New Work: Learning Gun Control #3

Here are 4 variations of my most recent image, “Learning Gun Control #3”. These are all digital prints. They were done as the first assignment in my digital printing class at Berkeley City College. We were to scan at least three different 3-D objects and put them into a composition. Which is your favorite?

“Polar 2” struggles

Today I began my first color trials for the print I’m calling polar 2. You can see the 3 polymer photo etched plates above. On the left they’ve been inked in black but not wiped. They’re sitting on a magnetic sheet so they won’t slip around. In the center image they’ve been wiped with tarleton, a stiff cheese cloth, and are ready to print. On the right are the 3 plexi plates for adding color. They were cut to match the polymer plates exactly, but after I beveled them, they no longer match. Off by about 1/16th-1/8th inch. Plus, my beveling tool grabbed the plexi making little divets in it. So it’s back to TAP Plastics for re-cutting and professional beveling. I pulled 2 proofs today, both of which were unsuccessful but instructive.  In addition to the mis-matched plates, the color was too opaque Days like this feel like failure, but they provide important feedback.

Friday at Kala

Friday I got to Kala early, hoping to get one of the large presses in a work area that includes a radio. I scored. I arrived at 11 am and stayed until 9 pm, the third of my ten hour days! Four different plates make up this print (no real title yet: working title is polar 1). I haven’t made a final decision about the colors. Thursday was the deeoer blue experiment (shown at left). Printing is very physical work -getting the blankets on and off the press, setting the press pressure, mixing inks, inking and wiping four plates, soaking and blotting the paper, loading the print drier, and cleaning up the happy mess (seen at far left).  I crept home, muscles aching after a long work out, and promptly began back stretching exercises. You can see Favianna Rodriguez and her assistant in the back.