I think deep down I am an experimental print maker. I love printing and exploring with print. The Gelli Plates have been amazing for me, allowing me to layer colors and explore themes that appear in my drawings.
Now I learned about TetraPak from a fellow artist. And this week I made a point of trying to see if I could print at home at my dining room table without making a GIANT COLLOSAL MESS. Yesterday when I tried to print a simple Tetrapak etching all I got was a messy imprint of the creases in the carton. I was so frustrated and upset. I went through tons of paper towels and newsprint and paper trying to get a simple drawing to print. By the end of the day I had a large collection of what we artists joke is collage paper. Last night I read what I could find online about printing Tetrapak without a press…as with anything the web is full of tips and advice if one takes the time to sort through it…I suppose that is what CHATGPT is good for....
Today when I went to print, I laid down a towel under the TetraPak so it didn’t move. I put damp paper on top of the Tetrapak and used a piece of parchment on top of the paper to prevent the burnishing from tearing the paper. And LOW AND BEHOLD IT WORKED. Now none of the Tetrapak drawings I printed today are great works of art. I did not want to waste time on a complicated etching only to have it fail. Unlike copper plates there are only a limited number of prints one can make from any Tetrapak. But they are interesting and I am excited about the possibilities. And below you can see the charcoal drawing I have been working on that inspired the print.
