So excited about my new collection of limited edition silkscreen prints: Dream Destinations. The first two prints in the series depicts the beautiful beach destinations of Positano and Santorini.
I have been lucky enough to have travelled to some amazing places and I've always wanted to created a series inspired by my travels (some of them still just on the "list"!)
I really wanted to capture the essence of these two dream destinations with bright colours and simple shapes, staying true to my illustration style. Hopefully I will be able to add more designs to this exclusive collection as time goes on. These beach scenes also compliments my Nautical Print Series.
STEP INSIDE MY PRINTMAKING STUDIO:
Firstly, I created the tiny little buildings and shapes that I want to use in my sketchbook. I love using a Japanese Art & Graphic pen to draw everything by hand.
Black and white templates of separate layers created by printing the designs on white paper. Sunflower oil is used to make it transparent. The black areas are where the ink will be pulled through after exposure.
After exposing two screens with designs, the emulsion is washed out of the black areas on the mesh. Below, you can see the designs coming through the emulsion.
Volcanic Grey Ink mixed for the first layer of the pebbled beach of Positano. The ink will go through the yellow, exposed mesh part of the screen.
Red ink for the umbrellas are mixed with screenprint medium and pulled through the screen onto a transparency sheet on the printing table.
This is used to get the perfect alignment of where the next layer should be printed on the paper. The transparency sheet is lifted up, the screen lowered back onto the paper and the red ink is pulled through with a squeegee.
There you go! Freshly printed umbrellas. Now it is hung up to dry again before the next layer gets printed.
Now I'm mixing the beautiful pink terracotta colour of the Positano houses. I want it to be perfect, so I test it quite a bit on the Snowdon White printmaking paper.
The third layer of Positano is printed in the distinctive colours of the Italian countryside.
All done!
Signed, dated and numbered for the galleries. Only 35 copies made!
Next up, it is Santorini! Again, I try to get the colours just right to depict the blue-domed houses of the Greek Island.
The soft shapes of the waves are printed in Wedgewood Blue.
I just love this vibrant Santorini Blue colour. Ready to pull the second layer of buildings.
All done and ready to dry.
Signed, edition and numbered for the Art Gallery.
Happy, bright colours in my print studio
THE FINISHED PRODUCTS:
Positano - limited edition of 35 prints
Santorini - Limited Edition of 45 Prints
Ready for the Stylish Home!
