Andrew Smith 1/27/24 Andrew Smith 1/27/24

City's Edge

Due to the relatively short history of clay monoprints as a medium, creating one always feels like an experiment. This is particularly true as I try to see how the prints interact with other mediums.

“City’s Edge”
16” x 20”
Clay Monoprint, Watercolor, Watercolor Pencil, and Acrylic
Andrew Smith / Visual Realia Studio

Due to the relatively short history of clay monoprints as a medium, creating one always feels like an experiment. This is particularly true as I try to see how the prints interact with other mediums.

Clay slip without pigment is an off-white, somewhere between grey and white. Unfortunately, one limitation of clay monoprints is the difficulty in getting a true white or a deep, rich black. I set out to use both via acrylic paints in this work.

To offset the dark city, nature speaks up colorfully in the foreground.

In both instances, the shapes and colors were present in the print, but I sought to emphasize what the monoprint brought. The use of watercolors and watercolor pencils helped with enhancing color. The monoprint, acrylic, and watercolors each bring subtle textural differences, as well.

Most monoprint images I share here are “cropped” to show only what will be visible once framed. In the photo immediately above, I thought it would be instructive to show the entire surface of the print before framing. The edges with less color can be caused by the wooden matrix (clay slab) frame or the taped edge where I intended to end the print. These areas will be trimmed or hidden by the frame.

Andrew Smith 12/20/23 Andrew Smith 12/20/23

Towns in Clay

Post-impressionistic towns are rising from my matrix.

Renaissance Town II, ©2023 Andrew T. Smith. Clay monoprint, acrylic, copper mica, and calcium carbonate.

As part of the "unentitled" exhibit, I worked along with both artists Ophelia Chambliss and Debbie Toluba to create multimedia works that utilized my clay monoprints along with their acrylic skills.

I've been using acrylics in my own works more often, as well. After pulling the clay monoprint, I've added clay slip and acrylic paint; the coverage of the two is quite different, as is the texture, adding some subtle but interesting variety.

I've always liked buildings and towns expressed with a simple, post-impressionistic feel, and I’ve been working with that concept in mind with these works.

In Renaissance Town I, shown below, the town was built around elements remaining on the clay slab (matrix) from previous prints, such as the green triangle, bottom center. The buildings are merely suggested in structure.

After pulling that print, additional work and details were added to the remaining imagery on the matrix, and calcium carbonate was utilized for the white stars. After pulling Renaissance Town II, shown at the top of the page, some acrylic paint was added, such as window detail. The buildings, while abstract, are more fully realized than in the first print.

View from the Plaza: Renaissance Town I, ©2023 Andrew T. Smith, Clay Monoprint & Calcium Carbonate

Finally, more concrete structural figures are used in Urban Moon, with acrylic paint used for the loose building edges and windows. The moon is comprised of the print, clay slip, and acrylic paint.