hybrids...

So... I just finished compiling a group of work that I have been toiling with since the beginning of last summer. My goal was to combine photography, printmaking and digital to create imagery similar to that at the beginning of photography... The project itself morphed a lot. I am really happy with it though. Basically I chased my poor children and husband around with my camera for months and months. I let the local photo shop develop my black and whites for me... I don't fair well in the dark room... I become obsessive. I scanned the photos into the computer and manipulated them in Photoshop. I then made xerox copies of the images I liked and pulled ink prints from these called xerox lithos... I used graphite ink on every print done on finely grained rice paper. During the drying process the paper takes on a very textured look... becomes almost rippled. I then scanned these prints into my computer capturing that rippled effect. I manipulated them further.... in some cases just contrast, in some I actually colored them in... and in some cases I blended the print with the photo... I then printed them 13x19 on my new Epson 1280 (Thanks for the recommendation Andrew!!!!!) on matte heavyweight paper... Wow. I thought I'd post a couple of examples of the digital files. All in all I have about twenty-odd prints. A bunch of them just didn't work or I would have had even more! I became adicted to this process for a while because I have a mini etching press in my studio that I borrowed from a friend. The thing weighs about 400 pounds but it pulls a lovely print.