Another session of catching up!

Hello everyone, 

Can you believe that it is now July and the last post was in April? 

Three beautiful years came to an end when I handed in my Final Masters Project on May 16th and left the print room for a while.  It has been such an amazing experience and I am thankful to everyone who supported me during this time, especially my husband, Barry McCuan.  I have to say that the Print room at Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University is absolutely wonderful and I am going to be dragged kicking and screaming from the print room when it is finally all over in September!   John Williams, our genius of a technician has added to the fabulous experience with his technical prowess.  Not only is John a wonderful technician, but he is also an inspired artist in his own right having graduated with an MA from Camberwell School of Art a number of years ago.  So anyone thinking of doing an MA in Printmaking.... Cambridge is a great choice!

Barry arrived a few days after I handed in my project and we drove down to Cornwall and had a lovely few days down there.  I needed the break before we came back to sort out my Dad's house.  It has been really tough,  and the newly discovered underground water leak hasn't helped!   Hopefully it will be fixed soon... it has only been five months since I first reported it.  Lovely insurance companies!!!!!

Painting on Chapel Porth beach

On the Coastal path above Kynance Cove, Cornwall.

We had Eddie to stay for a week or so and we took him on a little painting trip into Norfolk searching for a poppy field, which amazingly we found.  I think it might have been the only one!

Eddie the perfect painters' companion!

I have managed to get a small amount of painting done, mainly in my sketch book, but now I am back in the print room preparing for our MA show.  There are just a few more things I want to add to my installation, but here is a sneak preview!

Entomology - etchings

Will be back sooner next time!

Where did last month go?  I had a wonderful time in New Mexico, but the five weeks went by far too quickly.   The commissions took up most of the time and Barry and I of course enjoyed our time together.   I am now back in the UK and focussing on my MA again. 

New Mexico Harvest 24 x 36 Oil/Linen

This week I learned how to do a photoplate lithograph.  I was anxious to learn another printing technique as I had spent most of last semester doing drypoints.

I had produced a test sketch on semi transparent drafting film in preparation for trying this new method and on Thursday, John, our very helpful technician guided me through the process.

Not a very good photo of my test sketch!

The image needs to be opaque and I used an 8B pencil for my drawing, but other intensely opaque paints, or crayons will work.  The image is placed on a commercially produced lithographic plate, which comes coated in a light sensitive emulsion.  The plate and drawn image are exposed to UV light in a lightbox. (A test strip is advised)

Positioning the drawing onto the plate.

Adding the positive developer and washing away the exposed area.

The image is now fixed onto the plate.

John showing me how it's done!

After the plate is exposed to the UV light it must be processed with positive developer and the exposed areas wash away.  The plate is rinsed with water and dried with a hair dryer.  Gum arabic is then applied to the plate.  This desensitises the non image areas.  The emulsion which forms the image is grease loving and attracts the ink.  The next stage of inking up the plate is going to take a considerable amount of practice because with a roller in one hand and a sponge in the other you must ink the plate before it gets too dry, but if it is too wet, you will also have problems.

You can use any kind of press to transfer the image from the plate onto the paper, but we use an off set litho press, seen below.

John working the press - thanks to John for all the help!

First ever photoplate lithograph by Lynne Windsor!!

Well, I know it's not a startling result, but now I know (almost) what needs to be done and how I can take this process further.  I like learning new processes.

This morning I thought I would get on my bike again for the first time in almost two months.  It's not often that you are happily cycling down a country lane and you see a muster of peacocks and peahens! (yes, I just learned the term muster).  If it hadn't been for that experience I would have been more than a little miffed by the fact that I also got a flat tyre.

Here are a couple of photos.  I wish I had my better camera here with me, but these aren't bad.  The colours of the peacock are amazing!

Printmaking

Last week we had a Relief Printing demonstration given to us by our teacher/technician, John Williams, who is an accomplished printmaker.   It is so exciting to witness all the possibilities.  I learn something new each week.   Below are a few photos, one of John's woodcut and some books he had laid out for us to peruse.  I have also included some sketches of Wicken Fen.

Barry's show was on Friday and on Saturday he sold 5 paintings, so that's a good start!