Low Relief Screen Printing (LRSP)ArtClothMarie-Therese Wisniowski

Preamble
This blogspot exhibits many of my students outputs from a variety of workshops. There are one, two and five day workshops as well as workshops that have a different focus. Nevertheless, it always surprises me how much I learn from my students and how enthusiastic they are to learn and so for your convenience, I have listed the workshop posts below.

Visual Communication and Design (The University of Newcastle Multi-Media Course).
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle and Ourimbah Campuses, NSW, Australia) 2008 to 2010.

In Pursuit of ArtCloth:Improvisational Screen Printing Workshop
The Australian Textile Arts & Surface Design Association Inc. Sydney, NSW.

One and Two Day Disperse Dye Workshops
Various Textile Groups (Australia) 2008 - 2011.

Five Day Workshop - In Pursuit of Complex Cloth
“Wrapt in Rocky” Textile Fibre Forum Conference (Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia) 29^th June to 5^th July 2008.

Five Day Workshop – In Pursuit of Complex Cloth
Orange Textile Fiber Forum (Orange, NSW, Australia) 19^th to 25^th April 2009.

5 Day Workshop – In Pursuit of Complex Cloth
Geelong Fiber Forum (Geelong, Victoria, Australia) 27^th September to 3^rd October 2009.

Two Day Workshop - Deconstructed and Polychromatic Screen Printing
Beautiful Silks (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) 20^th to 21^st March 2010.

Five Day Workshop – Disperse Dye and Transfer Printing
“Wrapt in Rocky” Biennial Textile Forum/Conference Program (Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia) 25^th June to 1^st July 2010.

Two Day Workshop – Improvisational Screen Printing
ATASDA (Sydney, NSW, Australia) 28^th to 29^th August 2010.

Two Day Workshop – In Pursuit of Complex Cloth (Day One)
”Stitching and Beyond” Textile Group (Woodbridge, Tasmania, Australia) 2^nd to 3^rd October 2010.

Two Day Workshop – In Pursuit of Complex Cloth (Day Two)
”Stitching and Beyond” Textile Group (Woodbridge, Tasmania, Australia) 2^nd to 3^rd October 2010.

Advance Silk Screen Printing
Redcliffe City Art Gallery Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia) 10^th April 2011.

One Day Workshop - In Pursuit of Complex Cloth
The Victorian Feltmakers Inc. (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) 14^th May 2011.

One Day Workshop - In Pursuit of Complex Cloth (Felted and Silk Fibers)
Victorian Feltmakers Inc (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) 15^th May 2011.

Five Day Workshop – Disperse Dye and Transfer Printing
SDA (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA) 13^th to 17^th June 2011.

Five Day Disperse Dye Master Class – Barbara Scott
Art Quill Studio (Arcadia Vale, NSW, Australia) 15^th to 19^th August 2011.

Five Day Workshop – Disperse Dye and Transfer Printing
Fiber Arts Australia (Sydney, NSW, Australia) 26^th September to 1^st October 2011.

One Day Workshop – Improvisational Screen Printing
Newcastle Printmakers Workshop Inc. (Newcastle, NSW, Australia) 5^th November 2011.

One Day Workshops – Low Relief Screen Printing
Various classes within Australia.

Two Day Workshop – Disperse Dye and Transfer Printing
ATASDA (Sydney, NSW, Australia) 23^rd to 24^th June 2012.

MSDS Demonstration at Zijdelings
(Tilburg, The Netherlands) October, 2012.

Five Day Workshop - Disperse Dye and Transfer Printing
Fibre Arts@Ballarat (Ballarat, Victoria, Australia) 6^th to 12^th April 2013.

Two Day Workshop - Disperse Dye and Transfer Printing
EFTAG (Tuross Head, NSW, Australia) 13^th to 14^th April 2013.

Two Day Workshop - Disperse Dye and Transfer Printing
Zijdelings Studio (Tilburg, The Netherlands) 9^th to 10^th October 2014.

PCA - Celebrating 50 Years in 2016
Art Quill Studio 2016 Workshop Program (Newcastle, Australia).

Image Dreamings: Basic Silk Screen Printing Workshop - Part I
2016 Art Quill Studio Workshop Program (Newcastle, Australia).

Image Dreamings: Basic Silk Screen Printing Workshop - Part II
2016 Art Quill Studio Workshop Program (Newcastle, Australia).

In Pursuit of: Improvisational Screen Printing Workshop
2016 Art Quill Studio Workshop Program (Newcastle, Australia).

In Pursuit of: Low Relief Screen Printing (LRSP) Workshop 2016
2016 Art Quill Studio Workshop Program (Newcastle, Australia).

Art Quill Studio 2017 Workshop Program
2017 Art Quill Studio Workshop Program (Newcastle, Australia).

In Pursuit of: Low Relief Screen Printing (LRSP)
2017 Art Quill Studio Workshop Program (Newcastle, Australia).

In Pursuit of Complex Cloth: Layered Printing Approaches
2017 Art Quill Studio Workshop Program (Newcastle, Australia).

Melding Experiences: New Landscapes Using Disperse Dyes and Transfer Printing.
2019 Art Quill Studio Workshop (NCEATA, Newcastle, Australia).

In Pursuit of ArtCloth: Disperse Dye and Transfer Printing Workshop
2022 Two Day Workshop (ATASDA, Sydney, NSW, Australia).

Introduction
Over the past few years, I have been experimenting with various improvisational screen printing techniques using low relief textured items and so I have developed a new signature method of screen printing low relief images using fabric paints. I have termed this technique - Low Relief Screen Printing (LRSP).

LRSP images are a non-permanent surface media producing only one print with each pass that results in a mono print series of prints. The images created have a lovely organic quality and lend themselves to interesting color combinations, which can add further interest to the textural quality of the printed works.

The technique is not too dissimilar to Kerr Grabowski’s Deconstructed Screen Printing (DSP), a printing/mono print technique that allows for a freer approach to screen printing. She prints with thickened dyes over low relief textured surfaces; the dye is allowed to dry in the silk screen then printed onto fabric using release paste. The paste gradually dissolves the dried dye, which results in the image “deconstructing” as successive prints are being created until no more can be printed.

I have adapted this technique to enable the printing of low relief textured surfaces using fabric paint and acrylic print paste. Unlike DSP, where the thickened dye impressions dry in the screen, the fabric paint impressions cannot dry in the screen without damaging the silk screen. Fabric paints are acrylic based and dry fast. Therefore, this fabric paint property ensures that you can have immediate results when printing using this technique.

That is where any similarity ends between DSP and LRSP. Whilst in DSP the images breakdown and deconstruct until no image remains on the screen, in the LRSP technique it builds on previous screen colors, melding and then intermixing with the next color. The amount of prints created using LRSP technique can be endless (as long as your relief items are durable). You can print six or six hundred prints by continually changing colors with each successive print.

My technique can also be readily adapted to screen print other direct print techniques using inexpensive and readily available materials such as talcum powder, wax and tape. Note: for the talcum powder prints see below for some examples that my students have done in past workshops using the LRSP technique (which I teach as exercises in my LRSP workshop).

By incorporating interesting color combinations and items, these low relief mono prints are imbued with a painterly, multi colored, richly textured and organic aesthetic. LRSP is an exciting technique for artists who have a penchant for the serendipitous!

I hope you enjoy some of my new LRSP images as well as those of my students.

Marie-Therese.

LRSP Employing Ferns And Other Low Relief Items
All images below were generate using the LRSP technique on cotton and employing ferns, bubble wrap, and other low relief items. Below are some of the demonstrations and exercises that students in the LRSP workshops are shown and taught.

Low relief silkscreen print employing ferns and bubble wrap.

Low relief silkscreen print employing ferns and flora material.

Low relief silkscreen print employing ferns and flora material.

Low relief silkscreen print employing ferns and textured papers.

Low relief silkscreen print employing ferns and textured papers.

First mono print taken from the ferns and textured papers on the base print surface at the end of printing.

Second mono print taken from the ferns and textured papers on the base print surface at the end of printing.

LRSP Employing Talcum Powder – Student’s Output
All images below were generated in a workshop by students using the LRSP technique employing talcum powder prints on cotton.

Jeannie Henry - Talcum powder silkscreen prints overprinted with masking tape silkscreen prints using ombre print technique on a white background.

Jeannie Henry - Talcum powder silkscreen print on a multi hue printed background.

Di Flint - Talcum powder silkscreen print on a multi hue printed background.

Di Flint - Negative space print overprinted with a talcum powder silkscreen print using ombre color print technique.

Di Flint - Multi hue printed background overprinted with directly imaged wax prints in blue paint. Surface layer printed using talcum powder silkscreen prints.

Helen Forrest - Talcum powder silkscreen prints using ombre print technique on a pale yellow background.

Helen Forrest - Talcum powder silkscreen prints using ombre print technique on a pale yellow background.