If an artist you admire/respect compliments your work, does that make you an artist?
Quick update on my silk screen accomplishments over the last month. I have successfully burned my artwork into two test screens and put a bit of ink on paper to see how the process went. I’ve decided to shrink the artwork giving an inch border all the way around. That will give me a place to sign/number the prints and should help with the ink flooding at the bottom of the page. Currently I am waiting for an 18″ scoop coater to arrive in the mail (the local art shop only had smaller ones). Should be here Friday, coat screen let it dry overnight and with hair dryer, burn image Saturday night, hoping to print 50 on Sunday. Good friend says 100 prints is over doing it and I can always release this artwork again in the future with additional color or paper options. I am mainly looking to recoup the ~$900 I have invested into this new hobby. I need to look into price of shipping tubes, large paper to help protect the edges of the print and postage. I would like to hang a few at a couple of bars and will see if there is any interest in the poster collector groups I am a part of. At first I was thinking 100x $10 a print. But, given the amount of interest online I think I am going to print 50, keep 10 for a rainy day and sell/raffle off the remaining. I am thinking maybe $20-30 depending on tube and shipping costs.
Another cool thing to update people with… Ben Kwok chimed in on a post I made in a FB group for silk screen printers/artists. Ben is the main man behind www.bioworkz.com This is cool to me as, as recently as a month ago I was showing my step-father and friends at the bar I frequent examples of art I would like to make. I showed off maybe 5 bookmarks, but the bioworkz art got the most compliments and comments. For him to see my work, let alone compliment it blows my mind!
This community of artists and print makers is very warm and inviting. They are kind and complimentary of my work and many of them are eager to get their hands on a print. This gives me great hope that I have found my niche. I already know what my second print will be (the owl carrying a rose). This will get me the practice I need with two colors and aligning the prints. Third I have been pondering and think it needs to be at least three colors to start experimenting with how the ink layers interact. In just a short month I have learned a great deal and don’t have any plans of stopping the knowledge flow. If another artist compliments your art, does that make you an artist?