Tutor Feedback: Assignment 1

 Below is the feedback from my tutor about Assignment 1. I was really pleased with how quickly Michelle responded to my assignment as this enables me to move forward to the next stage with the benefit knowing the areas which I need to work on. 

Overall I'm happy because the feedback is generally positive. I have put my responses to my tutors questions and suggestions in italics and a different colour for clarity:

Formative feedback

Student name Aylish Giamei Student number 516054
Course/Unit Printmaking1 Assignment number Assignment 1
Type of tutorial Written

Overall Comments

You have sent well organised and clearly labelled prints making your thinking and work easy to follow and understand, thank you.
You have produced a very good body of monoprinting work for the tasks in assignment 1.You have very good control of your media particularly as monoprinting readily lends itself to over inked slabs of runny marks. Your work displays care, planning and diligence. Your purchase of a block press looks really exciting I’ve never seen one like that, it looks very ingenious, and I can see why you are so excited! You have undertaken additional workshops and are clearly excited to learn to print.
You have clearly taken your time in the development of your work, patience with printmaking pays off. You have a number of prints that demonstrate your potential as a very good inventive printmaker. 

Very happy with this feedback - this will help my confidence as I move forward.

Assignment 1 Assessment potential 

You may want to get credit for your hard work and achievements with the OCA by formally submitting your work for assessment at the end of the module. More and more people are taking the idea of lifelong learning seriously by submitting their work for assessment but it is entirely up to you. We are just as keen to support you whether you study for pleasure or to gain qualifications. Please consider whether you want to put your work forward for assessment and let me know your decision when you submit Assignment 2. I can then give you feedback on how well your work meets the assessment requirements.

I do intend to put my work forward for formal assessment - I am on the Drawing pathway working towards a BA degree

Feedback on assignment 

Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity 

TASK 1 your early figurative experiments 

You have a very good body of early monoprints. You have explored multiple methods of mark making resulting in expressive and experimental early monoprinting. I was interested to see you have access to a press, you have done well to control the quantity of ink. At this stage of developing work it may be worth considering the use of different scale and reflecting on how this can impact on your weight of line and mark. Some of these marks especially your paintly method looks like they could lead to much larger prints A2 or even A1
Yes I would like to try working on a larger scale - I will certainly explore this possibility in part 5 when I need to produce hybrid prints. 


.You have done incredibly well as these are your first prints, I was astonished to read in your blog you had not printed before.
Quality of ink and paper does have an impact on the print but your handling of this is good. It is a difficult balance between using ink too thick and thin - it just takes practice. 
There is so much to learn as there are so many variables which have an effect on the final outcome - this was certainly a challenging part 1 and a very steep learning curve - but I am really enjoying the process. There is plenty more scope for experimentation here.

TASK 2 Positive /negative masked prints

The masked monoprints you have selected are well composed and technically well inked .You have used the human figure as subject matter which has resulted in technically able and well controlled prints. You have used a variety of papers so far –you may wish to do a bit of research on the impact of paper on print quality. Fabriano have just brought out a budget paper that is very good quality called Unica.
http://rkburt.com/products/new-and-featured-2016/
I will order some to try out. I already have samples of several other papers but was not keen to use them on part one because they are expensive and I was just starting out. I have been 'learning to walk' on cheaper papers generally apart from the one small sample pack of Japanese papers that I bought.

TASK 3 

Your storks have worked well, they are composed well and are placed with consideration within the paper. I am interested to know why you selected them to make a print? 
This was a bit of a random choice of subject. I was supposed to be doing a drypoint course that day called "beautiful birds in drypoint' so I had sources to images of birds for inspiration. Unfortunately the course was cancelled owing to tutor illness so I pressed on with the masked monoprints. Out of the birds I had images of, the heron seemed to be the most appropriate one because it had such elegant lines in its silhouette. 



. Many artists use animals as a visual vehicle to talk about wider themes- I would expand your research here and look at how contemporary artists appropriate animals to represent ideas beyond an illustrative image, I attach a few examples.
I would recommend working from life as much as possible to inform your prints, drawings can be manipulated and re worked in your sketchbook by using tracing paper or even photocopiers if you have access to one to enlarge and re compose images with.
http://www.jackieberridge.co.uk/drawing.htm
http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/articles/where-wild-things-are
https://www.seditionart.com/tracey_emin/this_is_my_favourite_little_bird
http://flavorwire.com/168724/taxidermy-art
https://www.henry-moore.org/whats-on/2016/10/15/henry-moore-sheep
http://www.jamesfisher.eu

Thank you - this is certainly something I would like to follow up. I spend most of my working life in close contact with animals. I would very much like to incorporate animal into my work but have struggled to understand how to do this without producing twee illustrative pet portraits - This has stimulated me to do some research about animals in our visual culture. 

 Your backdrawn prints display excellent technical control and some skilled line qualities. But I think the subject matter is a little dull for you.
You are absolutely right - this was a last minute panic and a random choice of subject from what was in the immediate vicinity. 

I found your texture prints especially interesting. This work is demonstrating how much you have progressed. These are exciting and technically skilled monoprints.You have clearly learnt a great deal and engaged with what the process has offered you.
The texture section was my absolute favourite part. I have to credit Mick Welbourn from Leeds Print Workshop for opening my eyes on this part of the course. This was very much process driven - there were no pre-conceived ideas at the start of the working day. The prints evolved from responding to what was going on in one layer when overprinting the next layer. I found this exploratory process liberating and it produced some of my best prints. 

 TASK 4 Four contrasting monoprints

These prints demonstrate how much you have learnt from these assignments demonstrating good handling of monoprint techniques. You have very good use of composition, line, colour and experimental approach evident in this tasks. These really are contrasting prints with figurative and abstract prints submitted. 
The 2 prints I find the most exciting are the abstract line based prints. These remind me of Brice Marsden’s work http://www.matthewmarks.com/new-york/artists/brice-marden/
I’m interested in your paper choice, it has a shiny surface, and did the ink take a long time to dry? Is developing an interest in abstraction something you wish to pursue?
These two prints are my absolute favourites from the ones I have produced so far. I am not sure in which direction to go at this stage. I am attracted to abstract works and certainly enjoyed the process of creating these - but I am also interested in figuration. 

The paper is a coated paper used in commercial printing for glossy magazines and the like. The coating on the paper really attracts the ink so it is possible to get a good clear print from a 'ghost' second or third pass through the press. The coating dries the oil based ink very rapidly. It's like magic!

Sketchbooks 

Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Demonstration of Creativity 
Your sketchbook is delightful. It’s an extremely imaginative document full of ideas and subject matter to make work from. I like the scale of the book too.
You have competent drawing skills these are evident throughout your observed work that can lead to abstraction and manipulation for Printmaking. Some very good handling of media is evident. It’s easy to see your progress from observed drawing, ideas and then print. You have also included information about underpinning artists here. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this document and I would continue to work in this thorough way. For development I would add further text to your document that can interweave back and forwards to your blog making your intentions explicit.
Thank you - I thought I hadn't really done enough drawing in my sketchbook this time - on the drawing 1 course I filled at least two for each unit. I am thinking of having two sketchbooks for the next parts - one with the development of ideas for the course as well as research and another (likely smaller) just for drawing practice - the two will obviously have a certain amount of overlap. 

Learning Logs or Blogs/Critical essays Context

You have begun your log in a well organised manner making it easy for the reader to follow. You are diligent in all your research tasks and evidencing who is underpinning your process. You have included images and text.
For development I would recommend writing more around your chosen themes, OCA call this personal voice. The first thing to reflect upon when choosing subject matter is WHY? Ask yourself what am I making working about and trying to say? How will this be read by a viewer?
Yes - this is certainly an area of weakness in part 1 - I have been overwhelmed by the amount of technical information and skills to take on board. Consequently I didn't expend much energy in consideration and research with regards to subject matter.  This is an area to develop moving forwards.

For improvement reflect upon the artists you are researching and ask yourself how and why their work, methods or thinking influences your own strategies for making.
OK - it will probably pay to be more selective in the artists I choose to talk about to look more in depth at their work and how it might influence me - I have taken a bit of a 'scattergun' approach so far. 

Suggested reading/viewing Context

Have a look at Nicola Hicks work from animals – these may be of interest to you.
 Brice Marden for his line based abstract work.
Sandra Blow’s abstract prints may be of interest to you.
Prunella Clough abstract work may be of interest.

Pointers for the next assignment

• Continue to use your sketchbook as an integral part of your process and add some more depth to your text in this document
• Develop your log as a more critical and reflective document.
• Reflect more fully on the wider context of your work and what you are making work about.
• The next assignment is lino printing, I would refer to the images in the course materials as a guide only and focus on developing your own subject matter. 


Tutor name Michelle Keegan
Date 26/3/17
Next assignment due 30/7/17

This feedback has given me lots of pointers for moving forwards to build on the positive start in part one. I have several artists to look at for inspiration. 

I will be particularly focusing on subject matter and thinking about what I want to say or my reasons for choosing my subject matter - I want to do more research about visual culture and critical theory because I think this will help me in terms of the development of my ideas and placing my own work in context. This will hopefully be of help in terms of making my blog more critical and reflective. 

I will try to weave this academic exploration into my sketchbook with more written notes in an attempt to make my train of thought easier to follow. 

Assignment 1: Reflection

Before you send this assignment to your tutor, take a look at the assessment criteria for this course, which will be used to mark your work when you get your work formally assessed.

Review how you think you have done against the criteria and make notes in your learning log. Send these reflections, along with the monoprints you have produced, your sketchbook, supporting studies and your learning log (link to your blog)

Here is a link to the assessment criteria at HE 4 level  on the OCA website

As a complete beginner at printmaking I find it very difficult to assess my performance so as I have no idea of the technical standard required at degree level. I have looked at blogs by my coursemates and compared my own work but this only takes me so far as I do not know how my fellow students fared at assessment. 

Demonstration of Technical and Visual Skills:

Here I fall down mainly on the technical skills aspect of things - I had no experience of printmaking before starting this course so this first section has been a very steep learning curve. I have applied myself and made good progress from a standing start but there is still a lot of progress that needs to be made in handling printing inks, papers and in particular in print registration. Design and composition are also the elements I struggle with the most when trying to produce a finished piece of work - I am much happier just experimenting in a rather random and abstract fashion. Thinking about and planning composition fills me with dread. I would therefore put my first submission at a 'D' : Satisfactory development of visual and technical skills, design and composition. 

Quality of Outcome:

The quality of outcome here is very patchy, largely because of my inexperience with the medium. Again I would score myself a 'D' on this as I have found this section of the course rather difficult: Adequate realisation of ideas and satisfactory presentation of work. 

Demonstration of Creativity: 

I am more comfortable experimenting than I am with applying the results of my experiments to produce finished work. I have plenty of ideas but find it difficult to carry those ideas through into completed work. I have thought about what it is I want to say with my work although my 'personal voice' is not very much in evidence yet in my finished prints. I would score myself as average 'C' Good development of analytical and creative thinking, some independent judgements and some evidence of personal voice. 

Research and Reflection:

Some of my research points go into more depth than others. I have also attended classes and visited galleries for ideas. I have read extensively around the subject from the recommended texts for the course but I have failed to record everything I have read in my log because I got a bit behind with my writing up. I have reflected on each exercise in my learning log and recorded the important learning points and ideas for further development. I would therefore score my performance here again as a 'C' 'good average' 

I think it will become easier for me to assess myself against the criteria once I have received some feedback on my first assignment. There is plenty of room for improvement here.

Assignment 1: Selection of prints

Task 1 (Project 1)

• Two early experimental prints

• A printed study from life

• Two later experiments

I had already stuck quite a few of these in my sketchbook s a reminder so the loose prints are not necessarily my best - however my tutor will get to see the others when the sketchbook goes off to her. 

Task 2 (Project 2)

• One positive masked monoprint

• One negative masked monoprint

Task 3 (Project 3)

• Two contrasting masked prints in two colours exploiting positive and negative shapes

• A selection of prints showing experiments in texture and surface detail

• Backdrawn monoprints

Part 4 (Project 4)

• Four contrasting monoprints on different subjects demonstrating at least two combined techniques

Last Minute Panic - Backdrawing Revisted

It was only when selecting my prints to send to my tutor that I realised I had not fully completed the backdrawing segment. I had completed several drawings using backdrawing but all of these had come from photographic sources rather than being drawn from life. I had also not followed through with my intention of trying out Gauguin's technique of drawing directly onto the back of relatively thin paper to see if that would give me a finer line. I was away from home by this time and the weather was pretty rubbish so I decided to do this at West Yorkshire print workshop. I stopped at the florist across the road from the workshop to pick up a subject - lighting on a hyacinth in a decorative zinc pot (largely because it was the least expensive item in the shop!) .

As luck would have it I was the only person using the print room on that particular day so I was able to roll out several colours of ink onto the glass inking-up surfaces and do the back drawing directly over the surfaces without having to use plates of pieces or paper loaded with ink. I mixed up a warm pale green, a dark blue-green and a terra-cotta orange as well as using indigo and warm yellow inks without adulteration. For my first attempt I had the pot placed on a windowsill slightly above me. The only problem with this was that my position relative to the pot changed every time I changed colour because each colour was on a different section of the bench. There was a lot of accidental ink transfer in the background and I also realised that the flower was the lightest part with the background being slightly darker so I drew into the background with the indigo ink - I overdid it somewhat so decided to make another attempt.

On my second attempt I kept the plant next to me on the bench so I could move it and keep my position relative to it almost constant. First I drew the outline of the negative shapes around the flower before proceeding to draw into the body of the flower, bulb and pot. Overall this one was a bit more successful as I had resisted the temptation to draw into the background. The ellipse at the top of the flower pot was wildly inaccurate however.

My final attempt was a close up of a section of the flowers. I was happier with this effort and was pleased with the relative subtlety that the technique of drawing directly onto the back of thin Japanese paper allowed. 

Research Point: Texture

Find some contemporary printmakers who rely heavily on texture in the prints. What sort of textures have they used to create effects? How well has it worked?

For the purposes of this research point I will confine my research to monoprints. It is clear that there are many other textured forms of printmaking but I need to keep it narrow to stop this becoming an unmanageably large research point. 

Howard Jeffs

Howard Jeffs uses many different forms of printmaking in his work. His most recent work is using lino etching but I am only going to consider his monoprints here. 

The artist states that he works very quickly and spontaneously around a theme. He discards many of the resulting prints. He will also add more ink over the ghost image after the first pass of a plate through the press in order to develop an image further. He is enthusiastic about monoprinting because of the freedom it gives to experiment (1)

Click on the links below to see examples of Jeffs' monoprints online. 

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHKabv5TG-B6uPNMPgYLDTeROx2DiO5r4Eq-OL53ZA9QDTwJoAwTPiFGyMuXSMaNPIWlisshjKKpW9LgTgSBYC9fuIW-ZLpNkzGcgWx11uxYF5zmLUo-tTAEttnDBh860bAdhlNoDjws/s1600/No-9-Sunflowers-on-Edge-of-.jpg

In the first image above I think I can spot marks made by a fine spray of solvent as well as dry brush marks and marks made by scraping away ink with a sharp implement.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliDeVRDS1IcoIQvic-ItBkn-ji0ZsThA-gu9CHiEGSTPl6_N8Jkt4FGekvqxC4Bw9DYPmxJhckWigJIhPJuo77OHIS9SJuhlDJA1RY7sWulgewaW2OL4-dqKmGVhJ2N7X5TUoQDVBBX4/s1600/Howard+jeffs.jpg 

In this image of a starry sky, the cloudy subtle marks in the sky are made using solvent. The stars themselves are made by sprinkling magnesium powder over the blue ink before printing. 

http://bathartistprintmakers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Howard-Jeffs-Wild-Grass-Field-France-Monotype-58-x-75-cms3.jpg

In the image of the grassland with a red sky I suspect actual grasses may have been used as masks. There is use of solvent again to create a cloud in the sky as well as a granular texture between the grasses at ground level which I cannot determine how he has achieved. 

The first image of sunflowers reminds me very much of work by Anslem Kiefer Click Here to see and example of Kiefer's work on the Guggenheim museum's website. The sunflowers are dark against a more colourful background. The coloured layer will have been printed first and then the plate re-inked with the very dark ink - this was then worked into subtractively allowing the bright base layer to show through where the ink has been wiped and scraped away.

Tim Southall 

Click Here to see a selection of monotypes on the artist's website Individual works or a slideshow of his works can be viewed by clicking on an image. 

I first encountered Southall's work when I visited the National Original Print Exhibition at Bankside Gallery. His monotype 'Miramar' was displayed and can also be viewed on his website via the link above. He is also a painter and I think that this is in evidence in his approach to the monotypes - they are 'painterly' in nature. 

The prints appear that they may have been made in multiple layers and they are rich in texture and colour. They appear to be inspired by landscapes but are not emphatic in their description. They remind me of the concept of the sublime: That is the feeling of awe or almost fear in the presence of nature or landscape - this is also exemplified by works such as Turner's 'Snow Storm' shown below. 

• Snow Storm - Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth
• • JMW Turner 1842 Oil on Canvas

Southall's work is also reminiscent of stormy seas or glowing sunsets. 

In terms of texture it is possible to identify some of the sources from looking closely at the works. In 'Fate Unfolds' and 'Animal Uprising' he appears to have used threads and a loosely woven fabric such as the scrim used by printmakers for wiping etching plates. 

In 'The Tempest' is that a  woven onion bag or a piece of fishing net?. On 'Downpour' I suspect he might have placed ink diluted with solvent at the top of the plate and then tilted it to allow it to dribble down. On ' Ripples in the Sand' it is possible he may have used a palette knife or a piece of cardboard in a squeegee-like motion to create those ripples. I'm not sure I have gleaned the techniques successfully but there is plenty of food for thought and techniques to try out here. 

Theresa Gadsby-Bourner

In contrast to the violence and agitation of many of Southall's works, Gadsby-Bourner's works are quieter and more tranquil.
Click Here to see some of the artist's monoprints or her website 

Many of her prints have compositions of horizontal blocks of colour like horizons in a pastoral landscape but also with vertical components which could be reeds or grasses. This combination of horizontal and vertical with only occasional diagonals and the balance of colours in the composition which seems to be instinctive give a pleasing restful feel to the works. 

In many of her monoprints there is a granular texture or an appearance a bit like ice-crystals or frosted glass. The appearance is similar to that which is obtained when salt is sprinkled onto wet watercolour paint. I wonder whether this is achieved in some kind of similar way - sprinkling something on which absorbs and lifts the ink from the plate. Alternatively it could be that a very fine spray of solvent has been misted over oil-based ink and the effect of the solvent arrested quite rapidly. 

Morgan Doyle

Morgan Doyle appears to be a very prolific artist. Visiting his website there are many many drawings and paintings as well as series after series of monoprints. Click here to link to the Artist's website

Some of his work appears to be based on the urban landscape but may others are completely abstract. The artist has used multiple colours and techniques in most of the abstract works. He has manipulated the ink with solvent as well as scraping and pulling it about. He seems to also work with inks of different viscosities as well as impressing textures into the ink. 

Anne Moore

Produces decorative textured monotypes. Click here to link to examples of monotypes on the artist's website

 They made using mutiple layers of ink. They frequently have very well balanced use of colour giving a pleasing aesthetic. They are highly textured. In some cases linocut elements are included. In others everyday objects can be detected such as bubblewrap and possibly corrugated card. 

References

(1) Jeffs, H in Printmakers' Secrets by Anthony Dyson. Bloomsbury Visual Arts, London 2009 - reprinted 2016

Image Sources

(1) http://www.tate.org.uk/art/images/work/N/N00/N00530_10.jpg

Figurative: Refugees

For my next print I decided on a figurative subject. Living in Southern Italy we are bombarded very frequently with images of migrants and refugees being rescued off the coast of Lampedusa from rickety boats and inflatable dinghies. My overriding visual impression from these images is the bright orange colour of their life jackets. That orange really is a symbol of their plight. And despite the bright colour we see these images so frequently that compassion fatigue means people have a tendency to stop seeing or to ignore. The figures are staggering - more than 5000 migrants drowned in the Mediterranean (1) in 2016 alone. In making the crossing from Libya to Italy the odds of dying on the journey are 1 in 47. (2) 

I looked at photographic images of the crisis on the Internet and made some sketches. I also looked at art historical references. The image of a migrant arriving on the island of Lesbos lying back on a pile of the discarded life jackets and clutching a mobile phone in hand has some parallels with the tangle of bodies in 'The Raft of the Medusa' by Theodore Gericault, simply because his pose and orientation echo that of the figure in the lower left corner of the painting as well as the theme being peril on the sea. 

Sketchbook page: Refugees

Sketchbook page: Refugees

I also looked at the work of Ai WeiWei on this - he used the life jacket as a symbol of refugees - he has coated the pillars of the Konsterhaus in Berlin with life jackets and also made an installation in the gardens at Westminster laying out the life jackets in a grid. 

The other art historical reference which has resonance with this subject is Turner's 'The Slave Ship' of 1840. This painting depicts dead and dying slaves being thrown overboard from a ship as a storm approaches - an action which allowed the owners to claim on insurance for losses. The slaves were see as a commodity and property rather than as human beings. There are parallels today with the traffickers who take the money of people desperate to migrate but do not care about their safety. There are also traffickers who transport women or children to be sold into sexual slavery. 

Sketchbook page: Refugees

I went on to sketch images of women and children. My plan was to use negative masks to allow me to print the life-jackets in sonic orange and to use backdrawing or drypoint for details. 

Sketchbook page: Refugees

My first attempt was on textured Strathmore paper and used only the orange and black. The backdrawing wasn't particularly well aligned with the masks and my attempts to put texture into the image of the refugees on a beach was not successful. 

I tried again. This time I started with a drypoint drawing of the figures, I used positive masks over the figures and printed the background in Prussian blue which had been been passed through the press with textured wallpaper to add texture to the background. I then rolled the sonic orange onto the plate and wiped it off except in the areas of the life jackets.  I encountered numerous problems. Despite taking great care with the alignment and registration I found that I was not able to accurately co-ordinate the drypoint and monoprint elements. I also, being new to drypoint hadn't really mastered the technique properly and the lines were not dark enough. I was disappointed with the results. 

A combination of drypoint, negative masking and
texture with subtractive monoprint

On one of the prints it was really obvious that the plate had slipped dramatically from where I had placed it:

The others varied in their degree of offsetting and none of them were adequately aligned. 

I eventually abandoned the drypoint and decided to go with backdrawing for the details instead. I printed the background using wallpaper textures as before and the subtractive technique for the life jackets. I worked into the figures and background by using backdrawing. I used oil pastels for this. I traced the basics of the image with permanent marker onto a sheet of OHP acetate. The oil pastel was applied to the back of the acetate and then I placed the acetate over the print and transferred the oil pastel using a sharp hard pencil. This technique allowed me to use multiple colours because I could use one colour and wipe it off the acetate before applying the next. 

I did not put a lot of detail or additional texture in the background. I also made the decision not to put any shadows under the feet of the figures. I felt that this lack of detail, the blue-greyness of the background as well as the lack of shadows grounding the figures added to the sense of dislocation of the figures from their environment. They look lost and floating. Their environment does not look inviting or comfortable. In terms of the actual execution of the drawing, I am not that happy with it. I prefer the sketchiness of the distant figures to the execution of the figure in the foreground.  Although I think his eyes capture the doleful expression I was looking for the nose and mouth got away from me. I also think I should have stuck with my first instincts and added less colour. Too much colour has detracted from the dark, dystopian image I was going for.

Combination monoprint: Texture, masking, subtractive and backdrawing

My other problem with the above print is that it is just really a fairly literal interpretation of a photograph. I started to think of other ways in which I could use the symbol or colour of a life jacket to represent the refugee deaths. I thought about using the symbol of a flower following the tradition of still life as flowers being a symbol of mortality. Thousands of flowers in the fluorescent orange life jacket colour each one representing a refugee killed in the Mediterranean. Perhaps this was too much of a rip-off of the installation of poppies at the Tower of London.

I wondered whether it would be possible to tessellate simplified symbols of life jackets being gradually converted into flowers. I looked at the work of Escher and had a go at this in my sketchbook. It wasn't very exciting. Triangles or diamond shapes would create a more dynamic tessellation than the almost rectangular shape of the life jacket.

One of my recurring interests is in repetitive mark making. I find it a meditative and calming activity. I sometimes use doodling as a way to relax before going to bed to avoid the stimulation of social media and illuminated screens which tend to exacerbate insomnia. 

I took a closer look at the work of Hilary Ellis a British artist whose work I first encountered at the Jerwood Drawing prize exhibition a couple of years ago. She had used repetitive mark making in stitch which speaks of the often futile repetitive actions of the work of women. I was attracted to the work even before I had read the artist's statement because the marks although very similar were inevitably slightly different because it is impossible to be completely precise and regular when working by hand. Repetitive mark making is something I would like to explore further.

I indulged my obsession by filling a page of my A3 sketchbook with very simplified stick figures each corresponding to a mark made with an orange highlighter pen to represent a life jacket. I though I could use this concept - finding out how many people actually died in the Mediterranean last year and making a very large print on a roll of Chinese paper using either masking or painting for the life jackets and backdrawing for the figures. I did realise that the figures looked almost like crucifixes from a distance which probably isn't appropriate for a population containing mainly Muslim people. I considered actually making the stick figures into numbers because that is how they are presented to us - as numbers and statistics rather than individual human beings. 

The other possibility I briefly considered was using my cartoonish bees in life jacket orange and black instead of yellow and orange, recalling David Cameron's comments last year about migrants swarming into the UK.

Unfortunately, having already missed two deadlines and with another one approaching very quickly I realised I simply didn't have time to execute these ideas. If I ask for another extension there is a risk I will never complete this course. I have decided to submit the combination monoprint I have already produced despite the fact there is significant room for improvement here. It would be possible to go on forever without being sufficiently satisfied to submit my work - I need to stamp on my perfectionist tendencies here and move on. These Ideas will remain available for possible later development. 

References

(1) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/23/record-migrant-death-toll-two-boats-capsize-italy-un-refugee

(2)http://www.unhcr.org/uk/news/latest/2016/10/580f3e684/mediterranean-death-toll-soars-2016-deadliest-year.html

Bees

The starting point for this series of prints was my experiments with texture. I had used bubble wrap and really liked the texture it produced on a print. It reminded me of the structure of honeycomb so I decided to try to use this with the theme of bees. 

I made a few rapid sketches close-up photographs of bees in my sketchbook. I then made a more detailed and colourful drawing with coloured pencil on black paper.

I created an impression of the bubblewrap in pale grey ink on a monoprint plate by passing through the press. I printed this impression onto black paper. I backdrew the bees onto this texture. I used oil bars on OHP acetate and drew onto the back of the acetate. I also accentuated the hexagonal shape of the honeycomb in a few places and added a bit of yellow/orange colouration using coloured pencils. 

The result wasn't satisfactory. Although I really liked the texture when viewed close up, the visual impact was lost at a distance. The oil bars didn't work well for the small shapes as the thick layer of this pigment resulted in a thick and blobby line when drawn into so the bees were rudimentary at best.

For my next attempt I substituted oil pastels for the oil bars - I also used the oil pastels for the accentuation of the honeycomb. The bees were rendered more precisely on this one but they were lost in the busy background.

For my next attempt I changed to a light background and a thinner Japanese paper. I accentuated the texture by going over the oil based ink with water soluble coloured pencil. The ink resisted the pencil so it really did add to the texture. This time I did the backdrawing using the classic technique with ink on a plate. I only inked the areas where I wanted to draw the bees and I applied a light dusting of talc over the ink. The drawing was much better and the bees stood out well against the light background. They were a bit cartoonish though compared to the lovely texture of the background - I didn't feel the contrast of the two worked particularly well together.

I decided to try a print based on the sketch I did on the black paper. I taped the paper over a large plate and a sketch of the rough position of the elements of the drawing underneath to act as a guide. I used water based block printing ink. I first spread yellow ink in the area of the center of the flower and textured this by pushing the bubble wrap into it. I continued to build up the image of the bee a few marks at a time because the hinged paper - plate arrangement allowed me to look at the results and re-position the paper accurately each time. I used three colours - yellow, magenta and blue without mixing them allowing mixing to occur on the paper. I left areas of the bee's abdomen and eye unpainted so the black paper showed through for the darker tonal areas.

For the next step I used the Windsor and Newton oil bars and backdrawing in white and yellow. This can be seen especially in the frilly stamen structures of the flower and highlights at the front of the bee's legs. 

Because the wings are transparent and the bee is on a dark background, the wings were not standing out well so I decided to draw into the background with coloured pencil. I regretted this - I think it detracts from the overall impact. However, I do think that this print is better than the original idea of bees on honeycomb.

What I learnt

• Water based block printing inks work well for painted monoprints
• A combination of this with backdrawing can be quite effective
• I still need to learn restraint - I went a but too far with the addition of coloured pencil