New to Australian Galleries Stock Rooms are editions of Sue Anderson’s latest lithograph Bird on a wire. Sue shares with us images of the creation of this vibrant artwork and the lithography process.
Image above: Bird on wire 2021 lithograph 61 x 41 cm edition 15
HOW IT STARTED
Early in Sue’s career, Peter Lancaster visited an exhibition of her work at Australian Galleries and invited her to try lithography. Director and master printer Peter Lancaster established Lancaster Press in Melbourne in 1998 and has collaborated with many of Australia’s leading artists.
Sue took up this offer and recalls the exciting artistic experience when visiting Lancaster Press first in Middle Park studios and then in Brooklyn. The studios were always vibrant and creative spaces with artists coming and going, all highly dedicated to this unique method of printmaking. The process is a unique collaboration requiring patience and concentration from the artist and high expertise and skills from the printer to achieve an artwork that satisfies the intentions of both parties. Lancaster Press has now relocated to Fiji and is Fiji’s only Fine Art Lithography studio and artist residency located on the Coral Coast of Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu.
Sue Anderson at Lancaster Press, Fiji in 2018
BIRD ON A WIRE PAINTING
COLOUR MATCHING
Sue sends Peter in Fiji her paint palette. Peter then refers to colour swatches to ensure the ink colour for the lithograph printing matches the colours in Sue’s original painting.
Peter sends images to Sue of Pantone colour swatches against her paint swatches. Sue then selects the colour and Peter mixes the ink to match.
LAYERS OF COLOURS
The ink is printed in layers, one colour at a time, the overlapping areas creating additional colours. The inks used are black, blue, magenta, yellow ochre, pale grey/cream, viridian green, lime green and orange. The last colour printed is black. The drawing is dissected into layers of colour and Sue draws each colour on its own sheet of drafting film. The drawn image on the drafting film is then put on to sensitised photographic aluminium plates and then printed by Peter.
Image above of the black areas of the artwork drawn to drafting film
Blue layer on drafting film
Magenta layer on drafting film
Yellow ochre layer on drafting film
Viridian green layer on drafting film
Blue, green and yellow ochre layers printed on paper
THE COMPLETED LITHOGRAPH
MORE OF SUE’S LITHOGRAPHS IN THE STOCK ROOMS
Tree-top Rosellas 2018 lithograph 60 x 46 cm edition 15
River rites 2019 lithograph 36 x 55 cm edition 18
Horses grasses 2009 lithograph 60 x 46 cm edition 15
Plains bird 2016 lithograph 40 x 57 cm edition 10
CLICK HERE VIEW MORE AVAILABLE WORKS
LANCASTER PRESS RESIDENCIES
Lancaster Press is excited to resume their residency program in 2022. For more information or to apply, visit https://lancasterpress.com.au
Sunset view at Lancaster Press. Image courtesy Peter Lancaster.