Monotype Class

Monday I took a five-hour gelatin Monotype class with artist Kathy Gibian (offered through the Kingsport Art Guild). I had a great time and learned as much from seeing what other folks experimented with as from what I worked with. Monday we worked predominantly with silk screen inks, but yesterday I did some tube watercolor work with the plate as well. (Kathy was kind enough to allow me to take my plate home.) Interesting the different effects one can get--will have to experminet with combining them next time.

Anyhow, here are some of my favorite experiments. Definitely will take a lot of time and practice to perfect (just as with any artform) but am looking forward both to making monotypes for their own sake and incorporating them into my fiber work.

This is why I took the class. I've been wanting to do some work inspired by local industrial sites, most notably Domtar Paper and Eastman Chemical. The first image (silk screen ink) shows the first pull on silk gauze and the second pull on heavy paper. The silk takes the image very well but leaves a lot of ink and some texture for the second pull.

These three are done in watercolor. Used a wash followed by painted pipes for the first pull. Added three strips of paper for a resist, more watercolor, lifted the strips and printed the second pull. Really nice ghost image from the first pull. Added more painted pipes for the third pull, still have a ghost of the first, shadow from the second.

This is the local farmer's market site after a rain when there was still a lot of (very still) water on the pavement. My reflections aren't long enough, but for a workshop setting I think it's still pretty cool. (This is silk screen ink.)

And here are a couple details of doors and panels on the old industrial buildings at the farmer's market. I especially like the horizontal ghost lines in the top one, left from cleaning my plate, that evoke grain lines. Top monotype is printed with silk screen inks, bottom with watercolors.

Print on 3mm silk habotai mounted on freezer paper (silk screen ink):

Last, but best, are my two favorites from the two days.Tthe first is silk screen ink worked with brush and sponge and is a landscape of Dart Moor in Devon, England.

The second is a three-part watercolor print. Created the background and lifted a print from it. Added the foreground details except the wires and insulators and lifted this print. Once it was dry I went in with a Pigma pen and added the wires and insulators.

I think what I've learned about the two inking media is that watercolor leaves a really nice, even ghost image while silk screen ink is more workable for foreground detail since it's stiffer.