A train is coming under the bridge by St James Park in Exeter. St James Park is the home of Exeter City Football Club. I haven’t been but I like the noise, and other people’s excitement. And trying to read the match from the intermitent cheers and carry on.
Obtensibly this lino cut is a pretty picture. a picturesque view. it is a photo I took as my camera poked above the parapet of the bridge at the end of my road. I like the photo and I hope the image will come out well. Its a good challenge.
This photo shows my photo and the lino I am cutting.
Inking up the plate is one of the most exciting parts for me about using printmaking to make work. on a relief plate, as the roller moves across it reveals dramatically the cuts and articulates the intended shapes for the first time.
During the cutting process you can slant the plate this way and that, under light to highlight what’s there, but its like looking through a mirror to a subject reflected in a mirror beyond.
Taking the first proof in constrast can be a slight anti climax as you realise where more cutting is needed, too much cutting went on, and an inconsistency of ink over parts…
here is the first print of the large woodcut (which is the size of a door)
this is part of it – as much as could fit on the etching press.
what do you think
we watched one particular wolf pace back and forth back and forth. not to intimidate, but to rub his scent along the fencing of his enclose. to out smell all the visitors with their multitude of ‘territorials’ aromas.
The large wood cut of the wolves – see image in the last posting – is mostly finished.
Its the biggest piece I have attempted and printing on Monday was interesting. I don’t have the right paper yet (I am waiting on a roll of Japanese Kozo paper) so I experimented with printing parts of it on the etching press using heavier dampened paper. I used Hannemule and Somerset.
Possibly it looks like slightly boring though beautifully textured wall paper. It may be the images are very familiar to me. I am leaving for a couple of days and then I will take another look. The key though is that it was envisioned as a whole so I won’t make any decisions until it is printed as such.
I can’t help thinking that it needs something else. It is extremely difficult to know when a piece is finished or not.
my camera is playing up so I’ll post an image shortly.
