Diffusion IV

look for my work this Spring in the fourth edition of Diffusion Magazine

"Diffusion is an independent, reader-supported annual that highlights and celebrates unconventional photographic processes and photo related artwork. Diffusion strives to spotlight artists pushing the boundaries of traditional photographic processes as well as introducing new and innovative voices through articles, interviews, and image galleries.

Described as ‘a wonderful bundle of inspiration,’ Diffusion is supported by an audience of photographers, gallery directors, educators and art enthusiasts worldwide."

(quoted from - http://onetwelvepublishing.com/wordpress/about/)

MPLS Photo Center

"Black & White: The Absence of Color"
March 9 - April 22
http://www.mplsphotocenter.com/exhibits/juror_results.php
Opening reception March 9th, 7-10pm





http://www.mplsphotocenter.com/exhibits/exhibits-information.php

photogravure titled "Campsite Quanta"
This is the black & white version
(bone black with a little bit of thalo red mixed in)
There are 10 in this edition and
and edition of 10 in sepia

here is a link to the Flickr stream from the opening reception
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50918001@N05/6836080758/in/set-72157629584141669/

ARTSPACE GALLERY and Poconoarts

"Altered State?"
photography show
opening reception Saturday, January 14
at ARTSPACE Gallery
of Pocono Arts Council

Both of these photogravures of mine will be there. If you are in PA, stop by the show and see them in person (much better looking live than just on the internet)

"Camp 118.6"

"Campsite Quanta"

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update January 15, 2012
I am very proud to announce that "Campsite Quanta" received the Juror's Choice award in this show.

Here are some links to press about the show:

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120126/LIVING/201260324/-1/NEWS16

http://www.strausnews.com/articles/2012/01/28/pennsylvania/arts_and_entertainment/4.txt

http://forwardianartssociety.blogspot.com/2012/01/artspace-in-altered-state.html

http://www.poconoarts.org/__PApages/__alteredstates.htm

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120113/LOCALENT/201130332/-1/rss15

http://www.poconoarts.org/__PApages/__images/newsletter/2012_01_newsletter.pdf

Grand Canyon photogravures (sepia)

Gallery 270 currently has the portfolio, of artist's proofs for these prints, to show to collectors. Contact them to see the work in person (much more detail and an incredible impression in real life)





"Havasu"






"Winter Canyon"






"Campsite Quanta"






"Matkatamiba"






"New Years Day 2011"







"Camp 118.6"



This edition of 10 prints with sepia ink was made on Rives BFK Off White 100% cotton paper.
There is another addition of 10 prints with Thalo Black ink that was printed on Rives BFK White 100% cotton paper.
1 artist's proof and 1 printer's proof for each addition.


http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/10/keep-on-paddling.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2011/04/kolb-photo-studio-south-rim-of-grand.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2011/02/grand-canyon-sketchbook-slide-show.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-to-make-plate-with-photopolymer-for.html

On Top Of The White Whale

I've been working on this one since last Spring and finally have this difficult image balanced the way I like it.
The challenge has been to keep some tone in the sky and snow without just dropping the contrast.
If this was a single shot in which all elements were static I could use a modern version of an HDR image.
Since it is a panoramic, made while the figure was moving (and some wind was threatening to move the rest of the environment), I had to go old-school HDR by doing some subtle burning and dodging as well as a bit of contrast adjustment.
The Grayscale Gradient Test was an integral part of it too, since it is teaching me the limits of the KM73 polymergravure plates.

the Nature Building at summer camp

7" x 10" photo polymergravure plate

grayscale test for photo polymer gravure

Here is a grayscale from 100% - 0% black on top, and a grayscale from 80% - 20% black on the bottom.


Below are two proofs from a KM73 plate using the above image on a transparency for exposure.
Each proof is wiped slightly different.






It gives me a good idea of where the values and information drop out completely, and how smooth a transition can be achieved. Using this twin scale, I have to figure out how to eliminate the white spots. There are two types. One set in which it seems that the black area washes out. I don't know if it's residual moisture left in the transparency or if there is some other gas that is not escaping. The individually scattered white dots are a bit of a mystery to me. I'll have to re-read Jon Lybrook's page on photo polymergravure again.

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The image below is a curve test for the transparency: no adjustment to the image in the top-left spot; the 80/20 adjustment I've been using in the top-right spot, and some variations in the lower two spots.
I'm still a fan of the 80/20 curve, but it looks like the 85/15 curve would be useful for adding some contrast to very flat image that would be a bit different than just adding it in Photoshop.



same plate. the only difference is the ink wiping strategy. It's more of a feel thing. I do this to see how I'll edition an image.



This is the file I used to make the transparency/positive for the plate above.



I used a simple 80/20 curve applied over the entire image to see if I could predict what the plate would do.
This is the result.
I'm surprised by the amount of information left in the top left image. That would tell me that the dropout is somewhat higher than 80% black, therefore I can pay attention to the shadows a bit more and see what details don't have to be sacrificed.

Keep Paddling (the river keeps moving)

working through frustration, to emerge on the other side...

The photopolymer graveur process has become frustrating. I don't know whether I've become more demanding, with a more finely tuned eye for detail, or I'm just hitting some sort of sophomore jinx with a new process. Perhaps some things are not working right this week. I'm encouraged by some of things I've learned while making mistakes, but frustrated that the final result is not right. The photopolymer graveur process is still new to me, but screen printing is not. I've made three attempts at one image with a screen today, with poor results.

I have three options.
1. Should I give up completely?
2. Should I take a long break and come back to the problems later?
3. Should I keep pushing forward, finding a way to turn anger and frustration into determintation?

I am a fan of option #3. It is one that I naturally follow, and a belief that my experience on whitewater (and other outdoor activities) has reinforced. The river will not stop moving. I will make mistakes along the way, but I need to forget them immediately after they happen and keep moving forward.



I'm inspired by some of the students in my studio classes. Their frustrated learning curve is palpable, particularly when I hear them let out a big sigh, drop their shoulders, and look away from their drawing. What has encouraged me so much, lately, is the frequency with which the return to their work, trusting the process of looking/drawing/looking/drawing/etc. Their faith in the process, and belief that they will make progress, moves me forward in my own work, and give me faith that I, too, will make progress.

Beginners mind...
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update (Oct. 15)

made some progress with the photo gravure



solved the contact problem, mostly...
I admit that I was not as clean as I should have been, so the three pieces of dust tented the transparency enough to lighten up the right side, BUT everything else is looking pretty good, so at least the work flow is good now.

downside is that I still can't make a screen for anything....
I've done so many of these that I can't figure out what I am doing wrong.
It will wait for the weekend. I need a break for now.

_________________________________________________________________________

update #3:
I have not liked the overall image, and did not trust how much information would be lost with the gravure process, so I decided to do alot of burning and dodging in photoshop. This was all done while clicking the preview filter on and off to predict results.
After a while I decided, since nothing was working perfectly and this was becoming an experimental piece anyway, to push the burn and dodge to extremes, betting on anything above 80% and below 20% blowing out to pure black or white.


My guesses were about half correct. I pushed it a bit too far, and the image is awkward. But, the extreme example is a good way to learn, and I will keep this one for future reference.
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update #4:
This is a good image. Adjustments in Photoshop improved the image. I am learning how the preview curve actually relates to the final product. The transparency/positive was good. The only problem with this plate was a lack of good contact in the lower right corner. I'll clean the glass on the exposure unit and the print frame before plate #5.


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update #5:
This is the final image.
Contact with the frame was good.
I dried the transparency with a hair dryer to make sure it did not contain any moisture.
I had taken the advice of a friend and sprayed the back of my positive/transparency with matte medium to eliminate Newton's Rings. The same person discovered why baby powder was useful in this process. Brush it on the plate, then brush it off. The super thin residual film of talc will create just enough space for gas and water vapor to escape during exposure. Talc is fine enough to not act like dust and create exposure issues. I imagine that using baby powder would make my results even more predictable.



I will edition this plate.
The next step is to figure out which tone paper, and what color ink I will use for the edition.
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Here are the plates in order, for easier comparison.











http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/06/photopolymer-graveur-curves-preview-in.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/04/solarplate-etching.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/04/photo-polymer-gravure.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/05/plate-decisions-and-editioning.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/05/photopolymer-aquatint-grayscale-test.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/05/variety-in-three-editions.html

http://artandwater.blogspot.com/2010/05/better-look.html

Exposure choices and adjustments for Gravure printing (photo sensitive polymer)

I'm exploring exposure options, and can see the merits of multiple versions, but I might be too close to the process right now to make a judgement on the final image. So, which one do you prefer? Why?


1



2



3



4



5

Aquatint Test on Polymer Photo Intaglio plates

Wanting to see the difference between thin plates (from Takach Press the KM Photopolymer plate is .017" thick) and medium thickness plates (from Boxcar Press the KM 73 Photopolymer plate is .030" thick ), thinking that the thicker plates might have a more forgiving and fuller grayscale range.
Also wanted to see how much darker a shorter exposure would be.
Here are all the images in order of printing. (number and info is below each image)


image #3 from KM photopolymer plate from Takach Press
10' stocastic screen aquatint exposure and 10' image exposure



image #5 from KM photopolymer plate from Takach Press
10' stocastic screen aquatint exposure and 8' image exposure



image #7 from KM photopolymer plate from Takach Press
10' stocastic screen aquatint exposure and 6' image exposure



image #9 from KM73 photopolymer plate from Boxcar Press
10' stocastic screen aquatint exposure and 10' image exposure



image #11 from KM73 photopolymer plate from Boxcar Press
10' stocastic screen aquatint exposure and 8' image exposure




image #13 from KM73 photopolymer plate from Boxcar Press
10' stocastic screen aquatint exposure and 6' image exposure




image #15 from KM73 photopolymer plate from Boxcar Press
10' stocastic screen aquatint exposure and 5' image exposure

Solarplate Etching

technically, the plates I used are KM photopolymer plates
http://www.takachpress.com/access/tyobo.htm
the solarplate brand is also available from Takach Press
I'll have to try those as well



Encouraged by good results on Monday night, I went back to the exposure unit and made four plates.
The top one is inked with Charbonnel Etching Concentrated Blue. The range in the plate is good. I think I will change the color since this is the first plate to be printed, and with be the background. (probably some kind of green) I also will experiment with a couple of different off-white and ochre papers.



I decided to test the rest of the plates with black, to make sure I would get the saturation I wanted in a color plate. Testing with black ink on white paper makes judging value very easy. And, if the color is not working out later, at least I know its an ink problem and not a plate problem.
This one will be some kind of lighter blue, and fairly transparent.



This is the main image. It will remain black. No matter how subtle I can get the aquatint, I still have a preference for some kind of strong-handed graphic-looking image in the picture.
Technically, this is still an aquatint style plate. That just allows any width line that I want. I am pleasantly surprised by the variety of line I can get, from super delicate, almost disappearing, to very bold.



This last plate is going to be the top layer of ink. It will be a transparent white. (the black part will be white, so you have to image this image in reverse)
Since everything underneath will be a dark or middle value, (and the paper is not white) I'm curious how transparent the white will have to be. Much of the underlying image may already show through with very little transparent base mixed into the white.

Photo Polymer Gravure

I've been looking to try this process for a couple of years and tonight a few of us got the process to a semi-predictable work flow with the equipment available at school.

Here is a nice quick blog post from someone else discovering this technique
http://suzannerevy.blogspot.com/2009/01/photo-polymer-gravure.html

I'm excited to do more and will post the results when I have an image beyond the first few test images we made tonight.