Maggie Wilson (Printmaking, etc.) @margarethazelprint - Tumblr Blog

Some placeholder photos of my new prints, "Veronica the printmaker"! More formal documentation to come!

Plaster molds!

Routing a design into plaster for a slump mold! First I cast the block the old fashioned way, then after it set we cut it while it's still wet! I did a rough pass and a parallel finishing pass with an 1/8 inch bit to get all my details

#digitaltophysical #digital to physical #cnc milling

Final product! I am very happy with my life size (and very heavy) halo, despite the necessary economy of my finishes. I’m looking forward to the new directions this study is taking me in my practice!

#digital to physical #digitaltophysical #sculpture

WIP (as you can see, the hand of the machine is very evident in my routed edge, despite both a roughing and a finishing pass. In this case the grooves worked in my favor! But lesson learned for next time)

#digitaltophysical #digital to physical #halo

My project for the CNC router, a medieval halo rendered in 3D! My successful model, pictured in cyan above, was achieved using the revolve method after a few different attempts. I plan to cut two of these hemispheres, then laminate them together in the woodshop to create a symmetrical finished piece. Pictured also, the 2D design I drew to engrave the surface using the laser cutter.

#digital to physical #digitaltophysical #sculpture #rhino

A nice finish to my stained glass study! On to the cnc router...

#digitaltophysical #digital to physical #sculpture

A relatively successful cut of my stained glass window study! My plywood frame came out exactly how I planned it, and my acrylic panes were a success in a mixed engraving/cut out. Now comes the question of fit. The panes are loose right now (kerf! *shakes fist*), but is it better to recut the panes at a slightly larger measurement, or start experimenting with adhesives to hold them in the frames (I.e. How does my prof feel about hot glue?)

#sculpture #digitaltophysical #digital to physical

Laser cutter Study 1! A very small stained glass window, with a simple line engraving in the glass. Question: how do I get a photograph in the panels of the window? I tried to use picture frame but I couldn’t figure out how to trim so only the cut out panel shapes remained. I’m hoping to cut the “frame” out of plywood and the “panes” out of a scrap of acrylic, so I can experiment with assembling them. If it works, it could lead to a cool larger scale sculpture! I’m doing some separate tests to engrave acrylic with a more detailed raster image, which I’m hoping to find a good method of filling with color, intaglio style. Maybe alcohol ink?

#digitaltophysical #digital to physical #sculpture #rhino 5 #experiments

Our first assignment, joinery on the laser cutter! Leah and I worked together to come up with solutions to create a tight fit between two pieces. Knowing our control (pictured C) was a loose fit because of the laser's kerf, we developed solutions 1 (a tight fit, but a design failure) 2 (a first attempt at our final lock and key design with an angle out of place) and 3 (success with our lock and key design!). Cut at 90 power and 80 speed. We also labeled our mockettes in order to practice cutting different color layers at different powers, with our labels engraved at 5 power and 100 speed. (Also pictured, our first cutting attempt at 80 power and speed which didn't make it through the substrate :()

#digitaltophysical #sculpture

Since we’re starting the studio semester on the laser cutter, I thought I’d share some of my previous experience on the LC as it pertained to my print work. This work is roughly chronological, but it shows a range of possibility in mark making as a cutting mechanism, from vector style cutting to remove large areas of material (which is how I achieve even layers of color, similar to traditional hand cut wood blocks), to the finest dot screens (which allow for the photographic blocks). Also an interesting process is the marriage of laser cutting and hand cutting which result in an image with both organic and digital elements.

An important factor of laser cutting wood, is an awareness of grain, which at times I’ve chosen to mask or highlight. Wood with a denser grain will cut more shallowly over those veins, which does leave a literal “shadow” over the final print.

#digital to physical #printmaking #laser cut woodblocks #laser cutting

Welcome to Sculpture- Digital to Physical!

Hello friends (and grading professors)! Up to this point this blog has been little more than a static host for my existing printmaking portfolio, but that is all about to change. As you may have noted in my bio, I am now a 1st year grad at UMass Amherst in Studio art. Fear not, lovers of printmaking, I will still be posting new print work here, but I am also branching out, starting with an exciting studio that will marry new technologies (laser cutting, CNC routing, 3d printing) with my art practice! This page will now serve not only as a place to view my previous work, but to discuss and document my ongoing adventures in a Studio Art graduate program.

For the purposes of my class for which blogging is an assignment, I’ll be tagging #digitaltophysical, but my goal is to create an interwoven documentation of all my studio projects and class discussions. Stay tuned!

#digital to physical #MFA #maggie at grad school #maggie makes art #printmaking #sculpture