Monotype (What I Did On My Summer Vacation)

 

This summer I took a short course in monotype at the VMFA with artist/printmaker Chris Palmer. It was only four classes – an appetizer, a teaser – just enough time to distract me from the work in my studio and make me want to be in the print studio with the press all of the time. If you are unfamiliar with the term, monotype is a printmaking technique that produces a unique print when an inked or painted plate of some sort is printed onto paper using a printing press. That is an extremely limited definition; in truth, the techniques and possibilities for monotype are many, if not infinite. The scientist in me just can’t resist experimenting with different materials, techniques, and ideas. Consequently, I never really got around to doing what I had imagined I might. I was intrigued by the possibility of using newsprint as a plate that I could work on at home using water-soluble wax crayons and then printing with the press on paper that had been soaked in a water bath. The images above are two samples of my experiments; the second print is still in progress. There will be more, and I can’t wait to get back to it!!