My fellow has been quite supportive of my developing interest in dry point. He’s been saying how great a subject our tabby cat would be. As it was his birthday, I thought I’d indulge him and do some experimenting at the same time.
My idea was to etch the cat, but also create a blind embossed frame around the cat (basically printing without ink). So I created a little collagraph plate with a cat-shaped hole.
Just for giggles I painted a background on a piece engraving paper in watercolour to represent the non-black colour of the cat and the terracotta tiles she was flopping on. Once painted and dampened, I stored it in a plastic bag ready to print the next day. 10/10 I do not recommend. Maybe your mileage would vary, but the emboss was lost in the colour and the plate stuck to the paper.
I also wasn’t sure if I could print in one go, with the dry point etching sitting over the acetate window. Turns out that doesn’t make a great print as there’s too much of a gap between the collagraph plate and the etching plate.
I would have liked to have another go, but I had limited time in the printing studio and many images to go. I decided that I would leave it for another day. But I didn’t want to be empty handed for Mark’s birthday, so I collaged the two. You can’t really see the emboss in this photo and I’m not sure I love the final product, but it’s ok for now.
Funnily enough, everyone said how this image captured movement. But honestly the cat was lying on the floor, flopped. She’s flopped at least 80% of the time and curled up at least another 18% of her day. She is not a flying cat. But she can fly here.
