Indulge your inner voyeur

I have had the wonderful opportunity to interview printmaker Mariann Johansen-Ellis. If you love to read about others process and look at what and how they create, please check out the interview. What makes it even more delightful is that Mariann has such a way with words. Enjoy!

What is an Artist Book? - An Interview with Sara Bowen

This question was on my mind when I recently made a journey to see an exhibition of artist books at Barratt Galleries in Alstonville. I wondered how much I actually knew about artist books, even though I have made a couple myself! The question was all the more poignant as my travelling companion was Sara Bowen, printmaker, artist book maker and friend. I knew Sara’s entry for the Southern Cross Acquisitive Book Award did not physically resemble a book although it had many ‘book’ qualities. Happily that day we were able to celebrate the acquiring of her book for the university's collection, along with others’ more book-like forms.
Later I asked Sara if she would allow me to ask her this question and others about her art practice, inspiration and the meaning of the motifs and symbols in her work - her river and her bridges. Sara arrived before me and as I walked in and scanned the coffee shop for her, at first I failed to notice her. As a newish arrival to Australia and Coffs Harbour I hadn’t expected her to be the one joining in conversations with nearby tables. Ah, but I was to learn more about her networking skills as the morning progressed.

Sara arrived in Australia in 2006, having left family and friends in Bristol, UK. She told me she came around to art the long way after 15 years of working with small businesses, setting them up and running various ones herself. She is now concentrating full-time on her art; well as full-time as a mother, wife, PHD candidate and project manager for the building of the family home can be.

JA How does your small business background help your art practice?
SB It has taken away the fear of the non-art part of being an artist. I’ve done cold calling with a suitcase of samples, written my own press releases and marketing plans and, because I have confidence that I can do those things, I don’t worry about them. It doesn’t mean I’m super confident or that I’m not terrified, but it does mean that I don’t panic about it.

JA How did you get started in printmaking?
SB In an effort to avoid killing my stepchild I was encouraged to get out of the house! I’d done life drawing and painting and I thought “Oh, printmaking that sounds good.” The little cogs went around in my head and just that whole thing about working backwards came easily. Somehow it all made sense for me.

JA How did you get started making artist books?
SB I don’t think I was really conscious of the fact that I was making artists books. I think I just ended up assembling things. I had a very vague idea of what I might do and it will just sit there in the back of my mind for ages and then something will trigger me off and it will usually be something like a little piece of cardboard or a photograph and I’ll think “that looks nice.” Tidying up the studio is actually quite often where it comes from, because I come across things I’d forgotten about, like bits of wire or a rusty nail or something and I’ll start thinking what can I do with that? And it ends up being a little exploration. That’s what starts me down the path and what the end is I’m not at all quite sure until I get there.
JA What printmaking medium do you most often work in?
SA The technique I use most often is viscosity printing where you are able to layer colours on your plate instead of having separate plates for separate colours. I change the viscosity, the runniness or thickness of the ink, and the different viscosities repel each other and instead of making a brown sludge like you might think, the colours stay separate and one top of each other. I’m interested in it as a technique to get multiple colours on the plate. This gives me the subtle colours I’m after. I also use a lot of embossing in my printing.

JA Where do you get your inspiration?
SB I love moody landscapes, bleak places where I can search for beauty. I am primarily a landscape artist. My work has an emptiness. I have a reoccurring motif in my printmaking, a swirl of river. It comes from a grainy black-and-white photograph of The Great Juanbung Swamp, which is the area at the confluence of the Lachlan and Murrumbigee Rivers. It was taken by my father-in-law from a crop-spraying plane in 1960. It is mainly a metaphor for journey.
JA You have been working on bridges in your Artist Book works. Have they always been a motif? Is it because of the river?
SB No. It’s got nothing to do with the river. It’s quite odd, but it’s got everything to do with moving countries. I moved here in October 2006 and I had my PHD started at UWE which was great because it made me feel like I wasn’t leaving everything behind, there was still some kind of connection with my old life and the people I knew and my art. But then I just didn’t have any contact from anyone in my old life. The people I felt very strongly connected to in Bristol turned out to be no good whatsoever at keeping up contact. I spent a year blogging about art and moving over here, being very up front with people about how I was feeling and I didn’t get a sausage back, no emails, no phone calls, no cards, no birthday presents, nothing! I spent 2007 feeling very, very lonely and very isolated.

Eventually I decided I needed to build bridges, metaphorical bridges that linked me with people, with ideas. I initiated a project with an artist back in the UK to exchange artist books and the project was to be about bridges. I spent ages fiddling around with different things and I came up with the idea of physically making a bridge. I read this lovely little poem by Walt Whitman called “A Noiseless Patient Spider”. It does mention the word ‘bridge’ in the poem once, but it’s about how spiders fling out a thread of gossamer and the wind catches it and they have no idea where they’re going to end up, an act of faith. It was such a meaningful way of looking at how I was feeling about my life. I think that’s been my way of working. Sometimes I just have to take courage that I don’t have and do something, even though I don’t know where I’m going to end up. The poem goes on and is effectively about building ones own bridge, what one needs in life is to do that. So it’s very reflective of my own experience and how I was feeling at the time.

It got me thinking about the form of the book and I’d already decided I was going to base this series of books on children's building blocks (you can build bridges with children's building blocks). I ended up with the carved plastic text, which was such a nightmare to do. Originally it wasn’t about the light shining through it with the shadow revealing the text, but about making the text a kind of gossamer. It just happened to work in that other way and gave it supplementary meaning.

There are a few other reasons why it ended up being very meaningful for me. One is that I’m terrified of spiders! I had hypnotherapy at Bristol zoo before I came to Australia so I could deal with the Australian creepy crawlies. I ended up holding a bird-eating tarantula in my hand. I am quite fascinated by them now although I still find them really repulsive. I also wrote a very bad poem about not being able to say anything meaningful to my father about leaving and going to live on the other side of the world and it was couched in terms of spiders.

That book has a much more open meaning available to it than most of what I do. Practically everything I do has a lot of personal meaning to it. I have a bit of a problem actually expressing the meaning to other people. In the end I’m very glad of people who do manage to work out what a work means, but its not why I’m giving them the object to look at. I’m very happy for them to give their own meaning.
I find my self really fascinated by artists who can write out very personal experiences in their art and the reason is because I can’t do it. I don’t know how one would begin. I tried it and doesn’t work for me.

JA What is an artist book?
SB MY definition of an artists’ book is hardly definitive and is highly subjective and probably very woolly from an intellectual perspective. I think an artists’ book is a book made by an artist, that requires the evocation of ‘book-ness’ in order to function as a complete work. There is the question of why make a thing defined as a ‘book’ rather than as a ‘sculpture’ or as a ‘print’? What’s so important about it being associated with being somehow a book? For me, there is something about a confounding of expectation (e.g. a book that is part of a child’s building block, for example, and in the same example, a slipcase – usually an afterthought – that has as much of a role in the complete piece as the book has itself; or perhaps where the text, written in shadows, is actually OUTSIDE the book rather than inside). There is also something about physicality: the ability to pick something up, however gingerly! and to view it as a piece of art from more than one direction – a quality that book arts share with sculpture, I guess. And perhaps there’s something about a thing having an outside and an inside: even my ‘bridge’ book comes concealed and had to be unwrapped and assembled in order to be ‘read’. There’s something there for me about text and covers too. Interestingly I find myself drawn to artists’ books with little or no text but find myself putting text in, sometimes obscurely, because that is part of my ‘model’ of what a book or book-object is. How conventional of me! But I like to subvert it too; although the shadow-writing aspect of my bridge book was an accidental aside rather than an intention from the start it makes me snigger quietly that there IS text and that there ARE covers for it, but that the text isn’t IN the book but written outside it!
JA How do you promote your work?
SB You never know who’s looking so it’s important to get it out there. Moving to a new country has given me the opportunity to make new networks. I like talking to people and putting them in touch with others. I work on the premise that people are happy to talk to you about themselves. They are also happy to be put in touch with new people that they can talk to about themselves. I don’t mean that in any negative way. My business experience is in creating structures that allow things to happen. I see networking as doing much the same.

JA Any advice for others who want to promote their work?
SB Just get out there and do it!
***


JA I don't think she means me though. I don't think she means I should get out there and do it. I don't think so. Not me. She wouldn't. Would she?

Two for Taking

In a recent post about my progress on my artist book I mentioned that I layered the lino prints over gocco prints. The gocco print I've titled Thoughts.

I've printed it alone onto these Moleskine Cahiers. The busy drawings in the Gocco print look fabulous printed in soft grey ink against the black covers. I printed each one with a different section of the screen so each one is unique.
And now it seems I just can't leave lino alone. I've been printing away with my new handpress. I originally made his particular lino block for another artist book. Naked, I also discovered, looks great on Moleskine covers.
I've only printed two of these and both of them I also used a different part of the block, so each one these is unique too. (I'll have to show you the other one another day.)
Both of these are available in my Etsy shop now.

Artist book emerging slowly

I've done the printing for my marquette for the artist book I'm working on. I am not sure about some aspects of the prints and will definitely do some more tests. But these ones will be good to sew into a book form, experimenting with how it might be.
I played around with ghost prints of the lino prints. I used my handpress again. I'm getting used to it. Actually, I don't need to press very hard at all, which is great, although I have actually bent one of the bars when I was thinking I needed to put some real effort into it. I didn't think it would be possible. I guess it shows just how powerful a lever can be. These prints also have some underprinting with Gocco.

And speaking of sewing it together - look what my very generous, supportive and talented man made for me! A sewing frame!
I've never used one, so this will be interesting. He used the plan of Keith Smiths in his books.
He made some slight alterations to Smiths plans and I think it will work very well... assuming I can work it that is.

Handpress Update

Once I had my studio in a decent state again I was quick to try out my new handpress.

I experimented with different papers, both soaked and not.
I printed some lino cuts I've been working on. I played around with different amounts of pressure.

I discovered that it works well, even creating some embossing and that I actually don't need to exert all my force on it at all. A simple press down on the lever (thanks to the glory of physics) creates equal pressure as pressing as hard as I can and hurting my hand, arm and shoulder (or no visible difference anyway).

I think it is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

EDITED 27th June
For those interested in my handpress - it has no brand on the press itself. It came with a single photocopied instruction sheet which also doesn't have a brand on it. The sheet does have an owl logo and 'ABIG' (I'm not sure, it might be 'A BIG') on the bottom but it is not clear if this is the manufacturer or the distributor. When I purchased it from Parkers I was told it was imported from Germany.

New Best Friend (I hope!)

I don't have the room (or the money) for a 'proper' printing press. That, however, did not stop me from wanting wanting wanting. I found this little beauty in Parkers art shop in The Rocks, Sydney a few months ago. It took me a few months to convince myself to actually go ahead and get it. No amount of Googling could reveal anyone else who has used a press like this. (I guess that is pretty obvious when you look at the low-tech beauty of it!)

So, last Friday I was having a particularly good day - my eldest daughters graduation from Sydney Uni (the mother in me means I must mention 'with 1st class honours'!) followed by a champagne and oyster celebration on the harbour next to the Opera House, then the lovely little walk up into The Rocks to find Parkers (always a sense of satisfaction when you get there, because sometimes I just plain don't find it and miss out on the experience!) OK, I was just a little merry, and I was planning to buy my little press, so I was happy. I guess it showed. I think the guys in Parkers quite enjoyed selling it to me. I know they are certainly looking forward to my other daughter's graduation next year with hope (and dollar signs) in their eyes!

I haven't had the chance to use it yet, but I will report how it goes. It uses the good old fashioned lever action to create the press suitable for relief printing. I plan to use it for linoprints, but will probably try a few collagraphs too. It prints up to A4 and with no moving parts etc. I plan to have it for a long time. And it fits perfectly in my little studio!

Only Good Things Happen to Me!

That's my newest affirmation. I've maintained an arms-length interest in affirmations over the years, oscillating between belief and flat-out disbelief. Lately I've come firmly back to the belief side of the spectrum. I think it all has to do with intention. So, how nice is this affirmation!?! Only good things happen to me.  I'm actively testing this one!!!
I've actually been away for a few days - only three really, but it feels like I've had a real break away.  I wanted to show how good life can be - and for me that means art supplies and stationery to the max!  I'm putting these photos on Flickr with notes to tell you exactly what I splurged on.
Bookbinding supplies (I'm working on my first editioned Artist's Book), printing supplies (for that book) and books books books!
And!!! we all went to see Rocky Horror Show!!! iOTA, who plays Frankinfurter is excellent! As are they all!  A must see, if you can.  Thanks to Caitlin and Paul who gave me my ticket for Christmas!
And I managed to get envelopes the EXACT silver as that in my Gocco printed cards.  So I've been able to finally package up my first bulk order and I'll deliver it tomorrow.  Now that's good too!  This is a bad photo.  These cards are IMPOSSIBLE to photograph!

It was a good three days away.  It's true.  Only good things happen to me.  I strongly suggest you try that affirmation yourself!

How about joining in?

I've seen the product of SketchCrawl days on others blogs. For the first time I've actually checked and found the date of the next one BEFORE IT HAPPENS. So, why not join in? I think I will. I'd love it if others from Coffs Harbour will join me, or even elsewhere in Australia. I have copied this from the SketchCrawl site: (I love the rules!)

The idea of SketchCrawl is that of a global drawing marathon: taking a day to journal and draw all that is around you.

How to participate to a World Wide SketchCrawl?

-Look around the forums and see if anyone in your area is getting together for the upcoming SketchCrawl (we set dates every 2 or 3 months).
-If not, put a call out to artists in your city or town.
-If no one responds to your call, you can still go out on the SketchCrawl day and draw away solo (you'll actually get more drawing done that way).
-Then be sure to come back to these forums after the SketchCrawl, share your sketches and experiences and peruse through drawings of fellow "crawlers" from all over the world.



In brief, these forums have those two goals:

1- Get artists together and organized for the upcoming Sketchcrawl.
2- Share artists' sketches and photos from all over the world after the SketchCrawl.
3- Create a community of friends passionate about drawing around the world.

There are no rules:
-Anyone can participate, be it to draw for 20 minutes or the full day .
-Any level of ability is welcome from veteran artists to first time sketchers.
-Any age! Try it with your kids!

From time to time we try and raise funds for a good cause. On those special SketchCrawl we ask this global drawing community to come together and give something back to the world.

- A key thing, help us spread the word!
If you are reading this, I am sure you have a number of friends that might be interested in this as much as you are. Tell them about SketchCrawl! Let's share this idea with the rest of the globe. No borders.

So, when is it happening? March 29th. Leave a comment if you want to join me, or email for that touch of privacy we all seem to love.

How to do just about anything

I've been gocco printing again - I love it! This time I finally got around to using all those crazy books I collect as inspiration. I seem to be going through a bit of a "when I was a little girl..." phase, but once you start down that road it is so much fun! So here I go again. When I was a little girl I was ALWAYS making something. I had a stash of 'How to' craft books (Santa knew what I loved) and I would pour over them for hours deciding what to make next. It was frequently a disappointment when the job was done. I mean clogs to keep your feet dry in wet weather - made out of cotton reels and fruit crate sides???
A fashionable modern flatlet for my paper dolls - well, I just might have been tempted to try this one. I loved my paper dolls and played with them for hours on end. I never actually made them a flatlet like this one. I used the markings on the persian rugs to delineate the rooms and houses in my games. I would have loved this if I had it!
Now, a 'yarn dog'? Yes, I would definitely have made this one. She is so cute! It seems Perry thinks so too. He is hoping his wool doggy might just be the thing to finally seal the approval of Gigi, my glamour girl I drew from yet another weird book, this time on 1950's movie stars. Will he? Won't he? Will she? Won't she?
And about Gocco printing - I'm learning a lot. This last print (Perry and Gigi) I actually used 3 B5 screens for. I also used Photoshop first to both make the dot screen colour areas, and to register the images BEFORE I flashed the screens. It made it a lot easier when the time came for actual printing.

But back to those 'How to' books, I can't leave them alone! So you will be seeing more weird (and probably NOT wonderful!) images inspired by them here from time to time. Anyone else obsessed with these old gems of craft wisdom?

p.s. These prints are all available in my Etsy shop The Little Shop of Horus.

A peek at my (untitled) Artists Book

In the course of my studies I had to make a printed artists book that included multi-plate prints and text. These images show just a little of my little book. The book looks at "image" and how others form an image of us by how we present our bodies. The brief book limits this exploration to tattooed, clothed and naked bodies. It utilised visual metaphors and dual-meaning words that bring the bodies closer to "book". The in-a-nutshell clique that may explain it all is "you can't judge a book by its cover"! If you would like to see more images of this book just click here.