back to the printing press

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away I was a printmaker. In college I concentrated on printmaking, especially relief printmaking. When I graduated from college I quickly learned that printing presses were not readily available so I didn’t print for a looooooooooong time. But I was getting eager to print – especially to carve. Seeing Louise Bourgeois’ Personages make my palms itch. I want to try wood carving but until then it was easier to start with carving wood plates. So I signed up for a class called Big Woodcuts at the De Cordova Museum, taught by Jennifer Hughes. It was a great class & so satisfying to be back in the print studio. It was interesting how much has changed since I was last there – much more environment and heath conscious – no more turpentine which I remember basically bathing in. But the inks still smell the same & that smell touches a deep place in me!!! Jenny encouraged the class to make plates as big as 2 feet by 4 feet ~ what fun. I started small then made my big woodcut. (drum roll please)

Not only is it big ( the above print is roughly 24"x48") but I had a fellow artist and woodworker, Carl Staley, cut the plate into 32 different pieces which I inked up separately. It takes awhile to print one of these prints so I only made a few before the class ended. But the possibilities are endless ~ using different colors, different color themes, piecing the dress together differently and I even printed on fabric which got my brain whirling in a whole other direction. I hope to get access to a printing press again & soon ~ not to lose the momentum!!! Craving is very meditative and to run your plate through the press is a lot like Christmas ~

the anticipation to see how it printed.
So hopefully I will be posting more 'puzzle' dresses

in the near future.

peace