monoprinting

so my first mono prints to do with my theme, which I am concentrating on self portraits, so I decided to use the MRI images of my face. these scary images have become the basis of my printing this year and I look forward to see how far I can take them.

I was happy with where these were going but i needed a bit more from them, some sort of definition in the brain. (hence the squiggle monoprints) then came the cabbage printing... simple cabbage mono prints, (the kind you do as a kid) because I realised when I was cutting a cabbage the layers of the cabbage looked a lot like a brain. so I got a cabbage and started printing! I experimented on different types to paper, and also application of the ink in my little sketchbook.

I then went on to using red and I loved this. have it a more blood like look and more brainy. I have made lots of cabbage prints now, perfecting the prints. I know know the cabbage must be dried out a little as the natural moisture destroys the print, and loading the cabbage with ink rather than a plate then pressing the cabbage into it gives a much more refined print, with all the layers visible. I also discovered these dendritic prints that come from compressing the ink between two smooth surfaces and separating them, giving a sure he you can take a print from like

all very brainy and I'm sure will come out again in my future prints!