But first…
Dulltown, UK: Today’s unusual noise is that of two big, scruffy cats yowling at each other across the width of the garden.
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Dear reader, do you like today’s title?
It may be an engaging one, but it is not really accurate.
All the messiness is actually what remains on the piece of nice thin Japanese paper at the end – which is the whole point of doing the thing. Apart from the slightly messy job of wiping the ink off the glass rolling out plate when the thing is done, using a paper towel and some white spirit.
Rolling out plate?
Well, actually it’s just a cheap kitchen cutting board, that you might use to cut up your onions and carrots, that I use to roller the ink onto when I’m doing my lino printing.
Yes, it uses up the final ink left on the glass after the last lino print is done, rather than throwing it away or trying to get the stuff back into the ink tube – ha! No, that’s not really worth the effort!
No, I use it up doing a very rapid piece of work called a monoprint. A few squiggles made in the ink, and plop the paper on, smooth it down, and pull it off again. I sometimes call these works my ‘twelve-second’ pieces – that’s how long they take to do. Yes, I once timed it!
The trouble is, that people seem to like them a lot more than they like my proper, time-consuming lino prints! Ha! Such is life!…
Look, here’s a nice, busy one from last year.
Monoprint, in oil-based ink, on Japanese paper, about A4 in size.
Complicated, isn’t it?
But so very quick to do!
Gosh! Just look at the dramatic three-D effect!
Things like this require very little skill, but the more you do, the better you get at it – I suppose.
They cost virtually nothing to do.
It all seems to be moving about, doesn’t it? Threshing, is a good word.
And those spikes near the top, you could easily prick your finger on one of those!
Any ideas for a title?
People like titles on their art.
How about, ‘Ffestiniog’?… That is a very good word!
Anyone want to buy it?
The price is either £5 or £1,000, I haven’t decided yet.
Hm… Only kidding!
Dave Whatt 