Friday, July 3, 2009

Emulsion Exploration=Madwoman!


Sitting here in the wasteland of exploration gone sadly astray.!(maybe a little too dramatic?) A matter of four simple steps to achieve an emulsion transfer... but not today. The carrier sheet, (polypropylene borrowed from Deena)would help create a white emulsion "skin" that would accept pigmented ink. I layered this sheet with several mixtures with an overnight drying time between coats. All together it was a four day process to create this white surface. Mine unfortunately was a little bumpy but I thought maybe smooth enough to go through the printer. I had the photographs loaded and ready to press the print button. I placed this bumpy carrier sheet into my printer only to realize it was about 1/2 larger than would fit. I couldn't trim it as it was borrowed so ---k it! It probably wouldn't have printed well with the bumps. Deena is out of town on vacation otherwise I would have asked to have her put this in her printer. I will do this again but with a different carrier sheet and a better attitude. So I removed the emulsion and dumped it into this wastebasket to add to a few other failures creating photo transfers. I come from a family of people that always believes they can make anything work...I almost never read instructions, I seem to be able to wing it most times but in this case it was just not checking a simple measurement. I'm starting to smile about it all now. I'll have a little lunch, paint and brush only for the rest of the day!
Going to a neighborhood barbecue tomorrow, all the fixings, hamburgers, corn, salads and pie. Hope everyone enjoys their holiday with family and friends!

21 comments:

  1. Mary Ann, some of this stuff looks "saveable"...I like that shiny pinky looking print in the bin!!! maybe as collage elements down the track.
    Sorry, I'm such a hoarder of "all bits".

    Gotta love a BBQ, enjoy.

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  2. Jo, Funny, I did do a little rescue at the wastebasket...I have such a hard time letting things go...I trimmed around and placed the pinky looking thing in my collage pile!!

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  3. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

    Happy 4th! Enjoy the festivities! :)

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  4. LOL! not at you, but WITH you! - but I was going to say exactly what Jo said - collage? perhaps? and actully some of it looks pretty interesting, albeit probably not what you were going for :), but that's when some of the best stuff emerges - Mary Ann, have a fabulous 4th - your picnic sounds wonderful!

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  5. You tried and you will try again.
    You will get it..I am glad you saved some of it for later projects. LOL.

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  6. Willow, So true, I ventured four days and I will do it again only the next time...I'll measure first! ha

    Jeane, I'm laughing too...and madly digging in the wastebasket! ha

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  7. Katelen, I did try and even though it was a bomb, I can see the posibilities for the next effort!

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  8. I was just going to say I can see so much potential in the trash but you've already been routing around and saving it. Enjoy your BBQ

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  9. I think that you are getting a bit to esoteric for me. Collage I understand but that all looks like a wet messy "glop". does it dry shiny? I don't get this emulsion deal that you are attempting. I know what emulsion is in photography. Is it the same thing?

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  10. Robyn, I like that image of routing around the wastebasket...it's becoming more taking out than putting in as my collage bin is overflowing!

    Pat, No big secret here on method, one coat medium/gloss, one coat acrylic white, one coat white ink/aid and with that dry putting it through and printing photo on this surface. It will peel up from the polyproplene sheet and then become a flexible rubbery photo...I'm trying again so I'll keep you posted. It isn't fun unless it's a little complicated!ha

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  11. Mary Ann, I agree with most of the others: I think lots of this stuff is "savable". I used to do something that sounds kind of like this except that I would just paint gel gloss medium on a photo and keep adding layer after layer until it dried and then the photo would just peel away and the image would be embedded in the gel gloss medium. Is it kind of like that? How fun to have a neighborhood party. My friend lives in Aptos on Seacliff Drive and they have neighborhood parties all the time. I envy that. I love watching all the neighborhood "goings-ons". Have a great day!

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  12. Teri, Yes,I like the transfer process too. This is about preparing a surface to print a photo on in one's printer. It creates an opaque rubbery photo.

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  13. I hardly ever read instructions either... something will work our with your emulsions! What are they anyway!!? Your summer days are sounding lovely ... Roxanne

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  14. I often have to do some things three times at least before they take. and in the realms of transfers i have never had one in any method that worked.

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  15. Well...you have the right attitude. Good luck with the next attempt. We had a nice 4th and got to see the grandkids - all good.

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  16. Roxanne, Summer is going well here in the studio minus a few missteps. I have never seen an emulsion transfer but I believe it to be opaque and rubbery.
    Glad to know I'm not alone on the "not reading instructions".

    Suki, I have had my share of disappointment with photo transfer but now I use Golden Soft Gel (gloss)and works great each time.

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  17. What a funny, honest post. I wondered what this was upon first glance. Have a splendid day!

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  18. Only you could you make a mess seem like an event, Mary Ann. Hope you had a wonderful holiday! <3

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  19. I don't know about it being a total waste...I see possibilities but then again, I am always throwing my experiments(Never read those instructions...) away and then digging them out again...I have a very deep can for that very reason as I am always changing my mind--and glad I did! I can't wait to see where you go with this!!

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