The best way to learn something is to do it over and over again, and I’m learning printing. I’ve made a basic three-square pattern, and printed it on garments, paper, and cloth. Even within such a basic framework, the variation available by using different methods and inks is significant. And by printing my own materials, I’m able to vary the number of repeats and space between, creating unique effects.
The first project was the fabric. I printed a skirt (formerly transformed by bleaching and chopping off the hem) and a denim-colored sleeveless shirt. Printing over the rough denim and the seams created a very imperfect pattern, but that fit the project. The shirt will return to our story later.
The second project was printing on decorative paper, which I bound into tear-away notebooks. Some of these are currently for sale at Calendula. I made a variety of orientations and colors.
For the third project, I used the shirt that I had printed to cover two hardcover books.
At this point, it’s frustrating and exciting to print. Peeling the stamp and print apart, that first reveal, shows whether the endeavor has been a success or a failure, whether it’s usable or I should reduce the ink, change the variety, or print on an entirely different material. There’s so much to learn, and so many inspiring printmakers to learn from.
cb workshop 