Fleur Ward – Print fellow blog

I’ve been gradually getting back into the swing of things with my printmaking practice during these first few months at WYPW. It’s been great to work with Kate and Bach and get to grips with some new processes including, solar plate, photo litho & aquatint. But it’s also been fun to approach screen printing in a fresh way.

I’ve found using the method of mono screen printing positively challenging. Using this method to create portraits with a painterly effect is helping me to see the process in a new way. I’m looking forward to developing this method further in the new year and possibly combining it with photo-emulsion screen stencils. I’ve also been challenging myself technically by working with different printmaking inks. Mixing and printing with my own glow in the dark ink has been especially fun. But, my favorite thing to work with has been copper leaf. Printing with metal leaf size is definitely a challenge, but the results are really great to work with as the basis for a print. I was really pleased with the series of hand prints I produced using this method. I’d love to print these on a much larger scale if I had the chance. I think seeing the mix of fine halftones and shifting copper in finer detail would look amazing and I’d relish the challenge from a technical standpoint too. I can’t wait to continue developing my practice in the new year, and working alongside the staff and members at WYPW.