A few weeks ago, Jane Ferguson, (yes, the infamous Jane) brought this idea to Critique group. Jane and I seem to be tuning into the same channel of creativity. Lately, our work has been eerily synchronistic! Stamping and making my own collage paper is exciting to me. We had just taken a workshop with Betsy Dillard Stroud who showed us how to carve simple stamps from this soft material commercially available through art supply stores and catalogues. It runs about $3 for a 4 x 6 piece, on up. Well, Jane showed up with some vinyl floor moulding( you know the stuff they put around the bottom of the walls so the vacuum cleaner doesn't mark up the wall)....$2.50 for a very long strip from the hardware store...and it turns out one can easily carve into it with the Speedball cutters....the upturned edge even acts as a handy handle! You can cut the strip with a scissors, easily, into what ever length you want. Naturally, I rushed to the hardware store on my way home from Critique that day but Friday was the first chance I had to actually make some stamps. The first image shows the two stamps I have carved, so far, the Speedball cutter and the stamped sheet I made. I used a wet watercolor stick from Daniel Smith to "ink" the back of the stamp. I like how it stamped in an irregular manner. I had to spray the sheet with Acrylic Spray so the color wouldn't smear when I collaged it down. The second image is a collaged sheet of watercolor paper using the new stamped paper. I haven't decided if I will cut up this sheet into smaller images or use the entire piece for a background.
A word of caution....always push the cutter AWAY from you as you carve and keep your fingers behind the cutting blade. Most of the Speedball cutter handles have a removable cap where you can store the extra cutters in the hollow handle!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
NEW DISCOVERY!
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11 comments:
i like your blog and your art
it looks so abstract and wonderful as is, can't imagine going any further! it could live on my wall as it!!
ahhhohhhh....gotta take a trip to the hardware store and look for this molding edge....i have been using the big erasers or the sheets of eraser like material to make my own stamps. Your background looks very interesting with your stamped markings.
Thanks so much for sharing this info. Art gum erasers can also be used for making stamps. I love your work and the fact that you share so much information and I hope to take a workshop from you one day.
There you go again! On to another new thing. I've used the soft stuff, I think it's called EZ carve or something like that. I wonder if those cutters would work on the molding edge, I guess there's only one way to find out.
have you seen the art paper made by Anne Bagby? very similar to your current process.
Hey Myrna
I love this
Feel like I am writing a blog with no effort.Keep up the good work.(-:
Hi, very interesting... is this much softer than lino???
Myrna and Jane, thanks for the tip on the molding edge. I think my brother's company makes it -- I will be hitting him up for scraps if they do, but sure sounds more reasonable than what I buy in the art store. I am very taken with texture after following your work and taking Gerald Brommer's and Betsy Dillard Stroud's workshops. I look forward to your upcoming workshop!
Happy holidays to you and the family!
Love the block printing. I've just begun playing around with it too. Didn't like the speedball much (plastic handle and changing the blades, annoying!) so I treated myself to a woodcarving set at Woodcraft.com. And they talked me into buying a Kevlar glove, which you wear on your non-cutting hand and avoid those slipping tools.
Great prints!
Cool, Myrna! I have one of those little hobby kits with a speedball cutter and piece of the pink stuff...may have to get it out now!
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