What to Do with the Old Book Press??

The Old Book Press ~ closed

Here is a brayer rolling ink onto it on a piece of glass. Next to the brayer is the lineoleum (or other material that can be carved) inked up. The dark areas are ink and will transfer to paper.

Here is the block after the ink has been pressed on to paper. The block previously had brown ink left on it from a previous use a few years ago.

And here is the old book press open without any thing between the plates.

To use the press one first has a wood block or lineoleum block that has an image cut into it. The block is then inked using the brayer....different colors could also be painted on. I use a couple of pieces of felt as padding with one on top and the other on the bottom. So one would have felt, inked block, paper and felt. This sandwich then goes into the press and the plate is brought down. (The book press is extremely heavy!) Once pressure is applied, the plates are separated and the sandwich taken out...and a print is made.

I plan on trying out different ways to see what gives the best print. The paper used here was just typing paper....just to test it out. Better paper will be used for a good print as well as signing and numbering them.

This old press was found in an antique store several years ago...finally it will get put to use.

If anyone has any suggestions or knowledge of print making, I would love to hear from you.

Self-portrait 1994
charcoal on Rives BFK paper, 40 x 36 inches
copyright MaryAnn Cleary

As I do my daily painting thing to help hone my skills as an artist, I realize that just painting a picture only hones my painting and drawing skills. What about putting a painting or drawing together? Why are we drawn to certain paintings? What makes others so-so?

I believe that it will be helpful to look at not only the process of "putting things together" with my own paintings, but only looking at others, both historically and today, to see what makes a good painting.

Are there rules one should follow? Can the rules be broken?

One of my drawing instructors a few years back commented on a person needs to be able to draw in order to produce a great piece of work. It did not make a difference if it was an abstract or realistic. To make a good piece of artwork, choices are needed. Where to add contrast and the reasons for doing it all make for producing a great work. Hard and soft edged lines... patterns.... reasons why the eye wants to stay and look ... adding depth... the list goes on. Drawing skills gives a person the confidence to make those choices and also knowing the reasons for making them.

How do others go about doing a drawing or painting? Do you do preliminary sketches or take photos? Does anyone have a drawing or painting that they would like to share?

In the future, look for more of my process steps and also the reasons for why or I do things that I do.

MaryAnn

The Art Studio or Getting the Place Ready

The Ceiling and a View of the Back Yard....the artstudio

The past few days I have been focusing on the area on the lower level of my log house. My house sits on the Spirit River and is not that big, but the location is wonderful. The lower level has never been completely finished. The place had cedar tongue and groove for the walls and the ceiling was just untaped drywall. Also there is no molding or finishing touches. The washer and dryer are also under the stairs with no door. The other half of the lower area is a garage.

So for the last couple of weeks I have been trying to get the place turned into an art studio. Yesterday, I finally finished putting last coats of drywall goop on and had the surface ready to paint! If any of you have ever done taping of drywall, you will understand my great dislike for the goopy stuff and getting things just so.

I thought that I was incredibly smart finding an extension pole to put on the roller when I began painting the ceiling yesterday. This was after I went around the entire room painting along the wall/ceiling interface to make sure that I didn’t get paint on the wall. I found the extension pole on my mop that I use for the hardwood floors….perfect fit and no more climbing a ladder to paint!!! Anyway, I am now painting vigorously thinking that I am doing such a terrific job…..when quite suddenly SNAP…..THUMP……OOOOO……what the hell hit the back of my head??? Then knock – knock at the door….Fed Ex knocking …..aiyee. ….To top all else off, I am in a white T-shirt, braless, and a huge gob of white paint dripping down the center of the back of my head ….and barefoot (but who the hell is going to notice that). I am sure the Fed Ex guy is wondering who the nut case is who lives in the log house.

With my vigorous painting of the ceiling, there is a thing called leverage and a weak point on the “plastic” handle of the roller, I managed to snap the roller handle in two. The roller brush then came tumbling down, hitting me on the back of the head, running down my back before gingerly finding its place on the now white-streaked carpet floor.

Timing could not have been better for the Fed Ex guy as well. The only thing good about all of this is it wasn’t UPS as that guy is quite a piece of eye candy ………