Progress of Zodiac Print Project

Dragon

Here are some images of what we've been up to at the Art Vault.

Sheep

Snake

Rabbit

Zodiac Print Project

We have been working on a new project called Zodiac.
It's a suite of 12 etchings based on Damon's figurative drawings with Kyoko's animals inspired by the deity statues that bear the characteristics of the twelve zodiac animals in Sanjusangendo in Kyoto.

Damon thought about this project while we were in the Art Vault last year for our Along the River project.

We started the production in late June this year and now we are back in the Art Vault in Mildura for printing the editions.

We've done 3 editions of Rat, Ox and Tiger so far in 3 days.

Tomorrow is a RABBIT day! :)

Along the river in Melbourne

We are very excited to present Along the River in Sofitel, Melbourne in July.
After travelling from Mildura, Tokyo and Hong Kong, we are finally able to exhibit the suite in Melbourne!

8 July - 5 October 2014

Opening Wednesday 9 July, 5:30 - 7:30pm
To be officially opened by The Hon. Heidi Victoria MP, Minister for the Arts, Consumer Affairs and Women's Affairs.

Sofitel Melbourne On Collins
Atrium Gallery, Level 35
25 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000
RSVP essential to Michael Baldwin on 03 9653 7738

'Along the River' was produced at The Art Vault Mildura with the support of the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria and the Japan Foundation Sydney

     

Exhibition - Along the River

After over two weeks of printing marathon, finally we've printed all 14 editions.
We are now getting ready for the exhibition next Wednesday 17 July!

We would love to meet you if you are around!

Along the River
Opening Wednesday 17 July from 6 to 7 pm

Exhibition continues until 5 August 2013

THE ART VAULT 
43 Deakin Avenue
Mildura
03 5022 0013
juliechambers@theartvault.com.au

Here is a picture of all the 14 proofs...

14 proofs on the wall

We are relieved that the most labour intensive part of this project has completed, though there are still few things to do for the show such as making zines and signing over 250 prints.

Last two prints

Thank you Sunraysia Daily for covering our project!

Never mind the unfortunate placement of the scam article :p Looks like we made lots of money with our prints!

McLeod G. Sunraysia Daily July 11 2013 p2

Progress - Day 11

9 proofs - 5 more prints to go

We have continued to print for our exhibition Along the River opening on Wednesday 17 July.
So far we made 9 editions, 5 more to go.

We are having the best printmaking time at the Art Vault, meeting lots of daily visitors, enjoying working with the director Julie Chambers and staff members, Robert, Tracy, Mia, Andrew and Julian.
Thank you so much Art Vault!

new edition

Near where Murray and Darling rivers meet, Wentworth, NSW

We caught up with Anne Spudvilas who moved to Wentworth last year.
Wentworth is a small but important town about 35km from Mildura where two of the Australia's greatest rivers meet. She took us around the town and an antique fair where I bought an old typewriter!!!!

Lagoon, Wentworth, NSW

Arriving in Mildura

After almost 8 hours on train and bus, we finally arrived in the Art Vault in Mildura two days ago.

It is such a lovely place with great people, facility and much better weather than gray Melbourne.
It can be cold in the morning and at night, but otherwise it's a perfect blue sky with no clouds.
Everything we need is conveniently located all within walking distance.
There are lots of op shops around the town if we feel like shopping for nice cups and plates too.
Along the main street, there are many gum trees with huge trunk too that had been unfortunately chopped but still growing strong.
I got the feeling that people in Mildura really love their city.

It was so nice to meet our friend Anne Spudvilas who moved to Mildura from Melbourne, and also works at the Art Vault.

Since the arrival we've completed two editions - 12 more editions to go!

Damon working in the studio

Falling rabbits

Our exhibition of this suite of works we are printing right now will be from 17 July at the Art Vault.
There will also be a zine of this suit of etchings available at the exhibition.

Us

First proof 2

Snapper festival

Here are the rest of the first proofs from Along the River.

We'll go to Mildura tomorrow on the first train! If you happen to come to Mildura while we are there (25 June - 18 July) please make sure to let us know!

Underwater

Flood

Birthday party

Cloud men

Night march

Lepus

Spirits

First proof

Crow

In less than two days we are leaving Melbourne for The Art Vault residency.

We pulled first state proofs for the Along the River project the other day.

Light bulb

All images for this project will be printed using two copper plates.
First plate is the 'key' plate with most information and second plate provides additional colours and information.

These proofs are images from the first key plates.
Although a single plate etching can show variation tones and for some of our images in my opinion look good as they are now with one plate, there is nothing like the colours and tones that can be created with two plate etching.

We have prepared the second plate for each image, so all we need to do now is to print them together at The Art Vault in Muldura next week.

Please keep an eye out for more updates as I'll be posting more proofs later.
These are only 6 out of our 14 prints!

Rachel deity

wombat family

Racing

Falling rabbits

All drawings completed

Rachel deity

We have finally finished drawing and etching all the line works on 14 plates.

Now it's time to add tones to them by aquatint - an intaglio technique that uses powdered rosin to be stuck to the surface of the copperplates acting as an acid resistant to create different tonal effect.

Birthday party

We use two plates per image, one being the main plate shown here with most information such as basic line drawings and tones and the other being the tones only to add colours and depth.

So even though we have 14 images, there are 28 copperplates.

Cloud men

Flood

Guests

This is actually still a first part of this project (though I felt like we've come a long way)
We are just heading to busier time ahead!

Spirits

Falling rabbits and Night march

Here are two more plates about to be etched.

Falling rabbits plate

It's always fun to draw tiny things especially when it's lots of rabbits.

Night march plate

This plate will have a starry night sky while these giant deer wander at night.

There are more plates being drawn and etched as I type this.
Please keep an eye out for more updates as there will be 9 more images to come!

Along the river in Mildura

We've been preparing a body of work for our artist in residence program that starts on 25 June at Art Vault in Mildura.

We are producing a suite of 14 colour etchings and an accompanying zine with the assistance of Arts Victoria. 

The images are based on drawings by Damon of the riverside architecture of Kyoto, Japan created with Kyoko's drawings to intervene with them.

One of the copper plates - wombat family - ready to etch.

These drawings were done while we were in Japan in April with the support of Japan Foundation

We'll also have an exhibition straight after the residency too from 17 July to 5 August.

All initial drawings are done and we are now in the process of drawing them on copperplates so they can be turned etchings.

One of the copperplates - Snapper festival - ready to etch

If you are going to be in Mildura during the time we're there, please pop in and say hi!

One of the plates - Lepus - ready to etch