Work in Progress- 'La Papessa'

This is a rough idea at the moment which I'd hoping to be produced with a combination of photo etching letter press and chine colle. The design is in a tarot card style which is commenting on the myth of Pope Joan, who is believed to be the first and only female pope.

 

This image is a response to a fairy tale I'm reading about an old woman who lives in a vinegar bottle, the old woman she gets granted various wishes from a fairy, however as she wishes to be pope; she ends up back in the vinegar bottle for being too greedy.

 

The pope crown is called a papal tiara and the word 'la papessa' is the feminine word for 'pope' in Italian.

 

The reasoning for a tarot card design is that to is believed to be the first records/ domination/ illustrations of Pope Joan.

 

Encyclopedia

Thought I'd share one of my latest purchases - 20 book collection of a Children's Encyclopedia, there's some detailed illustrations and photographs in them that I'm hoping to combine into my own work, here are some photos; the books take up quite a lot of space on my book shelves..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Etched Lino Experiments





Here are some experiments that I'm been doing this week in the print room; below are etched linos in caustic soda. I've had a few problems with the timings, but after my last two tests I think I've nearly cracked it. The caustic soda (and I mix wallpaper paste in with the solution as well) bites the lino and acts as an acid would in a traditional ecthing. I have also used stop out vanish and wax to act as a resist so the caustic soda does not react with the lino and prevents it getting etched. I was surprised with the results and am happy with the textures provided when printed. I find this process could add extra texture and interest to some of my lino cuts, now that I feel more confident with the process hopefully I'll be able to experiment more and have some more finished designs to present.... for now here are a few tests

 



 

 

 

 

 



Photos of Market

A few weeks ago I had a stall in an arts and craft market in Sleaford,
I thought I'd share a few photos of the stall that I shared with another student on the MA Design course.

If you are interested in some of the pieces that were on display then get in touch at jessicarawlings1990@hotmail.co.uk.
Thanks for looking

 

 

 

 

Development Work

Here are a few photos of some work I've been working on at the moment- this is a rough idea of what the finished piece might look like. It is currently the Christmas period so I have been working from home as I have been unable to work in the print room so this piece is currently painting in acrylic paint with collage elements. However I am hoping to complete this piece in a combination of etchings, screen prints and lino prints.

Here are the photos for now,
Let me know your thoughts

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Market

 

Hi Everyone! Just thought I'd let you know that I am involved in a Christmas Market on Saturday 15th December in Sleaford at the national centre for craft and design, if you are free and need some gifts for Christmas presents then you should come along.

 

Below is the leaflet for the Christmas Market, I will be selling a collection of screen prints, lino prints and etching- hope you can make it. 

 

 

 

 

 

Even more work in Progress and Experiments

At the moment I am developing illustrations for a story called 'an old woman who lived in a vinegar bottle', while ideas are flowing I am currently toying with pushing the boundaries of printmaking, in my third year work I created pieces with lino, screen print and etchings, however now I feel I am ready to push this even more and while studying on a masters course feel confident in doing this.

For this piece I want to create a hybrid with different print making processes and see if the result is successful, I am also looking into found objects and their aesthetic , great artists such as Joe Tilson and Robert Rauschenberg are inspiring sources of material at the moment as they both explored this.

Here is a few pages of my sketchbook of work in progress- hopefully after Christmas I will be able to get into the print room and finalise these ideas and initial thoughts into a final printed piece, whether that be a 3D object with printed elements or a 2D print.

 

I am just reading a book called 'Printmaking handbook- Installations and experimental printmaking', I am finding it very interesting and am currently looking into different non ink materials that can be used in the print making process; for example Peter Blake has used diamond power, Finlay Taylor has used flocking and dead butterflies and Kelly has used dark and white chocolate instead of ink for silkscreen.

 

For now it is just an idea but I am considering trying to develop tactile results with prints, whether that be the material I print with - for example sand etc or the material I print on- wood for example...

 

Here are a few images of Joe Tilson and Robert Rauschenbergs work- Enjoy

 



 

Robert Rauchenberg

 

Joe Tilson

 

 

Joe Tilson