Midnight at the Sparkle Ball V.E. 3/4 is part of my collection of reduction prints titledCome December.
From first blush of idea to the final pull off the press, these series of 4 reduction linoleum prints and 1 artist proof took me 6 months to create.
Midnight at the Sparkle Ball reflects a December late night in a neighborhood in Fullerton, CA, affectionately known as Sparkle Ball Lane. This neighborhood puts up fabulous holiday decorations and sparkling lights in the towering Jacaranda trees that line the streets. Folks travel from all over Orange County to visit this neighborhood, and it is a wonderful time to people watch and soak in all the beauty and strangeness of the season.
What is a Reduction Linoleum Print?
I begin with a sheet of battleship gray linoleum. Artist grade linoleum is made from linseed oil, wood flour, rosin, limestone and the jute (hessian) that forms the backing, and has been used by printmaking artists for over 100 years.
I draw the outline of the image I want to create directly onto the linoleum. I then carve away everything on the linoleum that should remain white (paper color). Then I ink the block the first ink color. In this case, it was pale yellow. I then print that pale yellow color onto a sheet of BFK Rives paper. I do this by placing the inked-up linoleum onto the press bed, placing the sheet of paper on top of the linoleum, and running this through the press. The drum of the press applies pressure to the paper as the work travels under the drum. Once free of the drum, I pull the paper off the linoleum sheet. That is one layer done on one sheet! I then replicate the process for all the sheets I want to print with that first color. I did 4 in total. I then carve away everything on the linoleum that I want to remain light yellow. I then ink up the plate with the 2nd color (light pink) and repeat the entire process. I repeat this for process for each color in the print.
This process is done entirely by hand, creating a work of art made by human hands.
How long does each layer take to dry? The first layers will dry within a few days, but once several layers of ink are on the paper, the drying time begins to increase. Around layer 6, it can take almost a week to dry. Each layer must be fully dry before the next layer can go on.
Why does it take so long to dry?I use oil-based inks, which do not dry as quickly as water-based inks. Oil-based inks create beautifully rich colors that last lifetimes, just like oil paints do. And just like oil paints, oil-based inks dry slowly - the more layers, the slower the drying time. These inks dry through a mixture of evaporation and oxidation.
What makes this a V.E. (Variable Edition) instead of a regular edition?The Midnight at the Sparkle Ball prints vary in the color of the inks I use for particular elements. I love to experiment with color and am interested in how colors impact the symbolism, mood or "vibe' of a work. Variable Editions lets me explore this curiosity while retaining the overall composition of the work.
In this particular print, the sky is purple and the girl on the sidewalk is pink, while one of the figures on the road is blue. These elements, along with others, change from print to print in theMidnight at the Sparkle Ball edition of 4.
* the price listed is for theunframed, original work of art
Midnight at the Sparkle Ball V.E. 3/4 is part of my collection of reduction prints titled Come December.
From first blush of idea to the final pull off the press, these series of 4 reduction linoleum prints and 1 artist proof took me 6 months to create.
Midnight at the Sparkle Ball reflects a December late night in a neighborhood in Fullerton, CA, affectionately known as Sparkle Ball Lane. This neighborhood puts up fabulous holiday decorations and sparkling lights in the towering Jacaranda trees that line the streets. Folks travel from all over Orange County to visit this neighborhood, and it is a wonderful time to people watch and soak in all the beauty and strangeness of the season.
What is a Reduction Linoleum Print?
I begin with a sheet of battleship gray linoleum. Artist grade linoleum is made from linseed oil, wood flour, rosin, limestone and the jute (hessian) that forms the backing, and has been used by printmaking artists for over 100 years.
I draw the outline of the image I want to create directly onto the linoleum. I then carve away everything on the linoleum that should remain white (paper color). Then I ink the block the first ink color. In this case, it was pale yellow. I then print that pale yellow color onto a sheet of BFK Rives paper. I do this by placing the inked-up linoleum onto the press bed, placing the sheet of paper on top of the linoleum, and running this through the press. The drum of the press applies pressure to the paper as the work travels under the drum. Once free of the drum, I pull the paper off the linoleum sheet. That is one layer done on one sheet! I then replicate the process for all the sheets I want to print with that first color. I did 4 in total. I then carve away everything on the linoleum that I want to remain light yellow. I then ink up the plate with the 2nd color (light pink) and repeat the entire process. I repeat this for process for each color in the print.
This process is done entirely by hand, creating a work of art made by human hands.
How long does each layer take to dry? The first layers will dry within a few days, but once several layers of ink are on the paper, the drying time begins to increase. Around layer 6, it can take almost a week to dry. Each layer must be fully dry before the next layer can go on.
Why does it take so long to dry? I use oil-based inks, which do not dry as quickly as water-based inks. Oil-based inks create beautifully rich colors that last lifetimes, just like oil paints do. And just like oil paints, oil-based inks dry slowly - the more layers, the slower the drying time. These inks dry through a mixture of evaporation and oxidation.
What makes this a V.E. (Variable Edition) instead of a regular edition? The Midnight at the Sparkle Ball prints vary in the color of the inks I use for particular elements. I love to experiment with color and am interested in how colors impact the symbolism, mood or "vibe' of a work. Variable Editions lets me explore this curiosity while retaining the overall composition of the work.
In this particular print, the sky is purple and the girl on the sidewalk is pink, while one of the figures on the road is blue. These elements, along with others, change from print to print in the Midnight at the Sparkle Ball edition of 4.
* the price listed is for the unframed, original work of art