SoftCut, not always an easy cut?

In my blog from a week ago I spoke about making a print in a new material: SoftCut.
Making a print, doesn’t matter if it’s an etching, drypoint or linocut, is always a difficult thing for me because I hurt my hand in 2008. Things got overworked, inflamed, my thumb hurt like crazy and for about a year I couldn’t do anything. Writing, drawing, even holding a book during reading was a challenge. Over time things got better but my hand is still not the way it used to be. I can’t work long hours, I had to stop all printing activities and I switched from pencil and pastels to drawing inks.



Progress is still made, the amount of time I can work increases. Recently I started a drawing in pencil, something I couldn’t do for a long time. Still I have to be very careful not to overdo it. So making a linocut was a big challenge.

This is why I set out to look for a material that would give the impression of a linocut but would be more easy to cut. I made some stamps out of big erasers but with erasers size is limited.

At Hoopman Artsuplies I found SoftCut.
It has pros but also quite a few cons, especially when you are used to linoleum.
SoftCut is a flexible sheet of rubber. It has one smooth and one less smooth side. The smooth side is the side to cut. It doesn’t have a woven structure like linoleum, it’s just rubber. SoftCut is available in different sizes varying from 75x75 mm to 200x300 mm.

Pros:

- For me and my problematic hand SoftCut was great. My tools would just cut through the surface (almost) like butter.
- If you want to cut a round shape you don’t have to stop or be extra careful not to mess up your work. You can easily take the corner by twisting your hand/ tool or by twisting SoftCut into the right direction.
- It doesn’t break like linoleum does so it’s very suitable for detailed work.
- Flexibility makes it possible to make prints on curved surfaces.
Cons:
- The biggest size SoftCut available is 200x300 mm. Much smaller than linoleum. The print Jantine and I did was actually made by printing 2 sheets of SoftCut next to each other so the size would be 200x600 mm. This was because of SoftCuts flexibility not an easy task.
- When you cut linoleum the last bit of the snippet kinda breaks off, you don’t have to finish the cut. SoftCut doesn’t do that, you have to remove the snippets by pulling them off which takes time.
- To trace our design on the SoftCut Jantine and I first tried to use carbonpaper but that would not take! Pencil did take and ballpoint did too but both would easily smudge or disappear altogether.
- Flexibility was also a con because during the whole printing process the shape of the SoftCut sheet would not remain the same. We had to take off all pressure of the press so it would not smudge, or compromise SoftCuts shape. So better to use a baren instead of a press.

For me SoftCut is a great new material which allows me to finally continue my printing career but I think most artists who don’t have similar problems like mine will stick with linoleum.
 

Books I'm reading (2)

A month ago I posted a blog about art related books I was reading. I want to continue that item but then I realized something. Next to ‘normal’ books with just letters and the occasional illustrative picture I also read comic books or, as the French would say, la bande dessinée.
‘Comic books?’ you might wonder. Don’t worry, I’m still on topic. Because did you know there are a lot of these about artists? Artists like Rembrandt van Rijn, Vincent van Gogh, Egon Schiele and much more!
The picture below shows just the ones that I have, there are lots and lots more!
So here’s a fun idea. I will read these (again) and try to get my hands on the others I know of and let you know what they are like. And my next blog will truly be about SoftCut.

On the pic below starting with title, then artist and publisher. Note that these are all Dutch versions:

Pablo 1, 2, Julie Birmant & Clément Oubrerie, Blloan.
Egon Schiele, Xavier Coste, Casterman.
Typex’ Rembrandt, Typex, Oog & Blik I Bezige Bij.
Vincent & Van Gogh, Gradimir Smudja, Silvester.
Gauguin, Gaultier & Le Roy, Le Lombard.
Munch, Steffen Kverneland, Oog & Blik I Bezige Bij.
Het Kunstbordeel (Henri de Toulouse-Loutrec) 1, 2, 3, 4, Gradimir Smudja, Silvester

Secret project

Finally after a whole month of silence I can show you what I’ve been doing. Between my part-time job and the ‘secret project’ in my studio there wasn’t much time left to do anything else and sorry to say no time for writing substantial blogs. But the silence ends here.
What have I been doing that was so secret?! Well, it might be a little less exciting than it sounds.

I belong to a group of 7 artists that share a studio at Grafisch Collectief Thoets. Our group is specialized in printing techniques like etching, woodprint, lithograph and silkscreen.
We present ourselves as a group and once a year have an open studio day. We also have a group of people who donate money so we can continue to exist, organise fun art projects etc. For these nice, giving people we make a print that’s not for sale, just a special gift to them.

This year Jantine Geels and I were the ones to make the print. We usually do this in a team of two which results in very surprising prints, very much to the liking of our donators.
The upper part is mine aside from the bee. The stem turning into the umbilical cord ending in a flower that is also the embryo's belly are mine too. The bee and lower panel showing the embryo were done by Jantine Geels.

The print resides in a handprinted booklet about Make A Move, a project we contributed to in October 2013.

It’s been a month of organizing, designing, sketching, (lino-)cutting, printing and folding (yes, folding!). The print was presented Sunday the 16th and was received positively and I'm pretty pleased with it also.
 

The print was done in a material called SoftCut, something I will talk about in my next blog.

Books I'm reading (1)

I like books. I like everything about them. I like to read them, flip through them, smell them and own them. So when I need some information about something I'm still more likely to look for the answer in a book rather than the internet.

When I re-started this blog I actually did both but I want to share the books I read.
First I started in 'Blog INC' by Joy Deangdeelert Cho (Chronicle Books). A very helpful book about how to start a blog and make it successful. What I really liked was the fact she interviewed lots of good bloggers and you get a nice view on how they started and what it took to be where they are now.
After that I read 'Blogging For Creatives' by Robin Houghton (HOW Books). The title appealed to me but it also had lots of new things to offer alongside 'Blog INC'.
'Blogging For Creatives' gives a bit more technical information. It compares different blogging platforms and it has nice colour pictures that give you inspiration and an idea about possibilities for your own blog. Both books have good tips about questions one might have like for instance: "how often should I post?"
So if you want to read more about how to blog I recommend both books.

Right now I'm reading 'How to be an Illustrator' by Darrel Rees (Laurence King). First edition was 6 years ago and this second edition is nicely updated. Both on information and beautiful colour illustrations. It's focused on the starting illustrator freshly out of (or still in) college but that's no problem. Lot's of interviews with both illustrators and others that are working in the industry. Helpful tips about making a portfolio, job-hunting, financial tips, promoting yourself etc.
The book is from the UK but includes information about the US and so on.

All books were purchased at ABC - The American Bookcenter (Amsterdam).

Dear diary (2)

On January 29^th I posted a blog about sketchbooks. Book By Its Cover has this wonderful page where you can have a look into artist’s sketchbooks. Very inspiring.
Nonetheless filling those sketchbooks myself keeps being a challenge. The blank page remains an obstacle. The content of the page still should be “perfect” or at least good enough for others to see. Why can’t I just let go of that? A sketchbook should be a little private place where an artist should feel total freedom to do whatever they feel like.
Why can’t I just splatter my ink all over the pages, scribble relentlessly on top of the mess? Why can’t I just experiment BIG?!
I can’t think of any other reason but fear. Fear of making ugly things, fear of losing control, fear of being found out?
How will I ever know what I’m capable of when I keep being scared? I won’t, it’s as simple as that and I had enough.

First step to overcome fear is to show you a page from my current sketchbook that I would never show without being embarrassed. It was done after a dream I had. I used ink, pencil and felt-tips. I was not happy with the result and I stopped working like this right when I started.

 
Melissa, start experimenting, start making a mess!!

The Romantic Soul of Willem Hofker?

Last Saturday I went to Teylers Museum in Haarlem to see the exhibition ‘The Romantic Soul, Paintings from Russia and the Netherlands’.
Teylers Museum on their exhibition:

“Towards the end of the 18^th century, Europe witnessed the advent of a new cultural movement, in reaction to the prevailing coolness of classicism: Romanticism. Gone was the supremacy of Reason. Romantic art gave precedence to emotions, intuition, spontaneity and imagination. With imminent shipwrecks, oaks split by the force of nature, awe-inspiring sunsets, or at times tranquil interiors and sensitive portraits, artists in all parts of Europe conveyed their emotional responses.”

It was very interesting to see the similarities and differences between Russian and Dutch art of that time.
You can visit the exhibition until May 25^th 2014.

I enjoyed myself at ‘The Romantic Soul’ but then I stumbled into the exhibition about Willem Hofker, which impressed me maybe even more.

Willem Hofker (1902-1981) made really beautiful, delicate drawings. Sometimes you can see the artists love for the subject and Hofker is a good example of that. Next to drawings Teylers Museum shows a small collection of etchings and lithographs. Most of Hofkers work show Balinese women/ dancers. Willem Hofker and his wife moved to Bali (Indonesia) in 1936. During the Japanese occupation in WW 2 they were both put in internment camps (separately). Still Willem Hofker managed to keep drawing and this gives us a very interesting view into camp life.
You can visit the exhibition until March 9^th 2014.



Willem Gerard Hofker
Ni Asoeg in Ardja, 1946
Aquatint Etching
27,5 x 25,5 cm

Sketchbooks!!

This week is all about administration (just finished 2012, now for 2013, ugh...). So sadly enough (almost) no drawing for me. Also blogging is not very high on my 'to do-' list, I can't possibly interest you in my admin adventures.

Yesterday evening, after lots of work, I was relaxing for a bit and came across this amazing webpage. It's by a blog I follow: Book By Its Cover. They publish about beautifully designed books. Book-lovers out there go check them out!

Yesterday I found out about the category Sketchbooks. To me there is nothing more interesting and inspiring to 'spy' on my fellow artists and have a look in their sketchbooks. It's also a great push to start filling those sketchbooks myself.

Can't wait for this week to be over and start experimenting!

www.book-by-its-cover.com/sketchbooks

This is a sketchbook-page from a few years ago. I was drawing on my balcony when I little bee sat down for a rest right on my leg :)

Dear diary (1)

This year (2014) I have some big changes planned, new beginnings and also endings.
First change started October 2013. I decided to quit at the artmarket Art Plein Spui Amsterdam. Saying that sales were not that great is an understatement. Especially since the crisis set in.
Next to that I noticed that I was producing for the market instead of enjoying my art.
In a way having a spot at the artmarket is safe. You have your spot, are surrounded by nice people who do the same thing as you do and nothing is making you go out there and find better things.
So that’s what I’m setting out to do this year, going out there and find better things! 

First plan was to start a blog and (this time) keep adding updates. My goal is 3 times a week. So here it is, my blog. Not finished yet, still tweaking lots and lots but there’s content. Now for some readers!
Next in line is my website. It’s terribly outdated so that’s my next project.

But what’s after that? I’m having trouble with setting priorities. Where to start and what do I want exactly?
I want to have exhibitions again. I want to look into my childhood dream and illustrate. I want to enjoy making art like when I was a child.
How to achieve all this? That's partly what this blog is about, finding out and pushing myself to make plans work!

Stick what where?

You might wonder: ‘What are these monsters?! What happened to the cute, lovely bees!?!’

Well, they are still in the planning but I had to do these first. These are Phasmatodea, commonly known as stick insects, walking sticks or stick-bugs. This particular kind is called Heteropteryx Dilatata PSG 18. They were part of a terrarium that was getting overpopulated.

For me this was a very good lesson in getting over my fear of insects. As you probably know insects usually fold their legs across their body when they die. So first thing I had to do before drawing was wait for them to defrost, then very carefully bend their little legs back to positions that would look natural and leave them to dry (out). I have to confess I used tweezers. I got the Phasmatodea through my friend and fellow artist Katja Berkenbosch. She makes wonderful paper art and often uses butterflies in her artwork.

While drawing the Phasmatodea I completely fell in love with their ‘armour’ and despite of it would find the same vulnerability I found in the bumblebee, moths and flowers. Especially when I realized that the biggest specimen I had (5 cm) was starting to develop wings. Wings that would never grow and take it anywhere. Next to that I realized I had drawn it as big as it could have gotten had it reached adulthood.

Still pondering colour...

Magnifying apparatus

And this is how I’m able to do such detailed drawings of tiny insects.
As I understand it it’s actually a magnifying-tool for soldering. It has two pincers to hold stuff that I folded in so they’re not in my way.
This apparatus is a really big help when you’re subjects are very small! :)

Wings!

After three bumblebee-drawings I realized I had only drawn this (former) flying beasty on its back with its legs up in the air. How about those wings?!

And how beautiful they are. So much detail, such beautiful reflection and shininess, how were these delicate slivers of ‘paper’ ever able to keep this bumblebee up in the air?

All my drawings up to now of the found insects have been in Indian ink (on Saunders Waterford watercolour paper) but I would like to add some colour too.

Back to the drawing board!



Flight of the Bumblebee

When my home wasn’t my home yet and up for rent I immediately fell in love with the big, broad windowsill. I could picture myself sitting there, reading and drawing on top of a huge pile of pillows.

This is where I found the little moth I enjoyed drawing so much. Occasionally I find other bugs there. Still alive they are set free, if not they end up being drawn by me. Buried beneath my huge pile of pillows I recently found a beautiful bumblebee. Just like the moth very dramatic, with two little legs stretched out into the air as if to bid a final farewell.

I have to confess my feelings towards insects are a bit ambiguous. They are useful, beautiful and can even be cute but they creep me out at the same time. While drawing this bumblebee time after time, I was captivated by its beauty, detail, soft hair and wings but sometimes I would feel shivers go down my spine.

In the near future I want to do something with this ambiguity towards insects but I'm still brooding on the how and what. To be continued :)

Flying flowers

A little while ago I found this small moth in my windowsill. It was just sitting there, as if it was still looking out of the window. Mournful about not being able to get outside and looking at the setting sun one more time… At least, that was the story that popped into mind when I found the poor little critter.

Not sure what I was going to do with it I saved it in a little box. I found more and bigger moths and saved them too in somewhat bigger boxes.

As you can see I ended up drawing them. For some reason the step from drawing flowers (blooming or dried up) to these insects was very logical. They have a resembling fragility that I find intriguing and feel compelled to draw.