Art, Poetry and Life

Carol: Glad you visited.

Linda: Thanks. I'm still gleaning each time I see photos from different countries of the art and culture.

Allan: I loved learning about this but since I don't have a press, will try the old fashioned way of rubbing the back of the paper with a wooden spoon.

dW: I really enjoyed the results I got. Not sure if I even tried to think backwards. I have enough trouble thinking forwards so just drew or painted what I liked on the plate. The result was always a surprise.

As to the epinephrine, I just try to keep a Benadryl in my purse. I don't have a severe allergy but the time I got stung, it swelled up the size of a softball. The bee flew up my pant leg and stung me on the thigh. Those darn bell bottom pants!

Deb: My instructor kept telling us to think in reverse and I couldn't. He was pleased with my results nevertheless except that he felt they were too small.

Didn't know that about your name and it's meaning. A while back, I looked up the meaning of mine but have forgotten what it was.

Carol: You're welcome.

Angeliki, Star and Andy: Thank you.


I was also going to put in some info on the symbolism of bees in art but there was so much info I'll have to save it for another post. It's really very interesting.

Originally posted by Dacotah:

Looking forward to your continued post.

It probably won't be the next one because I tend to put art posts in between others.

Originally posted by L2D2:

Bee along with fleur de lis was one of Napoleon's symbols

Interesting. I'll have to include this in my symbolism post later.

Originally posted by derWandersmann:

Bees are a symbol of industry

This I knew but did not know the Mormons use the beehive.

Originally posted by Shaunak:

Beautiful prints.

Thank you Shaunak.

Originally posted by gdare:

you put a dead bee in scanner and then just worked on it in Photoshop

After scanning it in I thought it looked like fly on the wall.

Originally posted by Phantom2:

I always wondered exactly what a mono-print involved as far as it's production. Interesting process.

P2, I really love the process and the results. I found I liked the more expressionistic style better than the more detailed ones.

Originally posted by claudeb:

raytraced 3d images can be easily blended with (scans of) hand paintings

Claude, I love mixed media and wish I remembered how do to some of the things I learned in the required computer class. It was in Photoshop and I do not have that on my pc.

Thanks for that info dW.

Well, I don't have Photoshop but have Corel Paint Shop Pro X. It has a tutorial, however, right now I do not have the motivation to start it. If and when I do, I will certainly PM you for help.

Claude: I'm going to have a look at GIMP.

Originally posted by edwardpiercy:

The first one looks amazing, like you put a dead bee on a xerox machine and copied it.

That's what Darko said.

Since I've wanted to be a fly on the wall at times, that top one is called "Bee on the Wall"

Originally posted by BabyJay99:

bees

Yup, and I've been busy as a bee lately.

Originally posted by Suntana:

why not paint on the cloth to begin with instead of painting on the plate and running it through the press? What's the advantage? Is there a certain LOOK / effect

For me, it is the look and the fact you only get one good print and the possibility of two ghost prints to work on. Painting on the cloth or paper would be a painting not a mono print.

As for thinking in reverse, some artists want a specific image turned a certain way so they draw opposite what they want. Text for sure would have to be written in reverse. I never put text in nor did I care which direction my image was.

Wiki explains monoprints a little better:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoprints

Originally posted by Suntana:

Is that background the actual water color paper on which it is printed. The bee almost looks superimposed on that background.

Yes, that's the actual watercolor paper with the printed image of the bee.

Since the paper has to be soaked in a pan of water first, then blotted before placing on the plate, watercolor paper has a tendency to warp slightly when drying. Actual print paper does not do this, or very little. When I scanned in the piece, all those shadows are where the paper had areas of warping in it. Sort of like bubbling in a way. But you do not see those shadows on the actual print.

Oh, and for making some of the details, I used a toothpick to scratch certain areas and a very small brush.

On the other prints where the background is black, I roll black printer's ink or brush on black paint onto the plate, then using different tools (q-tip, toothpick, dry brush etc.), wipe out my image.

I was going to say something else now totally forgot.

Thank you Lois.

Bob Ross....bless his heart. I don't seem to remember him using toothpicks. I must have missed a those episodes.

I hadn't looked for any hidden images in these but I saw the birds as soon as you mentioned them.

Also, I've never noticed if I found something easier to draw depending on which direction it faced. The teacher usually tells the model what pose to do and, for me, I like a 3/4 view. Never thought if it was easier or not, I just like it. But it never really mattered what direction because I'd gotten to the point I could draw anything.

When standing in front of a white canvas or a white piece of paper, I have found if I think too much, I end up not painting or drawing at all. I HAVE to zone myself out and away from the surroundings. Weird, I know, but I did it all the time. Sort of self hypnosis, if you will.

Thank you very much Rocio. It's so nice to see you.

Yes, just playing around. Eventually, I will attempt the other things Opera has now provided instructions for. I like the colors in this one so may keep it for a while.

Then it's a keeper then.