Work in progress
my art, prints :: posted on August 10th, 2009
The first test (detail above) for the second print I am working on for the Osmosis Exhibition rolled off the press. The fan shape features the waratah flower and the screw shells sit in the fan stick sections. Surrounding the fan are some of the native plants from the slopes of East Cloudy Head. The hills were covered in bright new growth, fighting back after bushfire ripped through a few years ago leaving a blackened landscape. The seed heads in my etching are the remnants of the fire ravaged shrubs, their pods opened and empty as the new seeds start the cycle of life again.
The print has a long way to go before I’m happy with it yet. I am hoping to start to treat some paper with some simple dying usng native flora. I’ll post the results as they happen and my process – which is going to be essentially made up from reading India Flint’s fabulous book among others. I think I may need a bucket full of luck for this little journey!
August 13th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
These prints are looking lovely Linden! Let me know how you go with dying the paper – I’ve got India’s book too and will be interested to see the results!
August 15th, 2009 at 4:39 am
Thanks Jay Dee – all a bit of a ‘testing time’ in print and project development – the most worrrying aspect of the natural dye is how lightfast they are. It is India’s philosophy that being lightfast or permanent isn’t important, but perhaps for the use in print it is a different story?
August 16th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Mmm – yes, I understand. I personally do love the idea of the ‘mythic’ object (something that no longer exists but still lives in the imagination) but from a collectors perspective, longevity is certainly key. Good luck with it!