This week I print portraits of my grandchildren.

This week, I had the greatest fun rediscovering printing in the printing studio.

 I finally used some of those leaves I have been collecting and pressing and used them for monographs.

 

Some of the leaf prints will be further embellished with colour:

 

 

I also experimented with some more abstract prints.  These used string, surgical gauze and cut-outs.

 

 

In addition, I  did a bit of printing by drawing onto crushed up foil that had been coated on one side with printing ink.  These is a portrait of my granddaughter using this method onto a pre-prepared sheet of watercolour paper, with highlights added with conte.

 

 

 

I  tried the method described in a previous blog, rubbing the back of a photocopy of a drawing with eucalyptus oil to transfer an image.  This time, I transferred them onto sheets of paper pre-treated with acrylic paints or ink.

 

 

 

Then, I got adventurous, first using the eucalyptus method and later adding a monograph using the foil method.  I used watercolour pencils to add highights. These are all portraits of my grandchildren and an adopted niece:

 

 

 

I've really enjoyed these methods of portraitmaking and intend to do more later.  Such good fun.

 

And, I have been knitting madly with my lovely Noro yarn.  If I had realised how much knitting this shrug involved, I don't think I would have started, but I am finding the process quite relaxing now I am into it.