Rubber Stamping, by Stephen Fowler. Review.

Rubber Stamping:

Get Creative with Stamps, Rollers and Other Printmaking Techniques

By Stephen Fowler

Laurence King/October 2016

Hardback £17.95

ISBN 978 1 78067 8658

Star rating: ****

The author of this wonderful new book, Stephen Fowler, is a professional printmaker. His art school training enables him to see beyond craft stamping – he approaches DIY stamping as a hands-on, endlessly resourceful creative experience. This book is a celebration of simple printmaking methods, seen with an artist’s eye.

I was predisposed to like this title due to its clever and inspirational foreword by papercutter extraordinaire Rob Ryan. What a super choice of a rubber stamping advocate. 

Since a rubber stamp is a DIY printing press in its simplest form, much is made of the medium’s cheeky potential. Make a stamp, make a statement . DIY rubber stamping is a craft that requires little investment - an eraser and a craft knife for cutting are the basic necessities, plus a stamp pad or other ink source for printing (and, of course, a surface to print on).  Illustrated step-by-steps are provided, along with techie tips. Methods are given for registering multi-coloured prints and for masking, a technique which enables you to build up sophisticated mult-layered compositions. There’s also a section on how to build up patterns with repeating images.

In addition to making and printing with rubber stamps, other materials, such as craft foam are dealt with. How to make rollers with pipe lagging? Check. Homemade ink pads. No problem.

There are also many fun thinking-out-of-the-box  project ideas, such as faux postage stamps, edible prints, and printing with bleach to make “ghost images”. 

Back of book , you’ll find an index, a handy reading list, and a mini-directory of specialist suppliers. 

Rubber Stamping fizzes with enthusiasm and provides the know-how and inspiration to get you started as a DIY stamper.

Note: I was supplied with a review copy of this title.

 

Marie Gudme Leth - Pioneer of Print

Prints: Guinea Fowl 1941; inset: Lime Leaf 1946

Reporting back on an exhibition showcasing the work of an inspirational and influential Danish print designer. Marie Gudme Leth (1895-1997) - Pioneer of Print, at Design Museum Danmark (Copenhagen). The exhibition has closed recently - I was lucky to catch it.

Marie Gudme Leth's bold and simple designs haven't dated - they still look fresh today. According to the museum brochure, "Leth revived textile printing as an artisanal craft in Denamark around 1030...". She reinvented herself several times during her long and productive career, adapting to changes in taste and manufacturing methods. 

Here's a link to a Google Images collection of Marie Gudme Leth's work. 

Pleated Paper Shades at Design Museum Danmark

Saw these superb paper pleated lampshades at Design Museum Danmark (Copenhagen). You should definitely swing by if you, too, are lucky enough to go on a hygge hol! :) I believe these shades are crafted by a selection of designers (very sorry - credits photographed blurry). 

If you would like to learn how to create your own paper pleated lampshades, this book should be your first port of call:

Here's a link to my review of Paul Jackson's Complete Pleats.