This session was led by Bradford-based printmaker Ruth Fettis. After researching Ruth’s practice prior to the session, I was excited to be working with her. I like the detailed style and the story-telling themes in her work. I have done some print making before but I don’t have any expertise in it so I was looking forward to learning from Ruth’s methods. I really enjoy using processes in my work that take away the careful, delicate control I use in my oil paintings. I discovered that Ruth has recently collaborated with an artist friend of mine, Michelle Wren, on this fantastic 3D installation piece, currently exhibited in Bradford.

“The City” with artists Michelle Wren and Ruth Fettis.

Ruth’s idea for the Family Art Club session was for the participants to decorate a brown paper bag, using mono-printing. There was also collage and drawing materials that they could use.

The process for mono-printing is very simple, as Ruth demonstrated. Printing ink is rolled out in a thin layer, using a brayer, onto a smooth surface. We used rigid sheets of thin plastic plexiglass. Then the participants could use one of two methods-

1) the paper bag is carefully placed on the inked surface. Then draw your design onto the paper bag, pressing quite hard, with a sharp pencil. When the bag is lifted away from the ink the design should have transferred onto the underside of the bag.

2) the design can be drawn directly into the ink on the plexiglass using the blunt end of a pencil. Place the bag or paper onto the inked surface and carefully press the paper down with fingers, or rub it down with the back of wooden spoon, depending on the thickness of the paper. For the thick paper bags we used the spoons and for the thin tissue paper we used our fingers. When the paper is lifted away the design should have printed onto the paper.

Method two seemed to work better. I think because the paper bags were quite thick and the children had trouble maintaining the pencil pressure required to transfer the image. They were also rather over-enthusiastic with rolling out the ink so it was laid out too thick for the print to work.

We had a very busy day with a constant stream of excited and eager participants, many of whom stayed for a couple of hours. The children were really proud of their work and everyone took their bags home with them. My niece joined the session and was so pleased with her cat themed bags that she’s saving them to use as gift bags for birthday presents for her nan.

Here are some of the photos I took during the day (click on image to see full size) –