A New Idea About Digitally Printed Alternative Surfaces

For a month I have been printing surfaces to be used in my Forest Book series.  The work for the series will push my idea and imagination on new alternative surfaces, the way these surfaces can be created and assembled.

For now I am working on studies to create large size books with the smallest page size of the smallest book to be 48"x 24". These Forest Books are based on my photography taken in the Waipoua Forest in Northern New Zealand and Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park.

I have finished 6 pages and have 3 more in pieces all over my studio. As I work through this idea, I will be posting images. My plan is to create a digital journal on what happens along the way, but that will evolve as this goes along. I will also be following up with details of the textures in the book on my KathyAnne White blog, where I post on texture.

This is the front of the first book with 6 pages. In the next few days, I will follow up this post with details of the pages.

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The Complete Guide to Digital Printing and Assembling Beverage Cans

My new ebook is now available on KathyAnne Art.  Members be sure to log in first to get your 20% discount.

Introduction-

"Whether you are doing this for fun or to create interesting artwork, beverage cans are an incredible surface for digital printing.  This ebook is your action guide to everything you need to know about creating a successful digital print on a recycled beverage can.  As an added benefit, you will be able to use the techniques you learn here on other lightweight metal surfaces.  From trial and error after preparing and printing over 4000 beverage cans my process has evolved to its current state. This ebook will assist anyone at any level to be able to successfully print their own cans.  


In 2009 I was awarded an Artists Project Grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts for my project “Expanding the Digital Print to Uncommon Surfaces.”   Since the grant period started in January 2009  I have been experimenting with and printing a multitude of substrates. One of my goals for the grant was to share what I had learned about the digital process on alternative or uncommon surfaces.  My beverage can process began with the search for interesting substrates to print and create how-to videos for youtube.  Through experimentation and research the list of my substrates continues to grow and beverage cans are one of the surfaces on which I developed tried and true techniques.   My continous search for alternative substrates still finds beverage cans as one of my favorite surfaces to print and assemble................"

To purchase this ebook download for $9.99:

New Ebook on Printing Beverage Cans Available Soon!

By the end of this month, my new ebook will be available from the KathyAnne Art Site.
This ebook will describe everything you wanted to know about creating a successful print on a recycled beverage can.  As an added benefit, you will be able to use the techniques for preparing and printing other light weight metal surfaces.  From trial and error for over a year and after preparing printing over 2000 beverage cans my process has evolved to it's current state and will assist anyone at any level to be able to successfully print their own cans.   Whether you are doing this for fun or to create interesting artwork, beverage cans are an incredible surface for digital printing.

From cans to assemblage, this ebook will have it all!

The Complete Guide to Printing then Assembling Recycled Beverage Cans

New inkAID Videos

The inkAID site has several of my videos running on their pages. This inspired me to do some specific videos on inkAID products since they are an integral part of my work. There are more videos coming soon, but you can visit my youtube channel from time to time to see what's new. Or you could subscribe and when I post new videos you will know.

One of the surfaces I showed in the video on metals is a new one for me.  I purchased a bunch of printers plates that are turquoise. The color is a factor in the decision for the image and the coatings used.   The differences in inkAID precoats is documented in the Metals and Metal Mesh video.  Here is an example on the prints on printers plates.  You can view the video on youtube to get the whole scoop.

Printing Alternative Surfaces using inkAID

Digital Printing Alternative Surfaces with inkAID: Skins and Overprints

Printing Alternative Surfaces using inkAID: Easy Start

Digital Printing Metals and Metal Mesh Using inkAID

For more videos on the digital printing process with inkAID precoats, workshop previews etc. see my youtube channel.

Photoshop Elements 9 is Here!

When Adobe brought out Photoshop Elements 9 recently they added content aware to the healing brush tool.  Content Aware is a valuable feature in Photoshop CS5.   (See my post about Content Aware Fill on Photoshop CS5 from July 20, 2010)

Content aware in Photoshop Elements 9 has been added to the spot healing brush as a default setting in the upper tool bar and works somewhat differently.  Let me show you some comparisons.

In the original photo above, I will remove the dark spots on the flower.  In Photoshop CS5 I circled all the dark spots on the flower with the lasso tool at the same time by holding the shift key to add the other small circles.  Using Edit

For the spot healing tool in Photoshop Elements 9 content aware is selected in the upper tool bar, but I had to use the brush over the spots one at a time, so they can't be done all at once.  Just takes a little more time, but the results are the same.

Now here is where it changes a bit from the 2 programs.

Starting here I want to remove the feet and the piece of garbage from the grate.  First I will show you what happened with content aware fill in Photoshop CS5

Now Photoshop Elements 9

You can see that the top part isn't too different, but the grate is not as good, so I tried again.

A little different results for this correction.

Now I want to show you something that I like to do with the Content Aware Fill. Instead of taking unwanted parts of the image out, I fill what could be called the background with the main part of the image.  This gives a different affect with the 2 programs.

 

 Original Image

I selected all the parts of the ground around the image and Photoshop CS5 filled it like this.

Then I did the same thing with the spot healing brush in Photoshop Elements and here it is.

You get a different interpretation of pixels.

In Photoshop CS5 you can easily select areas, my tools of choice are the lasso tool and the pen tool.
In Elements the tool is the spot healing brush and isn't quite as easy to make a selection when you want to change such as the one with the red flower.  I will be doing some tutorials on my Inside KathyAnne Art blog on this subject in the future, so check there from time to time.  

Quilts: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum

On October 5, 2010 the American Folk Art Museum will open "Quilts: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum."  My piece Reflection will be included in this exhibition.  Reflection was added to the museum's collection in December of 2003.  

A book with the same title as the exhibition will be available from the museum store in October of 2010.

"Quilts: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum" launches the Year of the Quilt, the museum's celebration of a glorious American art form and the creative contributions of three centuries of talented women.  Highlighting textile masterpieces in the collection, the exhibitions include recent gifts, bedcovers that have rarely been on view, and important cornerstones of the museum's comprehensive quilt holdings. Given the rarity of the fabrics used in most of the museum's historic quilts, the fine workmanship, and the quilts' well preserved condition, it is clear that they are examples of "best" bedcovers, saved for use on special occasions or when company visited.  During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when quilts no longer needed to be made for mere warmth, quiltmakers used the at form to express their creativity within the confines of popular decorating trends.  Most recently, contemporary fiber artists have taken the opportunity to transcend time and place, using the historical concept of a quilt as a starting point for their artistic, and often social and political, statements.

Elizabeth V. Warren, guest curator

Assembling Digital Prints on Recycled Printers Plates

The prints from last post have been altered. The back of the prints are painted with copper and black.  After painting the panels are cut in random leaf like shapes, hole punched and threaded through black 28 gauge wire.  The wire is crocheted with the pieces separated in the crochet stitches.  I crocheted a 2 foot by 4 foot piece of black and brown hemp and am layering that on top of a piece of hardware cloth.  The print pieces are going to be attached to the surface of hemp crochet along with a base of hardware cloth.

Before the pieces are attached I will frame the hardware cloth layer to give it stability.  I still don't know exactly how I will do this, but a trip to Home Depot tomorrow should help.  The section of hardware cloth must be able to stand alone and needs to be stabilized to accomplish this. When finished this piece will be one of several pages in a book that will have a cover 2 feet wide and 4 feet tall.  The giant size book is a study of pieces to come, so right now I will be solving some construction issues.  The actual covers for the book are plywood and the digital print assemblages to cover the wood are complete, but not attached.  As pieces are finished they will be posted here.

 Crochet hemp over hardware cloth

Digital prints on recycled printers plates, cut in random shapes

Detail of cut prints

Cut prints crocheted with wire on crocheted hemp and hardware cloth.

Digital Prints on Recycled Printers Plates

These digital prints are on recycled printers plates.  Since the plates are thin metal, the process for printing would be the same as most metals.  The images are from a tree in Hawaii and have each been changed slightly.  Each print has a layer of texture that has been created by using the photobucket tool and just laying the texture in to small chosen sections of the photograph.  

These prints are going to be cut into random leaf like shapes and then riveted together so only the image shows on both sides.  Then they will be added to wire and used on one of the sections of new work I am planning.  By the end of the week, I plan on posting the results.

ArtFest 2011 Workshops

Two of my favorite workshops will be offered at ArtFest 2011. Printing Alternative Surfaces will take place on April 7, 2011 and Layered 3D Collage will be on April 8, 2011.  I have listed the class descriptions, pictures and cursory youtube videos about the workshops.  Hope you will join me there, this will be great!!!  Oh and if  you plan to come for the Layered 3D Collage- please note my supply lists, as of today, the supplies on the ArtFest site are not for my workshop.  They were mixed up with another class and hopefully will be changed on the ArtFest Site soon.

Printing Alternative Surfaces

The content of this workshop will enlighten you on absolutely everything you need to know

about digital printing on alternative surfaces. We will not print on regular photograph paper.

Each student will have a kit of surfaces that have been prepared for printing on a small 4” x 6”

format printer. These surfaces will include lutradur, organdy, pimatex cotton, metal and hand

made cheese cloth skin, specialty paper.

Printing Alternative Surfaces is a process class, which includes a handout containing complete

instructions on types of pre-coats, pre-coating surfaces, carrier sheets, printer profiles, printing

on uncommon surfaces and creating surfaces by hand.

Each student will purchase a kit of surfaces (see supplies for contents of kit) that have been

prepared for printing. You will attach those surfaces and print them on a small 4” x 6” format

printer. These surfaces will include lutradur, organdy, pimatex cotton, metal, hand made

cheese cloth skins, specialty paper, and watercolor paper. You can use my images or bring

your own.

Since there will be time taken up by students printing, while others wait, we will also look at

using printed surfaces in collage. Your kit will also contain watercolor paper for this purpose.

We will experiment and play with this part, but who knows you could create a great collage!

I will pass on whatever I know that will make your journey easy, fun and inspiring. 

Layered 3D Collage

Want to add excitement to your projects.?  Go 3D in a good way.  This works for everything, collage, mixed media, journals, art books and whatever else you may be creating.  We will create small compositions to experiment with exercises to push your creative techniques, then we will add them to larger compositions.

This workshop is largely a process class, but you will end up with interesting elements to use in future work and have the opportunity to create an end result with exercises developed.

Designed to produce extremely interesting 3D elements, we will manipulate fabric, paper and other items.  During the workshop we will experiment with some, if not all of the following materials: found objects, metals, twigs, hemp, canvas, paint, thread, recycled items, metal mesh and wire.

 We will look at uncommon ways to use surfaces and items in a 3D and layered way, with exercises that stretch beyond where we have been before..  Each participant will bring their special style to the elements created.  Students are encouraged to develop their own interpretation with the ideas presented.

Depending on how fast you work, will depend on how far you can go, but you will open a world of discovery and stretch as your imagination leads you through the exercises.   There will be food for thought and plenty to try later on your own. 

Supplies

Remember we will be in the classroom only one day,  so don’t over bring things.

General art supplies such as: scissors, gel medium or glue (for tougher glue jobs, I like using gel medium, but you decide what you would like to use).  A few small pieces of sturdy paper or fabric around 6” to 10 “,  you can use as a base for elements. 

You will receive instructions for the exercises, that sometimes include items I give each student.  You will need to bring a small assortment of other like materials like, pieces cut off of old artwork, pieces of clothing,  buttons, yarn, ribbon, recycled things, scraps of anything to combine with your creations, found objects, beads, items to stack or build onto, whatever you think you want to create with.   No worries, I will also have a large stash of all sorts of items for you to use, so don’t bring a lot.

One package of 24 to 33 gauge wire.  Craft wire is fine.  The larger the gauge, the thinner the wire. 

Embroidery thread (6 strand) with needles to use with the thread.  

Printing Alternative Surfaces on youtube

Layered 3D Collage on youtube

Encaustic and Digitals

I've been wanting to learn about encaustics and how that process may be incorporated with my digital prints. While I was teaching at Art Unraveled recently, I was able to take an Encaustic workshop from Patricia Seggebruch. She's great and if you want to check out her book, it's called "Encaustic Workshop."

Working with this method was truly interesting along with challenging. Developing work while using the encaustic technique opens endless possibilities in journaling and collage along with some limitations. Here are some of my results from that workshop.




Digital on melted tyvek, dyed burlap, metal screen, encaustic



Dyed cheesecloth and burlap, print on heat distressed lutradur, print on paper, twigs, copper wire



Crocheted waxed linen, crocheted hemp, printed tyvek, crocheted wire, encaustic



Dyed cheesecloth, dyed burlap, metal screen, twigs, printed paper, copper wire, encaustic

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