Nowadays the shellac you come across is usually in a nail bar. Here we are looking at a different material – the original shellac. Find out why this is a really useful varnish and sealant for printmakers, particularly when making collagraph plates.
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String prints enable you to create delicate organic forms with simple materials, these beautiful elegant mono prints will delight and surprise you time after time. This is one of those magic techniques that can absorb you for hours, the ‘just one more’ syndrome means it is hard to stop.
Read MoreQuite often the simplest techniques produce the most interesting results – this is one of the fabric printing methods I often use with groups as it is very straightforward and also introduces people to the idea of masking and layering, both of which are key concepts in printmaking. Even though it is a simple process the end result is alwayssurprising and everyone can share the thrill of excitement you get when your print is revealed for the first time.
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The urgent need to print can strike at any time: I was getting stuck into some serious gardening and started to move a stack of concrete paving slabs, which had been leaning up vertically for some time.
Between two slabs I discovered a wonderfulconstruction, like a map of abandoned catacombs. The work of thousands of ants, now long gone.
Here was inspiration – I urgently needed to preserve it as I could already feel a print forming in my mind.
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Making leaf prints is always inspiring as the form and texture of leaves are a wonderful source for printmakers; there are thousands of varieties and wherever you live you will be able to find a selection of different shapes and sizes without going far.
Hunting for leaves adds another dimension to walking in city streets or along country paths, bringing your attention to the changing seasons and growing plant life all around us.
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For this project the brief was to devise an art in care homes activity that anyone could join in with, whatever their abilities. As many residents have memory impairments the activities have to be engaging and produce quick results.
The plan was to print our ownfabric and make bright cushions for the communal areas and individuals’ rooms.
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