INK INTERACTION: AKUA VISCOSITY with Catherine Kernan

Just as peanut butter will not stick to jelly, a loose ink will reject a stiff ink. This is true of traditional oil inks as well as newer soy-based Akua Intaglio inks.

Taking advantage of the interaction of inks allows the development of multi-color image on a single plate with results that can only be achieved by controlling the viscosities. Color can be dropped in around every fiber of a brushstroke, allowing contrasting colors to exist next to each other.  Parts of an image can be protected from an over roll, and viscosity rolls can give new dimension to relief blocks, stamps, and stencils. Layers of ink can be attacked on one plate rather than separated on multiple plates and multiple runs. The process is full of unpredictable results and revelations as the process evolves.

Understanding the interaction of inks is fundamental. This workshop will introduce and deepen your understanding of how to mix, modify, and to use them to their full potential.

CATHERINE KERNAN is co-founder and partner of Mixit Print Studio in Somerville, Massachusetts, and director of Maud Morgan Arts, an art center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She received her BFA from Cooper Union and her MFA from the University of Wisconsin / Madison. The recipient of numerous grants, Catherine has exhibited widely and her work is in many public, private, and corporate collections.