April 22, 2024
The Young Moon
I was helping out with some collagraph print demonstrations at The Ropewalk Print Fair (Barton upon Humber , Lincolnshire) last weekend. In between demos, I had the chance to print a plate I hadn’t used in quite a while. Luckily, the combination of carborundum and varnish is one that is easy to print. The plate […]
April 21, 2024
The excitement of possibilities
There is always something exciting and energising about discovering a fresh method of working which opens new possibilities. I recently spent a weekend with Dr Ralph Overill (@between_the_images on Instagram), an enthusiastic and generous tutor who introduced his students to the magic of paper lithography. The process, as with traditional stone lithography, relies on the […]
June 16, 2020
Chine collé on burnt plates
I have been trying to find a way of perfecting a chine collé technique for around three years (yes, really!). I have probably read dozens of articles and blog posts by other printmakers, outlining their preferred technique. These have involved different types of glues and ways of applying paper or pieces of metallic foil to […]
February 12, 2020
Large scale monoprints
Back in June/July last year, just before my trip to the U.S., I had started begun experimenting with small-scale monoprints, using my little XCut XPress print press at home. Those results were so encouraging that, on my return to the UK, I wanted to try some larger prints using brayers on acrylic sheet at around […]
January 25, 2020
Crisp packet plates
I’m always looking out for different materials and methods for making collagraph printing plates. Included in my regular sources of inspiration are the blog postings of fellow printmaker Emily Harvey, aka The Curious Printmaker (Instagram: @thecuriousprintmaker). Following her instructions, I used an ordinary household iron, plus a hand-held heat gun and soldering iron to apply […]