Naval Impact line etch, aquatint, multiplate, monotype
This print addresses the recent exemption of the Navy from environmental laws intended to protect whales in their natural habitats. These habitats are also common testing ranges of Navy sonar equipment. The sonar emits a frequency that disturbs whales and causes them to surface very quickly and die of decompression sickness, or to become stranded on shore. Examination of beached whales near testing sites has shown ear and brain hemorrhaging in the creatures, which scientists believe could have been partially caused by the piercing noise. These animals are dying unnecessary, painful deaths, all because of the Bush administration's emphasis on "national security". The aquatint still needs a bit of work, but I was satisfied enough with this print to share it in the printmaking online exchange with students at Carleton College. View the entire exhibit and commentary at http://exchangexhibitfall2008.blogspot.com/
Squawkers: Sean and Rush Line etch, aquatint
This is part of a series I hope to continue which caricaturizes popular figures in conservative politics and punditry. This is Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. They are loud, obnoxious, and they have absolutely no regard for intelligent debate or even listening to what the other side has to say. Listen to either of them on the radio-I guarantee you won't be able to take more than a few minutes. Technique-wise, I've continued with deep etching (the initial line etch was 48 hours or so on this one). I haven't tried it with color yet, but may later on.
Squirtgun Paintfight monotype
McCain/Palin '08 line etch, aquatint
The first print of the caricatured conservatives series, from which the idea stemmed. It was impossible to go through fall of 2008 without doing something that poked fun at these two. All I can say is the electoral college actually worked in the favor of the people for once! Another deep line etch-again for a couple of days. I'd like to somehow display the series (when i get more prints done) as kind of a zoo. More on that once I get further along with this particular endeavor.
Great Depression, cont'd. line etch, aquatint
Another big event of fall 2008: the economic crisis and the "bailouts" (wouldn't it be a great idea to send the American people those billions of dollars to stimulate the economy instead of making it impossible for anyone to borrow money?...except corporations that threw away billions of dollars and tanked?) I saw a newspaper headline talking about bank failures and felt very unsafe having all of my money in a bank, even though I know it's supposed to be protected. So this was a way of lightening the situation a bit.
Time Traveler monotype
Flesh and Bone line etch, aquatint, multiplate color
This print took forEVER to get right. I started out with the two figure drawings (from the anatomical drawings I've been doing a lot of in the last few months) on separate plates, and wanted to make them work overlapping one another. I had in mind two figures lying down and embracing; how that would look if you could see past skin. I had a hard time getting the figures to line up correctly because the plates weren't the same size, so had to do a lot of plate cutting and touching up. Then it was a lot of trial and error with color. I have no idea how many times these ran through the press, but I know that I have a lot of them that weren't worth keeping!
This print, and the following one, were done after it was suggested to me (by Miss Seth Boots) that I try it out with the plates side by side rather than on top of one another. For the background, I used the back of the skeleton plate because that had been eaten through in places by the acid, due to it being in a fresh batch for about 52 hours. Process: Ink the back of the skeleton plate with color, ink the muscle figure in black, print color, print figure, ink color again, print color, ink skeleton in black and print. It was complicated but well worth it. The figures side by side gives the image a different context, as well as different color schemes. The red I view as two people being torn apart by conflict (violence, war, personal problems). The blue I see as two people just unable to be together and missing each other. I would like to experiment with more color schemes. I'm just happy that i was able to get some decent images. I didn't want to ditch the plates because I like the drawings!
This is the first color scheme I tried and it didn't work very well. The lines in the muscle figure aren't as deep and bold as the skeleton. I do like the ghost-like effect the more I look at it, but it's not what I was going for.
Untitled: Line etch, aquatint, monotype (left print)
This print was just something for fun after working on some things that were more technically or subjectively frustrating to deal with. (I also wanted to freshen up the aquatinting skills a bit). It's based on a self-portrait I snapped of Dan and I in our Halloween costumes. We were Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz. That night was fun, and our expressions in this picture kind of summarize how we are together. The print on the left has some subtle color added, just painted onto the plate, and the one on the right is just black and white. Title suggestions are more than welcome!
This print was just something for fun after working on some things that were more technically or subjectively frustrating to deal with. (I also wanted to freshen up the aquatinting skills a bit). It's based on a self-portrait I snapped of Dan and I in our Halloween costumes. We were Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz. That night was fun, and our expressions in this picture kind of summarize how we are together. The print on the left has some subtle color added, just painted onto the plate, and the one on the right is just black and white. Title suggestions are more than welcome!
