Liquid Emulsion

Flexibility has been the key word with this assignment.  Luckily, the students eventually were able to dig deep and find material and events worth working with for the Personal Journey assignment.  However,  once we got to the liquid emulsion part.... Patience needs to take over.  So, the emulsion is not so compatible with the Eco-Pro chemicals we use.  The developer will bring up the latent image.  But it does something to the make up of the emulsion; sort of softens it.  We skip the stop bath.  Then once we go to fix it, it melts off.  If it does not melt off then, in the water it does.  Ugh.

So with some research, I found that I have to use Kodak developer.  Luckily, I have a bag of my own Kodak Dektol at home.  I brought that i, mixed half of the bag and it worked!  Now I need to have the kids cut the fixing time to practically nil.  To compensate for the resulting darkening, I have to have them underexpose the image.

Phew!

If this was last year's classes, the patience would have been gone and they would have given up on Monday.  But what a group I have this year.  They understand what is going on and know that this process is inherently hit and miss, so this seems to be taken in stride.    And we have gotten beautiful work so far.  The darkening of the image adds to the effect of the surface.  Very cool.

I am also psyched to finally (!) get notice on this art show at William Paterson University.  A former student gave me the connection two years ago, but the man in charge never got in touch with me.  Magically, I received an e-mail this weekend.  Woo Hoo!!!!!  And... they include a piece of art form the teacher.  Oh wow!  This excites me because it validates my opinion that we teachers should also be practicing our trade.  Someone bit my head off when I suggested we exhibit something of our own (note: only one) during the art show.  The kids love hearing that I do my own art, and that I exhibit it.  The fact that WPU does this show in this manner, well, it makes me feel better....