de la terre: a small printing project.. part one

In todays world of technology and machines, I like to stress the art of handcrafted products. I love to embrace techniques and processes that enhance the hand of the artist. I try and stay away from computers, creating all my images by hand. In my screen printing process I don't use the photo emulsion process, which often uses a computer to create the image that blocks the light creating the image on the screen. I hand paint each image with drawing fluid then flood the screen with screen filler, creating the screen in which prints are made.

There is a beautiful hand quality that is added to each print that is often lost in the mass produced machine made prints. I have found beauty in the process. Each step is unique and important to the process. After completing the screen, which is a big part of the process (prepping is a big part of any artwork), the fun part begins, the printing. Just like weaving, I get into a rhythm, whipping out prints. It's a repetitive dance, going through the motions, each time getting a little faster. I am always looking to increase my efficiency and beat the machines.

This printing project is for a hockey tournament, one of my biggest projects with 145 shirts to print. It took planning to get the most efficiency; From images on the screen to the order and time management of printing. The first stages of the process from the drawing fluid to screen filler to the stack of shirts to be printed to the first layer.. shown below...