Wednesday, April 07, 2010

First Monotype off of Hand Press!

This is my first hand pulled monotype and a photo of my set up. I got in a little bit of a hurry and  didn't get my registrations drawn in straight.  You can see how the plate is not straight on the paper.   I used my bird stamps again.  My studio space it not very big  and now I am layering work surfaces! LOL!  You can see in the lower photo the piece of foam core board with the ink and rollers up on the drafting table.  While I am inking the plate I have that down on top of the printing area.  Then when I am ready to print I lift the board to the drafting table so I can use the printing surface.  I pressed this with a metal rolling pin.  It worked great  and I even got the indention from the plate.  I am quite pleased especially considering how much trouble it was to get all the right stuff gathered for this deceptively  simple process.



23 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love those colors Tonya!
And that working space looks very busy to!

Unknown said...

Very cool! I've never used this process and admire those that have. I like your work.

Stan Kurth said...

Stunning work Tonya!

Manon said...

Ya.... this is so cool and the colors are awesome!!

Mick said...

Absolutely gorgeous, T ... so, the foam core board is the matrix? How do the birds figure into this process? I'm a bit confused, I think.

Rosalie Wrona said...

Fascinating! I really like this and would also like to have more information about this process. I have done just a few monotypes myself.

-Don said...

This is a wonderful work of art, Tonya. I really like the colors, and I love how the crows are both hidden in plain sight - like they don't want us to see their faces as they walk away. The two dark rectangles at the top give me the feeling of an open door, which suddenly has Poe's "The Raven" rattling around in my head. Sweet!

I hope you know that you are making me miss printmaking very strongly right now. I could almost smell the inks as I looked at your studio shot. It's been too long...

-Don

Tonya Vollertsen said...

Thanks, Mr. Greenfingers! Yes, the workspace is busy but I keep everything organized and it works out okay.

Hi Kathy, thanks! It is a fun way to work and I really like the way working with a different medium makes you think differently even though you may be working with the same subject matter.

Wow, Stan nice compliment! Thanks!

Hi Manon, thanks for stopping by. The colors are part of the fun of this process as you never know exactly how the colors will look until you print.

Hi Mick, welcome. The printing process is a lot like working with layers in Photoshop. The foam core board is actually nothing more than a movable table top for extra work surface space. The matrix is actually just Arches 88 paper. The birds are just a motif that i have been working with from a photo that I first used in the printing workshop I took. If you scroll down to a few previous posts you can see the different ways I have been using the same image.

Rosalie, Hi, nice to see you. There is a very detailed and informative video by Julia Ayers and her daughter on printing monotypes without a press. You can view it online at www.videoworkshops.com I don't recall the exact name of the video but it's they only one by this artist. Ron Pokrasso also has a great little video clip or two on his site but not on hand pulling.

Hey Don, thanks for all the great insights and references you saw in the piece! Always fun to read your writeups. You should write for the art magazines. I like the crow images and have wanted to do something with a crow in my paintings for years but avoided it as "already done so much by so many" but I guess I got over that and am having a great time with the images. Poe's The Raven is one of my favorites. How original, huh? LOL! You too could be printing again pretty easily. This was not hard to set up and can be easily put away and stored.

Jan Locander said...

You are such a genius! I want to come over and watch! Love the layering of the textures and the crow stamp is wonderful.

Tonya Vollertsen said...

See? Now this is exactly why you are my best friend! LOL! Thanks Jan!

JRonson said...

Wow great effect ! this is a major work

Tonya Vollertsen said...

Gee thanks J, R., I wouldn't go that far but thanks for your vote of confidence! Really appreciate that you like the work that much. Thanks! Really!

Diane C. St. Germain said...

Tonya, I wish I were there with you making monotype prints like we did together a few weeks ago at the Pokrasso workshop.
I love this first, hand pulled monotype. Inspirational as you are in all you do! Best to you, my dear friend!

Tonya Vollertsen said...

Diane, I can't think of anything more fun than to have you here making monotypes with me except making them in your fabulous studio as mine is so small! Plus you have an actual press! LOL! Thanks for the kind compliments you are a sweetie and such a great friend! Miss you already!

Mary Jo Zorad said...

Wow, this is great work. I love the colors and spacing. Mary Jo I just stumbled upon you site while jumping around others blogs. Great to find you!

Tonya Vollertsen said...

Thanks Mary Jo, welcome to my blog. It's great to have someone think it's great to find me! LOL!

Tess Kincaid said...

This is WONderful! I love your style. Thanks for stopping by Willow Manor. I hope to see you again soon.

Maggie Ruley said...

Really beautiful work. I think you will be showing us more wonderful pieces in the future and I look forward to them.

Sharmon Davidson said...

Great piece! I just found your blog, and am very pleased to meet another 'monotyper' (or is it 'monotypist'?). thanks, also, for sharing your process and photos of your studio! I'll visit again soon!

Kaylyn Munro said...

What a nice site to stumble upon! I just signed up for a monotype weekend in June. Can't wait! You've made me even more excited to try this.

Nick said...

that one turns my crank too - stop it, you're getting me interested in this and it could mess up my whole thing! :)

Tonya Vollertsen said...

Willow, what a lovely blog you have for an artist to take a cup of tea and take a nice respite from painting but yet get a creative lift. Love visiting your blog and am happy that you made it over to mine!

Hi Maggie, love your pottery and paintings, great blog! Thanks for your confidence in things getting more interesting and your lovely compliment!

Hi Sharmon, welcome and thanks for the compliment! Can't call myself an official "monotyper" but I must say it is great for shaking things up and getting you thinking in a different direction! There are limits to what you can do unless you really think and maneuver the tools you have, so then the creativity really comes into play. Not that I have been really creative with it but if you check out http://williamkmoore.blogspot.com/ or www.ronpokrasso.com . you can see some interesting stuff done on the edge. Not sure I would ever do it full time but I will definitely visit the press from time to time.

Kaylyn, wow, two 'y's, that's a lot of 'y's... you must be from the midwest. Nice work on your blog. I know you will enjoy your foray into monotype. It has so much possibility. Who are you taking a class with? I hope you will show your results on your blog. We will all be checking back, i'm sure. Have fun!

Karen said...

Wow, beautiful work

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