Collagraphing

I'm thankful to have been able to take advantage of a free printmaking workshop sponsored by the Tea Tree Gully Council and taught by none other than Simone. 8 of us got together and learned the basics of collagraphing using recycled materials. Collagraphs are basically a type of collage that you can ink up and make some interesting prints with anything from onion bags to paper doilies.

I spent most of the time chatting to others while I waited to use the press. Even if people specialise in different mediums I like to hear what people are up to and what influences they use for their work. I tend not to make friends that easily but conversation seems to flow a lot smoother when it comes to creativity.

When my turn came around, I learned I had some issues with the design placement. I wanted to layer everything in one go but you can't really pile things on top of each other and make it work. The plate also didn't really want to stay in place at first and neither did the objects placed on top. I think the image below was made by printing the inky plate after removing all of the objects.

For the second one I just used the bits of plastic I removed, then ran it through the press again to get kind of a 'ghosting' effect. I wasn't really sure what to do and there wasn't a lot of time to be indecisive. Not quite what I imagined (with printmaking it usually isn't) but hey - it was free, got to meet some cool people and managed to score some free rollers!

The Art of Science

Today's Google Doodle pays homage to Maria Sibylla Merian on her 366th birthday. She was a German naturalist and scientific illustrator. I thought it fitting since this afternoon I visited the South Australian Museum's special exhibition The Art of Science. The scientific illustrations on display were borrowed from Museum Victoria. There were some fascinating depictions from household names like John Audubon and John Gould, as well as some Australian artists.

I appreciate detail in artistic works, be it the precision of scientific illustrations or the patterns in an abstract geometric piece but I don't think I have the patience to do them. Perhaps one day I'll discover the satisfaction of completing something like that. In the meantime, I can admire those who have already fulfilled their vision.

Reinwardt's Trogon by John Gould

Eastern Wirra by Arthur Bartholomew