From Sketchbook to Print

Most of my fine art projects feel so organic in process that it's hard to track them from the first idea, through the middle steps, and to the finish. Recently, I completed my first limited edition screenprinting project for Farmhouse Lab’s Local Holidays and it was interesting to look back and review the many points of discovery, connection, failure and delight in a project that started with an idea and six weeks later resulted in a final product.

Design:
I spent way too long working on a design by looking back through sketchbooks and testing out designs in Photoshop, only to land on the simplest motif using a modest carved stamp that's been in my collection for several years. But once I decided on the design, despite its simplicity, I knew it's what I wanted for the print. The organic motif has shown up in some of my favorite works and is now cracking from overuse. It seems easy enough to replicate, but the subtle quirks of the shape would be different if I tried to carve another one. Printing it in repeat reminded me of the landscapes of the Bay Area, the mountains and water views we see from so many perspectives and using two colors to make a third was an added detail that finalized the design for the Mountains + Water Tote.

Research:
I have to admit, I love research, not only the process of searching for the best item, but the learning I do along the way. In researching eco-friendly, organic tote bags, I delved into textile manufacturing, eco-friendly inks, natural plant dyes, local printers, and the sustainability of tote bags. I probably spent too much time on research, but I enjoyed it and much of what I learned will feed into future thinking and projects.

Testing, Testing:
Testing the design, inks and fabric was definitely the most frustrating and tedious part of the process. It's inevitable that things need to be modified or changed, but at this point, I was ready to get printing! Not so fast. I needed to finalize the screens and have them made. I needed to figure out the right color combination and opacity to turn two colors into three, and ultimately, I needed to revise my design because printing on a post-production bag presents many challenges.

Production:
With much of the hard work behind me, I was ready to print. Of course, there were hiccups. I misprinted a few too many bags figuring out registration, ink viscosity and printing pressure. Each bag received two passes on each side, so it took four days to print the batch. While screenprinting can provide a uniform look across the edition, I confirmed my love of variation when I started to use the screen more like a carved block, allowing for texture and variation in each print. Production is a lot of work, but it's also very satisfying when you see the finished products stacking up. But, there was a final step before the bags were ready. The ink needed to dry and then be heat set. Professional printers use flash dryers to do this easily; I had an iron. 50 totes + 2 sides + 3 minutes per side = 5 hours of ironing. Let's just say, I listened to a few podcasts as I moved the hot iron back and forth.

Here are a few I can recommend:
Good Life Project: Jerry Saltz, How Art Changes Us (and is changed by us)
Modern Art Notes, 557: Meghann Riepenhoff, Niki de Saint Phalle
We Can Do Hard Things: No More Grind: How to Finally Rest with Tricia Hersey
We Can Do Hard Things: Melissa McCarthy: Sex, Nuns and Ghosts

Reflection:
There’s nothing like doing something for the first time. At each step in the process, I was aware of how much I didn’t know and needed to figure out through trial and error. I learned what I liked most (the designing) and what I liked least (perhaps no surprise, the ironing). I know now what I might do differently, like get some help with the printing and find a flash dryer for curing the inks! And I liked how this kind of project, with its more defined steps, was a different rhythm from working on my original prints and collages. Who knows, there may be more limited edition printing projects to come.