Rose in her Hair 4 x 6 Monotype & Watercolor
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I've received many emails this month asking for details on monotypes and ghost prints. The image above is a dark field monotype; the first print pulled from a polished zinc plate, coated with oil-based black ink, which was wiped away to reveal a portrait. I'm using a subtractive process; the face emerges as the wet ink is cleared from the plate in various degrees for texture, tone and value (see below).
Paper is soaked in water and blotted before being laid on the still wet, ink-coated plate. A press is used to press the paper into the ink, and when the paper is peeled off the plate, you get a monotype. If enough ink remains on the plate, you can lay a second sheet of paper over your image, and pull another, fainter version of the monotype. This is called a ghost print.
I pulled one monotype and two ghost prints from this plate (see below) before cleaning the ink off to make something else. I get to use the same plate over and over because there are no lines or grooves etched into it. My 4x6 zinc plate has been used to make hundreds of monotypes. Variation in inks, papers, press-pressure and additional treatments in the studio make each print a unique piece of art. The possibilities are endless, as each ghost print is a hand pulled under painting of sorts.
The monotype at the top of this post is sold, but the two ghost prints are waiting patiently in the studio for watercolors, colored pencils, pastels, crayon, charcoal, and whatever else seems fun the moment I pull one from a flat file and lay it on my art table.
11/30/07
Monotype: Rose in her Hair
11/29/07
11/28/07
11/26/07
11/20/07
11/18/07
Monotype: Who Am I?
Who Am I? 4.5 x 5 Monotype Ghost with Watercolor
Available here.
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The model for this piece is a single juvenile lamb, but the ghost print was so soft, there was room for additional details (see below). I was toying with iconography related to self inventory, and finding gaps between who we think we are, and how we are perceived by others.
Pulling a little lamb out of the ink on the plate.
Pulling a nice, dark monotype from the plate (filed for color alterations later in the Winter).
A second sheet of paper was laid on the plate, and run through the press to collect any remaining ink. This is a ghost print; faint suggestions of the initial monotype, which are perfect for taking the art in a different direction. It's still an offspring of the monotype it was harvested from, but it's a different piece of art all together. This is what I love about Monotypes. They are, as their name implies, editions of one.
11/16/07
Monotype: Off to See the World
Off to See the World 5 x 7 Monotype with watercolor & colored pencils
Available here.
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My Aunt Barbara left a small, rural, New England village to live in a Madrid Naval base with her new husband in the late 1950's. A small black and white photo from that time was my reference for this piece.
This print started with a dark-field (Daniel Smith oil based black etching ink) monotype, with a la poupee' color added to the background.
Laying in the first under-painting of watercolor washes.
Making adjustments to the features and facial structure with colored pencils.
Cross-hatching colored pencils for skin tone.
11/15/07
Watercolor: Nap in the Park
Nap in the Park 4.5 x 5.5 Watercolor on Arches paper
Available here.
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After days of trekking the hot cobblestones of Rome last July, we took a mid-day break with paninis, peaches & chocolate, and rested at the Borghese Gardens (Parco della Villa Borghese). I was too excited to nap, so I snapped photos for sketches and paintings.
11/14/07
Watercolor: Agua Dulce Vineyards
Agua Dulce Vineyards 6x9 Watercolor on Arches Cold Press paper
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During a plein air painting excursion, I was not prepared for a cold front and clouds, or the wind that came with them. This lead to a discovery that a steering wheel makes a great easel, and my passenger seat holds a palette and a cup of water very nicely.
11/13/07
Caran D'Ache Monotype: Andrea's Violin
Andrea's Violin, 5x7 Caran D'Ache Monotype on tab BFK Rives paper
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Image based on a 1918 photo of my grandfather standing on the porch of the family's New England apartment, holding his new violin.
11/12/07
Watercolor: Greyhound Cowboy
Greyhound Cowboy (Waiting for his Date) 9x11 Watercolor on Arches Hot Press
11/11/07
11/9/07
11/7/07
Reduction Woodcut: Carnelian
Carnelian, 4 x 4 Two Color Reduction Woodcut, with watercolor and colored pencil, printed on gray BFK Rives paper. Edition of 11.
Available for sale here.
11/6/07
Linocut: Winged
Winged, 3x5 Linocut with Watercolor & Colored Pencil, Limited Edition of 10
Available for sale here.
Drawing on the block with graphite and marker before cutting.
The print, ready for watercolors.
11/5/07
Watercolor: Book Girl
Book Girl 7 x 9.5 Watercolor on Hot Pressed Arches
Available for sale here.
One of my favorite models, doing one of her favorite things.
11/2/07
11/1/07
Woodcut: Grange
Grange 3 x 3.75 Woodcut & Watercolor
Available for sale here.
Craving simplicity & speed on this one, perhaps to counter the density of my recent To-Do List.
Scribble sketch in pencil on Shina wood.
Carving geometry.
After pulling a proof, removing more wood to clear some of the printed areas.
Painting the first impression.
