PRINTS & PAINTINGS

by Tracy Myers





Some of my work is available for sale through our Etsy shop :

NavigationArtShop



At the foot of this page you will find some simple explanations for some of the terms used to describe my working processes.

Drawing was my first love. It is the foundation of all my work. I like to mix media, such as pastel over watercolour, for the variety of textures. In my hand-made prints, I choose to work with collagraph plates, often combined with drypoint. Because the print matrix for both of these methods wears down fairly quickly, I am able to produce only small editions of no more than 25. Increasingly, though, I work on monoprints, which allows me to create unique versions of each image.

I take inspiration from anything that I find beautiful, unusual and visually striking. Much of my work is inspired by the amazing places Krys and I have visited around the world - especially Antarctica and Iceland. Another source of inspiration has been the zoos of Norfolk, which try to create as natural environment as possible for the animals they house. The variety and charm of the animals captivate me and I am currently producing work based on my visits to them.
 
Abandoned Vats - Blue Whale approaching

2-plate collagraph print

These huge containers sit empty and rusting away at the former whaling station of Grytviken on South Georgia. Abandoned in the 1960’s, the station is now preserved as a museum, showing the grim reality of the lives and trade of the whalers. The writing on the huge whale-oil drums is from an audit of the contents. I imagined the spirits of the whales reclaiming their last resting place, just as nature is reclaiming the whole station.
Flotilla

Collage of single-plate collagraphs, printed on hand-made paper

I bought this beautiful marbled paper a while ago and kept it for the right project. It has wonderful swirls of silver which made me think of long tendrils of seaweed or the invisible currents of the open sea.

Part of a series of monoprints
Fiery Gadus

Collagraph monoprint - single-plate print on hand-made paper, with sections cut out and with cut and applied papers

Part of a series of monotypes.
Swimming in a Patchwork Sea

Collagraph, with chine collee and collaged print sections

One of my first collagaph plates was a based on scallop shells and pebbles and inked with pastel shades. I did not feel it worked well as a finished piece, but as a tiled background for this cod it came into its own.

Part of a series of monoprints
Diana at the Fountain

Photopolymer etching with collagraph. - 2-plate print: collagraph, overprinted with photopolymer etching

Part of the beautiful Archibald Fountain in Hyde Park, Sydney, Australia.
Charleston I

Photopolymer etching - single-plate print, inked “á la poupée”

A quiet corner of the lovely garden at Charleston farmhouse in Sussex, showing a statue shaded by an old apple tree.
Garnish Pool I

Photopolymer etching with collagraph - 2-plate print: collagraph, overprinted with photopolymer etching

A statue of Mercury stands in a pond in the gardens of Ilnacullin (Garnish Island), Co Kerry, Eire, on an unusually still day.
Mercury at the Pool

Photopolymer etching with collagraph - 2-plate print: collagraph, overprinted with photopolymer etching

A statue of Mercury stands amidst the waterlilies in the gardens of Ilnacullin (Garnish Island), Co Kerry, Eire, on an unusually still day.
 
Making Waves

Collagraph, over printed with drypoint and stencil

The end of the season and this puffin is losing his brighter colours before heading out to spend winter on the sea.
Sunset Flight

Collagraph, over printed with drypoint and lino

One of the most majestic birds to see in flight, the ridiculously elegant heron.
There, in the grass

Collagraph, over printed with drypoint and lino

Lapwings are amongst my favourite birds. That tufty headgear is very engaging.

Juvenile Barn Owl

Collagraph - 3-plate print monoprint

Grooming his downy feathers, this juvenile is not far off being ready to fend for himself.
 
Felbrigg Victory V

Drypoint monoprint - single-plate print, inked “á la poupée”

Situated on the Felbrigg Estate in Norfolk, this avenue of trees was planted in a v-shape in 1946, to mark the end of World War II by the estate’s last owner, Robert Ketton-Cremer. It looks beautiful in the winter, with snow on the ground.
In the bleak midwinter

Drypoint monoprint - single plate, inked “á la poupée”

A lone tree, a snowy field and a flurry of snow - this image just sums up Christina Rossetti’s atmospheric poem.
Great Mosque, Kairouan

Monoprint: 2-plate print: collagraph, overprinted with photopolymer etching

Strong light reaches into the deep recesses of this beautiful mosque in Tunisia. It is notable for how the creators of the mosque re-used Roman stone pillars in their building.
Egyptian Duck, Hickling Broad

2-plate print; collagraph inked “á la poupée”, overprinted with photopolymer plate

I came across this Egyptian duck standing next to this lovely boat in a shady corner of the staithe at Hickling Broad. It looked like the duck was touting for business, or waiting to be ferried across the broad.

GLOSSARY:

Collagraph

Is a printing plate made from cardboard. It can be cut into and have textures stuck onto it. It must be sealed with a waterproof coating so that when ink is applied it sits on the surface of the plate and is thus transferred cleanly onto the paper. As a printing matrix (plate) it has the advantage of being cheap, extremely versatile and needing virtually no chemicals to create it. It is possible to produce very sophisticated images with collagraph. Its main downside is that the definition of the textures wear down quickly under the pressure of the press rollers, so that editions are limited to a few good quality prints.

Etching

Is one of the best known printing processes. It is a metal plate which is coated with a thin wax resist. The image is drawn through the resist so that when the plate is immersed in a tray of acid (ferric chloride is most often used now) the acid “bites” down into the lines and, dependant on the time the plate is left in the acid, a light to dark line is created. The cleaned plate then has ink pushed into the bitten lines, the excess is cleaned off and the plate printed onto damp paper on an etching press.

Drypoint

Is very like etching, but without the use of acid. The design is drawn directly into the surface of the plate using a sharp purpose-made etching needle. Metal or plastic plates can be used; I prefer plastic. The resultant plate is inked in the same way as an etching. A slight burr is created as the etching needle is drawn into the plate; this is very important to the eventual print as the burrs hold a small amount of ink, which creates a softer printed line.

Photopolymer etching

The matrix (printing plate) is made from a thin sheet of metal covered with a thicker layer of photosensitive polymer. It comes in a sealed packet, to protect it from the light. You create a negative - either a drawing or photocopy of one (in black or red) on transparent plastic. This image is laid onto the polymer emulsion in a low-light area. The plate is then taken out into bright sunlight and exposed for a couple of minutes. The black/red areas will block light hitting the plate, the clear areas will let it through. Where the light hits the plate the emulsion will harden. Once the exposure time is up, the plate is run under a tap and the softer (unexposed) areas are washed out. This gives a similar etched line to a traditional etched plate, but without the use of acid. It is a great way of printing photographic images.

Chine collee

Describes the application of additional papers to the image during the printing process. Usually good quality tissue or Japanese paper is used, cut or torn as required. A small amount of adhesive is applied to one side of the paper; placed glued-side up on the inked plate, the damp printing paper is laid over the top and the plate run through the press as usual. The tissue paper is thus bonded to the paper at the same time as the ink is transferred.

á la poupée

Is a process of inking up a printing matrix (plate) with multiple coloured inks so that the image can be taken in a single pressing. Small, tightly rolled pieces of cloth are used to apply the different colours to various areas, such as green to leaves and red to petals; the excess is taken off with clean ones. It is a time-consuming process, but it does result in lovely soft areas between the colours.

Monoprint

A printing matrix can be inked up in a different colour, or series of colours, or printed onto different coloured backing papers. It can be cut or have chine collee added. Each version will be the same basic image but with its own unique qualities. This is a monoprint - which is often indicated on the signed print by the word or 1/1. By contrast, editions are multiples, expected to be of consistent quality, size and colour.

Multi-plate printing

One plate printed over another is achieved by “registration”. The printmaker works out the sequence for printing, usually choosing to work from light to dark. My multi-plate sequence is usually the collagraph (which has various block colours) followed by the drypoint (which has the line). It can be tricky to line up the second plate to the paper just printed so that the second image is printed precisely over the first: I favour marking the plate position on the bed of the press and trapping the top of the paper under the roller after the first pressing.