Hidden

While the text for Lindisfarne (the architecture book) was drying I spent my time trying to get my head round flexagons and Jacob’s ladders.

I ended up with this woven accordion structure. It opens so you can only see one set of text at a time.

The quote is from Winston Churchill describing Russian foreign policy in 1939. I just liked the sound of the words. Taken out of context it works well for ‘Hidden’, the NWBA challenge for this month.

Covers and Text

I've reprinted the collagraph in a single colour ready to be cut up for the covers for the edition.

And I've also made a start on printing the text onto tissue paper. This isn't working as easily as I'd hoped. I'm struggling with consistency. I think the problem is trying to get a clear, strong print onto dry paper. Unfortunately I'm having to use tissue paper (which I can't dampen) as I need the transparency for when I stick it onto the collagraphed book pages.

Whilst I'm pondering this problem (aka sulking) I've been playing with flexagons and Jacob's ladders for the North West Artists Book group theme. This time it's'Hidden'

Viscosity Printing

I finally managed to get to Salford on Friday. It was cold at Hot Bed Press but I printed nine viscosity prints before the block looked as though it was softening up. I decided that was enough for the edition because I need the block to survive long enough for me to get a couple of straightforward intaglio prints from it to use for the cover images.

Hopefully I can do that, and the text, next Friday.

Test Printing

I made a test plate to experiment with textures, inking and adding text.

I've used gum Arabic transfer to add the text. As I'm just playing I've used text I had left over from other projects.

I like the three colours of the viscosity inking (it really works for the colour of the sandstone) and I think I'm going to add the text as chine colle so that I still get some colour and texture behind it