Previously I'd posted about a print I was working on for an upcoming exhibition, and I thought it was going to be great! Ba-wah! Boy, was I wrong!
After much to-ing and fro-ing I had found a press to hire and the printmaker, Belinda Nye, was fantastic! I've admired her work for a long time and it was great to finally meet her properly. Check her out here. We did many experiments. Was it the plate? Was it the ink? Was it me? but we couldn't get it work.
Her solution to separate the images and get rid of the border was absolutely the right call, but her double printing the image was ground breaking. It looked fabulous. This idea needs greater exploration. I could have framed up an image from what we got on the day but it didn't feel right and wouldn't do it justice. So, pulled out the proverbial and made a new plate.
With a similar theme which bubbles away in my personal work, the new image was printed with a barren, using the brute force of my able assistant and champion.
So it's all framed and read to go for the exhibition! Woo-hoo! It's not what I'd planned, but I learned so much from the experience... it really pushed me. I'll be working on my three separate plates of women hanging out the washing for a future exhibition, with cleaner plates, better technique and superb composition. It'll be great!