Lubbly Bubbly Printmaking

More printmaking?  Yup, can't get enough of it, and there's probably enough different ways to make prints to keep us busy for a lifetime, or at least until Boo leaves home.

We had tons of bubble wrap left from our move, perfect material for bubbly printmaking, esp the big bubble stuff.

You need to tape a piece of bubble wrap down onto a stable base (tabletop, piece of card etc).   We work on the floor in my studio as I don't yet have an 'art table' for Boo, though I'm thinking it would be a mighty good idea as she keeps sticking her legs in her artwork!  You may want a few spare pieces for small ones to pop whilst you are setting out the materials.  We used squeezy tempera paint (I was disappointed with this stuff for painting as its too thin, but great for this kind of printing).  I use old food trays for paint palettes, and sponge applicators are great for spreading, though Boo, in typical form, reverted to getting her hands in before too long.  You also need a stack of paper ready (we use newsprint for printing).

Simply spread the paint over the surface of the bubble wrap, mixing colours as you go.

Cover your painted bubble wrap with a piece of paper, and smooth over with the palm of your hand, and reveal.  Ta-da!

You could also create a printing plate using cut pieces of bubble wrap, stuck down onto thick cardboard, perhaps with shapes with other textures cut from materials e.g. hessian (burlap), old net fruit bags, crumpled foil, sandpaper etc etc, really anything textural that will take paint.

Have a creative day!

About Town, Vancouver 2010

So here we are, the Olympic games is going on in my city, I've seen no events, either live or on tv (apart from the opening ceremony), and I may now have heard of Wayne Gretsky but I still don't know anything about him (think he played hockey).  But there is a decided buzz about town, and we headed Downtown to sample a flavour.  Long queues put us off the pavilions, but wandering around was fun.

Here's the controversial cauldron with its ugly high fence (well actually they left a wee gap in the fence so you could stick your camera through).  You can glimpse the Olympic rings on the seafront, and its a great view of the (mostly snow-less!) north shore mountains.  I love to look across the inlet and know that I live in those trees somewhere.

We popped into the Pendulum Gallery and came across an exhibition by a pair of artists called 'T&T', some rather whimsical creations based on cars/boats and cycles, apparently the creations of some world post-environmental disaster.

There was a very welcome childrens drawing station, with big repros of one of the artists' drawings.

It said on the poster that it was produced in partnership with a place called Collage Collage so I looked them up and it looks like a funky kids art workshop/gallery/art materials shop all rolled into one.  Boo and I will be making a visit soon (might take my resume!).

We passed by Vancouver Art Gallery which is currently resplendent in glorious textile colour:

The mural is by Michael Lin, an artist who uses the images of traditional Taiwanese textiles, hand-painted by a team.

Up Grouse Mountain, some of the little snow that there was had been used to construct a traditional Inukshuck figure.

Ok, so my Olympic tour has a decided arty rather than sporty flavour.  What can I say?

 

Boo's Play Kitchen

Boo's play kitchen has been a slow burner.  It started out as a 'top of the wardrobe cupboard' which we brought to Canada from the UK, only to find it redundant due to the 'closet thing' they have here.  I made some cork hob rings for it.  Last Summer Grandad fitted a door and a removable shelf to make an oven, as well as some turnable dials (recycled parts from a clock!).  Then, last weekend, Dadda Boo created a sink, using a metal mixing bowl I picked up at 'Loonie Plus' and a 'reuse' tap fitting from one of our bathrooms after one of the taps broke.  It's such a 'waste not' project, I love it, and a whole lot less cash was required than to buy a wooden play kitchen, which don't come cheap. 

This project ain't finished yet.  Unfortunately there is no second door for the other side (we think we burnt it!?!), so I'm thinking of putting a little curtain across.  We are also in need of some little hooks for all the little utensils/kitchen towel etc.  But it can definitely be called a kitchen now, and for that I am most pleased. 
 
 

Tutorial: Marvellous Monoprinting with kids (part 2)

If you saw this post about monoprinting with Autumn leaves, then you will already know what a fan I am of this 'quick reveal' method of printmaking.  I love to use the process myself and its so accessible (and quick!) for kids.  As the name suggests, its a 'one-off' method of printmaking, and actually there are quite a number of different methods for this.  I tried out two of the methods today with Boo and we both enjoyed working together on them.

Firstly, the materials and equipment required:

• smooth, non-porous surface to print from (I use a piece of perspex)


• 2 ink rollers


• waterbased printing ink (or oil based if you are doing it on your own, but then don't forget the solvents required for clean up)


• ink rolling tray (polystyrene food trays are great)


• paper (I used newsprint)


• drawing pencils


• old toothbrushes


• enthusiastic small child appropriately dressed

Firstly, roll out printing ink onto your rolling tray, and apply in a rectangle (according to the size of your paper) thinly to your printing surface.

 

Boo likes to do some rolling but I have to 'neaten up' when she's done!

Next, carefully lay a piece of paper onto your inked surface.

Take your drawing pencils and draw onto the surface of the paper.

When you have drawn all you want, pull back the paper to reveal your print.

This method gives a lovely, rich, velvety line quality.  I like it in black, but you can use any colour or combinations of colour rolled out together. You can also vary your drawing implements, use different sizes/grades of pencils etc.

Method two involves mark-making directly into the inked-up surface.  You can use any implements to move/remove the ink (e.g. brushes/sponges/sticks etc).  We used old toothbrushes.

Next, place your paper carefully over the inked surface.  This time, take your clean roller and roll over the entire surface of the paper.

Then pull back the paper to reveal your print.  Ta-da!

... and finally.. wash up (all removed easily with a bit of soap and water).  I love monoprinting.
 
  
  
 
 
 

 

Paint it Red

Yesterday, people clad in red clutching flags spilled out onto the streets of our neighbourhood to cheer on the Olympic torch, which was making its way around the North Shore prior to the opening ceremony on Friday.  I had figured the Olympics would largely pass me by (we can't even watch it on tv as we don't have cable), but it seems there is going to be tons going on in the local community, so we'll be out there sampling what's on offer, and enjoying the atmosphere. 

 
  
  

Goop and other mucking about

Ever made cornflour(starch) goop?  It's the most fun stuff, a real sensory experience.  The mix can almost be picked up in semi-solid pieces, which then melt over your fingers.  There is a weird, plasticky feel to the surface of the goop.

Looks messy, but actually its so easy to clean up as it solidifies when it falls onto clothes/surfaces etc, and you can just pick it up and put it back in the tray.

This is the recipe for a larger amount than we made, but I just chucked the ingredients in together until it seemed right.

You mix together

2 cups (16 fl oz) water

food colouring

600g (1lb 3oz) corn flour/starch

Think I enjoyed playing in this almost as much as Boo!

We are generally spending much time with our hands in stuff (cooking, painting, goop) and making marks, face paints being the favoured mark-making implement right now.

Noone's face is safe!

 
 

 
 

Some rather nice books

I've been attending a 'Childrens Book Workshop' course at UBC the last few weeks, which is very exciting for me (feel like someone's let me out for 'good behaviour'!)  Haven't done any actual work on my illustration/writing but have learnt a fair bit about how to prepare my work for submission when I actually get round to doing something.  And it has encouraged me to explore new writers/illustrators and to be more discerning about what I look for in the library.  This hasn't really filtered down to Boo, who wants to read the same old books when we go to the library and they are mostly about bears (not that there aren't some really good books about bears, 'The Great Paper Caper' for instance, but it does rather limit your choice!)

I thought I would share with you a few of the books I have come across which I really rate:

'The Curious Garden' by Peter Brown is a visually rich tale about a boy who encourages a nascent garden on a disused railway bridge.  Gradually over time the garden spreads and becomes more luxuriant, spilling over to nearby spaces.  Subsequently gardens spring up all over the formerly grey and bleak city, and the whole character of the landscape is transformed.  Great for the green-fingered, young and old alike.

'All Aboard for Dreamland' by Melanie Harby, illustrated by Geraldo Valerio, is a fun filled journey towards the land of dreams for the very young.  It has great rhythm in the rhyme and the illustrations are colourful and fluid.  Bit exciting for bedtime though, in my mind!

'Posy' by Linda Newbery, illustrated by Catherine Rayner, is a heart-warming, affectionate look at the antics of a little kitten, who likes nothing better than to claw at cushions and to stare at herself in mirrors.  I love the fluidity of the illustrations, some of the which are clearly done in pencil crayon, but I suspect there is also some printmaking (silkscreen?) involved in some of the images.

'Mattland', written by Hazel Hutching and Gail Herbert, and illustrated by Dusan Petricic, is a tale which celebrates the power of play, imagination and creativity.  Matt's parents have moved 3 times, the latest move 'the worst of all', to an apparently bleak wasteland (building site) with no green or trees in sight.  Matt, however, picks up a stick and begins to transform the wasteland to a landscape of his mind, naming each construction he makes from the junk he comes across. Wordlessly, a girl joins in the focused task, whilst others watch.  When 'Mattland' is threatened with a deluge, many hands appear to save the creations, and we are left reassured as to the innate ability of children to create something from 'nothing'.

'Zig Zag' by R.Souci and illustrated by Stefan Czernecki.  I was initially put off this book by the cover, which didn't appeal to me that much, but on reading/looking inside I started to appreciate it more.  A dollmaker makes a doll which the other dolls and toys mock for being 'ugly' so he gets knocked into the bin.  He befriends some mice and they help him find his way to a kind girl who will take care of him.  The story is ok, but I began to really enjoy the illustrations, which are made in fabric collage (real or digitally I don't know) and full of pattern.  Stefan Czernecki is a local illustrator who runs courses in book illustration, might be my next course....

I'll put these books into my reading sidebar so that you can find all the details on them.

Happy reading!

  

Bloke Hat

 

The Bloke Hat is the 'First Hat' pattern in ''Knit Two Together' by Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark.  It was the first time I've used circular needles so I wanted to keep it simple, but I have to say it was as easy as pie.  I used Rowan Scottish Tweed yarn in two colours.  The intention was for said bloke to receive hat for his birthday in March, but he has a trip to Toronto coming up next week so he got it early in preparation for some rather lower temperatures than we have been used to of late. I've barely worn my winter coat this year and I have to say I wouldn't mind a walk in the crisp midwinter wrapped up in woolly things, and back to some hot reviving beverages.  Mind you, being snowed in for 2 weeks last year was not fun, so I should be careful what I wish for.