Lessons in printmaking

My printmaking workshop ended last Saturday. I felt a little sad that the four-Saturday course was over and that I had lost an excuse to see the Manila Bay sunset regularly. Our classes were held at the workshop behind the Folk Arts Theater and it felt good to be beside the sea the whole day. At the same time, I felt grateful for the chance to learn a new skill and to form new friendships.

I had signed up at the suggestion of a friend who wanted to rediscover his artistic side. I went because I was curious and I wanted to know how artwork I was attracted to was produced. The classes were offered by the Printmakers Association of the Philippines and I figured that they were the best people to learn from.

Our teacher was Jess Flores and he knew what he was talking about. Apart from my friend, an artist/art teacher and a precocious thirteen-year-old were enrolled in the class. They were really good and I felt like an amateur basketball player in the NBA.

Thankfully, the teacher was very patient and encouraging with his comments. I missed the first day of classes and had to make two plates to make up for my absence on the second Saturday. He gave me enough time to finish the first plate—a collagraph using soft materials like cardboard, yarn, tarlatan and anything that was thin enough that could be stuck to an illustration board with glue.

The second plate involved etching our designs on a metal plate and having the grooves deepened by soaking the plate in acid. We made etchings on plexiglass for the third plate. I can’t stand the sound of metal scraping metal or plastic so I put off perfecting the second project and doing the third plate for another time.

Apart from learning to make prints, printmaking taught me other lessons. First, I learned that it is essential to start with a clean slate. I spent considerable effort rolling ink on my plate but forgot to wipe it before doing so. The result was a mess. The same thing applies to life—old fears and hang-ups can hamper present relationships no matter how hard a person seems to be trying to make these work.

Second, I learned that junk can be reworked and converted into something completely different. Collagraphs can be made with old boxes, movie tickets, and other odds and ends. Skills that seem useless now can be made use of in the future. I get asked if I “practice law” and while there are days when I’m not sure what to say, I’ve decided that from now on, my answer will be: Not in the usual manner. Skills from litigation and corporate law can be useful in cultural heritage and environmental law.

Third, I learned that the juxtaposition of different materials can have an unexpected effect. I layered masking tape around my cardboard cutouts and came up with a print that my teacher said was decent enough to give away as a present. Maybe this is the synergy that New Age gurus talk about (and some companies write about in their annual reports), that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Most importantly, I learned to appreciate surprises. Until I lift the paper off the plate and see the impression the plate made, I don’t know what the result will be. In life, there is a lot of room for not knowing and no matter how much we try to control the circumstances, some things will remain unknown until it’s time for them to be revealed.

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