Screen Printing at home

I studied textile design to post graduate level and specialised in print design for fashion. I did some of my own printing, using large screens to print lengths of fabric for my degree shows, which were made up into garments.
Post college, I worked as a freelance designer for a while, producing painted artwork, but began taking illustration commissions which then became the whole of my business.
My original hand painted art work is reproduced digitally for books, giftwrap, cards, packaging etc, for various clients and lately for myself. I have an online shop and attend fairs and markets with my products.

Printed products by Jo Brown

I have experimented with different methods of reproducing my artwork, lino cuts, stamps, digital prints, riso printing etc which form part of my range.
Last year I decided that I really wanted to screen print some of my designs, more than that, I wanted to design for screen print. So that I am making an original print, rather than reproducing an existing artwork.
 I took a course on printing on paper at East Side Print in Brighton, and have been developing my printing capabilities since then. I am loving it! I am learning so much, and I love the mindful quality of it, you have to totally focus.

East Side Print CIC is an open access print workshop staffed by supportive tutors. They run lots of different day and evening courses.
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So far I have printed a short run of birthday cards, A3 prints, t-shirts, and tote bags. I am using each print project as an investigation into different print properties - first limiting myself to Cyan Magenta and Yellow and looking at overlaying different transparencies.
Then I started printing on fabric, slightly different technique, different inks, need post production heat fixing to make them withstand washing.
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I have also set up a makeshift print studio at home,- on my dining table when everyone is out -for times when I just want to mess about and try things out. It's not perfect, I don't have a vacuum bed , or a drying rack -but I can cut paper stencils, mix ink, check overlays.
I am learning that I need to be organised! Printing seems to be mostly preparation, and I am learning that I need to have everything sorted before I start. Note to self: do not run up two flights of stairs to fetch more paper mid print.
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I am happy to be making mistakes, and learning from them! (See my next post for mistakes!)
I produce very small amounts of each print, and I like that. I like the hand made quality, the fact that I can vary things if I want, experiment, PLAY!
​It is definitely the best things I did for myself last year, and I have lots of ideas for this year's projects, watch this space.
The results of my printing at East Side Print, and my home experiments are in my shop now, go have a look.