissue, corrugated cardboard,
scraps of lino carved out of a block, polo-shirt fabric, rough string

Print from the same plate as above with the ghost of the green intaglio
inking and a relief rollover in indigo

For the third print, I used a bright green which I mixed with some extender to make it a bit more translucent as well as a small amount of linseed oil jelly to make it easier to wipe. Once again, the more highly textured items such as the mesh took up too much ink but less marked textures such as the wallpaper and corrugated card printed well in intaglio. I did a rollover of indigo after the first pass through the press. I really like this colour combination of the pale green with the indigo. The textures really popped out with this rollover. The most disappointing element was the string. I had hoped to see the texture of it more clearly but it really just gathered a lot of ink in a halo around it because it stands proud of the plate and has a circular cross section. 

Print 4: Clockwise from top left - crushed eggshells, bulgur wheat, woven placemat,
kitchen roll, feathers, wallpaper, stiff lace, lentils

Plate 4: Anti-clockwise from top right- crushed eggshells, bulgur wheat, woven placemat,
kitchen roll, feathers, wallpaper, stiff lace, lentils

Print from the same plate as above with the ghost of the green intaglio
inking and a relief rollover in indigo

I had hoped that the crushed eggshells would give a 'crackle glazed' or cracked, parched earth type of effect but they didn't really although the texture was reasonably interesting. The lentils were not cooperative - they were difficult to stick to the plate and even after a few layers of lacquer they were still coming off as I wiped the plate. The bulgur wheat was interesting but I'm not sure how I would use the halo effect it creates in practice. The wallpaper works well on both prints as do the textures of the woven placemat and the kitchen roll. I was disappointed with the feathers and the lace. It was very difficult to wipe around the lace so too much ink collected there. The feathers got clogged up with the PVA I used to put them on the plate - maybe spray mount and spray lacquer would work better for their delicate texture. However, only small feathers would be worth trying because the large quills would cause problems in larger feathers. 

What I learnt:

• Textural materials don't always print as you expect them to so it is best to try them before committing yourself 
• Textured wallpaper works well with intaglio printing
• Intaglio inking is best for picking up subtle textures on thin materials
• Highly textured items are difficult to wipe when printing intaglio, they tend to accumulate too much ink
• Highly textured materials show up better when relief inked. 
• Intaglio and relief inking can produce interesting results when combined on a single plate
• Selective inking in different ways on different parts of the plate could be an option
• objects that sit markedly proud of the plate cause deep embossing and a halo of white around them
• I could try to get round this by recessing the plate before applying thicker materials

I am enjoying this process of discovery and it has prompted me to read more about collagraph techniques and to try some more experimental plates before moving on. 

Printing Press

I am now the proud owner of a printing press! The 545 Hawthorn Printmaster from Hawthorn Printmakers. Here it is taking pride of place in my studio:

When I regularly commuted to the UK for work, I used to attend open access printmaking studios in West Yorkshire. I had used this press at Leeds Print Workshop and found it easy to use especially because it has a gearbox so turning the handle doesn't require a lot of force.

There are no open access printmaking workshops where I live, not even in the nearest city (which is about an hour away). Having decided to continue on my printmaking journey, I was finding the lack of access to equipment frustrating. I researched printing presses in Italy and found that they are ridiculously expensive. (Plus I wasn't impressed with the FOME school etching press that I had tried at the beginning of the course). 

I considered trying to convert a mangle or buy a cheaper type of press which I found on eBay so I asked for advice on various printmakers' groups on social media. In the end I decided  to go with a press which I knew was easy to use. I had also had great customer service from Hawthorn when I had ordered inks from them in the past. 

My husband, son and I were planning a trip to the UK to visit family. Normally we would fly, but this year we decided to drive over and pick up the press at the same time. It fitted relatively easily into the boot of our estate car. The journey itself was a bit of a nightmare but now the press is installed, I'm so glad we did it!

This is a large investment for which I used some of our savings plus a small loan from family. It is my 50th birthday present to myself! I'll be living on plain pasta with veg from the garden for the next year or two while I try to pay it back! However, this is a sign that I really want to take printmaking more seriously and develop further as an artist. Having made this investment, I am even more determined to set aside the time necessary to work on my projects. 

Research Point : Collograph/Collatype

Research point

Before you embark on this interesting project, take a look at what others have achieved using a relief collage as a starting point. Trawl through some examples of collographs/collatypes (same thing) online, pick out some favourites and write about them in your learning log.

Hester Cox

Click here to visit Hester's website (1)

Hester is a British printmaker based in the North of England. I met her through a mutual friend and have attended a workshop run by her at ArtisOn in Masham. The workshop was about drypoint. However, Hester works primarily tin collagraph and so I have been lucky enough to see some of her work in person. It is impressive both in scale and composition and in her control of the medium in creating figurative work. 

Click here to view a profile of the artist on Vimeo (2)

Hester's work is inspired by the natural world. She lives in a rural location and, as a fell runner, she spends a lot of time out in the wilderness and so has the opportunity to encounter the flora and fauna which feature prominently in her work. 

The artist herself says: " My printmaking is informed by my surroundings and wherever I am, I seek out evidence of the natural world that is particular to that location" (1)

Hester's work uses multiple plates, intricate cutting of paper as well as painted textures and found natural objects. 

While researching Hester's work I found this video (3) about a collaborative exhibition she was involved in called "Collections". I found this particularly interesting because it chimes with my recent research related to the concept of specimens and the cabinet of curiosities. In particular with the work of Mark Dion which has interested me. 

I have made notes on individual works by Hester and the techniques she has used in my sketchbook. 

Brenda Hartill

I found this artist's work both on the Printmakers Council Website (4) and in the book 'Printmakers' Secrets' by Anthony Dyson (5) in which she gives quite a detailed description of her working method. I then visited the artist's website (6) in order to explore her work further and I have made notes on some of her individual works in my sketchbook. 

Hartill's work is richly textural and mostly abstract. she uses exciting combinations of colours and textural interest and her compositions have a great balance of tonal values. 

This artist recommends using 600gsm paper for editioning but 300 for proofing backed with blotting paper (5). She describes in detail how she adheres the material to the board and makes sure it is firmly adhered to the paper by passing it through the press on moderate pressure without inking. 

Looking at her work she seems to have used natural found objects such as grasses. She also uses plaster filler, glues, metal paints, carborundum and sand. (5) The carborundum provides rich dark darks in her prints. You can see areas where she has applied pollyfilla (or equivalent) and carved or scratched into it. She also uses chine collé and metal leaf to provide accents. In some of her prints it looks as though she has intaglio inked in one colour (for example orange) and then relief inked over this by rolling over a contrasting colour (blue) - this gives an exciting colour combination. 

I am drawn to this work by the exciting combination of textures, bold tonal contrasts and rich colours. 

In her recent work, Hartill has been using blind embossing combined with drawing in ink and graphite as well as blind embossing with watercolour. I really like this direction as it combines my love of printmaking with embellishment of individual works by drawing. I thought I would have a try at this by drawing into a blind embossing of a lino cut that I had done at a recent course. This was in fact much more difficult than it appeared! The blind embossing looked much better before I interfered with it. This would require a lot more practice or maybe different paper. 

Sarah Amos

Click here to view the artist's website which also includes some interesting videos of the artist describing her way of working.

I first saw this artist's work in 'Printmaking. A complete guide to materials and processes' by Bill Fick and Beth Grabowski (8) and found more examples of and information about her work by looking at her website. 

Amos is an Australian artist living and working in an isolated location in the USA (7). 
When I first look at some of her work I thought that some of the forms she used looked organic like amoebae and sunflower seeds. In other places she uses geometric shapes and lines which are more reminiscent of man made forms and architecture. In fact, Amos cites the Australian landscape as one of her major influences as well as being interested in indigenous peoples, their traditions and their visual language. (7) I guess my interpretation of amoebae and seeds reflects my personal interests rather than this artist's intention. 

Amos learnt to be a master printmaker producing lithographs for other artists. She says this helped her with her own work because it made her think more clearly about combining elements in layers. (7). 

Previously, this artist made her large scale abstract works using plexiglass plates as a base but combining various materials and plates together and printing onto paper. (7) Her recent work is printed onto felt. In one of the videos on her website, she describes the childhood game of 'fuzzy felt' (which I used to adore when I was young). Her current working process has some common ground with this game in that she prints out individual elements on to felt and then pins them and moves them around until she is happy with the composition (4). Some of the appliqué pieces are also padded adding a three- dimensions or sculptural element to her work. She also has drawn elements in the works. In the felt pieces, the drawn elements are created using stitch (7). 

I would love to see Sarah Amos's work in real life rather than through a computer screen. I find the scale and ambition of the work inspiring. Some of the pieces are very large indeed, for example 'Five Sepals' seen here in a an exhibition catalogue on the Cynthia -Reeves gallery website (9) measures 167.64 x 195.58 cm. Looking at a photograph of the gallery view of the exhibition gives some idea of scale but is no substitute for seeing the real thing. 

Wael A Sabour

Is an Egyptian artist. He describes his working process in 'Printmaking. A complete guide to materials and processes' by Bill Fick and Beth Grabowski (10). I have not been able to find a website for this artist but some of his work is displayed on the Artslant website. (11) I want to look in particular at "Shadows of Democracy" (Collagraph 210 x 280cm, 2005) and "The Wall (Collagraph 240 x 280 cm, 2004). Both of these works are overtly political and, despite their abstraction, are very successful in communicating their messages. 

'Shadows of Democracy' is formed of six square collagraph panels. Each panel is filled with rich texture and colour but the shapes and colours are highly symbolic. The black shapes are immediately recognisable as the shapes of aeroplanes and fainter shapes each these, representing their shadows. They look like WWII bombers but the reference is more recent. The ground beneath the the planes is in rich shoes of russet/orange/brown and the texture brings to mind cracked earth or crowded flat rooted dwellings. This brings to mind dry lands in the Middle East and also the phrase 'Scorched Earth' and US foreign policy. The artist says that he wants to highlight, " the hypocrisy of nations that promote democracy while attacking other nations" . I would, therefore say that this work is successful in that it does communicate that to me. It is easy to read the artist's intention here without the work being overt and illustrative. 

I tried thinking about how the image might have been achieved. The shapes of the houses/settlements might have been created by small, geometrically shaped pieces of paper or foil to the plate or alternatively by applying holding paste of gesso and then scratching the shapes into this. The black shapes of the planes could be stencilled monoprints over the top. Alternatively, the artist might have applied something textural such as carborundum through a stencil (although I doubt whether this would have created such precise shapes). 

In "Printmaking: A complete guide" (8) describes his working process: He says that he always starts with a simple idea. Either something that interests him visually from the natural world or provocative social and political topics. His research includes other artists' work, documentaries - he utilises a wide range of source materials to inspire his work. 
He makes several simple sketches  and then considers the technique, colours and format of the work. He says he likes the 3-dimensional effect of collagraph and he deliberately creates work on a large format because he wants the viewer to feel directly involved in the action or event depicted, rather than an external spectator. 

One point he made which interested me greatly was his assertion that defining the relationship between the technical process and the content is very important. Success depends on the integration of the two. The technical process is just a vehicle that conveys the content , therefore, the content should rule. He says that "happy accidents" such as with textures and forms, should be exploited but without distracting from the central message of the work. 

This point, I feel is especially relevant to me right now. I am just starting in printmaking and so struggling to get to grips with new techniques all the time. On discovering a new technique or a way to create a texture, it is tempting to try to mould the subject matter of my work around that new technique or to include too many techniques in one print just to demonstrate what I've learnt. I think that actually, it will show that I have matured somewhat as an artist if I can learn to be selective in trying to convey the subject matter in the simplest way possible. It will be important to keep this in mind when I move forward to part 5 in which I must create hybrid prints using multiple techniques. 

Juan Sanchez

Juan Sanchez is Nuyorican. That is he is from a Puerto Rican family but was born in New York. His work is overtly political and concerned with cultural identity. In his artists statement (12) he says he wants: " To search for racial, cultural, social and political definitions rooted in and arising from a hostile environment is a necessity in my creative process. To dig deep into the history of the colonised and the colonisers and to take back what is rightfully ours is part of the process." 

Much of his work stems directly from his cultural heritage and it often includes religious imagery such as crosses and angel wings, reminiscent of street corner shrines. 

"Rosa" (seen here on the Artsy website) is taken from series of collagraphs about influential people who died young. Rosa Luxembourg was a polish Jew who established a left wing, Marxist, revolutionary movement in Germany during WW1 alongside Karl Liebnecht. (14). After the war, she was assassinated along with Liebnecht because she was considered a threat to the new government. 

In Sanchez's print, the star of David as a representation of Judaism seems to either imprison or to protect her it isn't clear which - or maybe it should be read literally that she was a 'star' but that seems rather banal. She seems to me to be surrounded by bubble wrap so I'm inclined towards the view of protection  or perhaps the artist is saying that her memory should be preserved. The two draped, lifeless arms below her portrait reflect the double assassination and their layout provides symmetry and calm in contrast to the tension and violence of Rosa's story. 

I have looked at, and been inspired by a number of other cola graph artists, in addition to those mentioned here. Below are the links to their websites. However, I cannot devote sufficient time for a long write up on everyone as it is very important that I meet my deadline for this assignment.

Sarah Ross-Thompson - beautiful layers and textured, colourful landscapes

Clare Maria Wood - abstract and constructed collagraphs - wonderful use of texture and multiple colours

Lynn Bailey - combines collagraph, photo-collagraph and drypoint. Has an environmental message
Suzie MacKenzie - inspired by the flora, fauna and landscape (as well as remnants of industry) from the Scottish countryside where she lives.
Sinclair Ashman. I especially like his exploration of fabrics to create simple abstract pieces which suggest movement or figures.
Ruth Barret-Danes. This artist's work inspired me to take a look at the technique of silk aquatint collagraph as I adore the black blacks she is able to achieve with this technique. 

References:

(1) http://www.hestercox.com

(2) https://vimeo.com/113608758

(3) https://vimeo.com/185126766

(4) https://printmakerscouncil.com/artists/

(5) Dyson, A. (2011). Printmakers' secrets. London: Bloomsbury, pp.72-73.

(6) https://www.brendahartill.com
(7) http://www.sarahamosstudio.com
(8) Fick, B. and Grabowski, B. (2015). Printmaking. A complete guide to materials & process. Rev. ed. 2nd ed. London: Laurence King, p.143.
(9) http://www.cynthia-reeves.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Amos_Walpole_v1.pdf
(10) Fick, B. and Grabowski, B. (2015). Printmaking. A complete guide to materials & process. Rev. ed. 2nd ed. London: Laurence King, p. 152.
(11) https://www.artslant.com/global/artists/show/198475-wael-a-sabour?page=1&tab=ARTWORKS
(12) http://www.mapr.org/en/museum/proa/artist/sanchez-juan
(13) https://www.artsy.net/artwork/juan-sanchez-rosa
(14) 10) Fick, B. and Grabowski, B. (2015). Printmaking. A complete guide to materials & process. Rev. ed. 2nd ed. London: Laurence King, p. 145
(15) https://www.rossthompsonprints.com/home
(16) https://www.claremariawood.co.uk/printmaking
(17) http://lynnbailey.co.uk/artwork/galleries-2/meadows-landfill
(18) http://www.mackenziefineart.co.uk
(19) https://sinclairashman.com/the-prints-fabric/
(20) http://www.kevishouse.com/ruth-barrett-danes.html