CONTINUING TO COLLAGRAPH

It has been a long and enjoyable summer break, but now it is back to work for me.

After a break, even a short one, I face my sketch book with a feeling of panic. But after a days intensive drawing and 3 days plate making and printing these 4 chicken collagraphs

are the result. The plates are made from card and woodglue.

They each measure about 7cms x 11cms.

Hopefully this will make them a set.

Still lurking in my sketch book are these 2 drawings.

Both additions to my ugly bird series. It is so good to get back to work, the more you do the more you feel like doing...don't you think?

Let me introduce you to Iris(on the left) and Henry, they have come to live with us from the Hampen Factory litter I posted about weeks ago. They have been with us for 2 days now and are settling in beautifully.

ARTEA PARTY

Things I like best...spending time with my arty friends and cake! To this end I invited chums around for an Artea Party today. In exchange for a cup of tea I challenge them to bring a decorated fairy cake. Here are some of the results.

My son Jack and his girl friend Alice rose to the challenge with this Monty Python inspired piece

and spent the morning making desert islands complete with palm trees and parasols.

My offering was Picasso inspired and Toby my youngest son who will be doing 'A' level art next

term created his own take on the Damian Hurst's piece Mother and Child Divided.

The variety and imagination was fantastic, print based sculptures, paper cut spiders,

delicious cream and chocolate confections.

Wonderful food sculptures from flowers to itsy bitsy teeny weeny polka dot bikini.

All creative and spirit raising. I am so lucky to have such creative family and friends.

If today was anything to go by, I will certainly repeat this, we should all have an Artea Party from time to time. Thankyou everyone.

CONTINUING TO COLLAGRAPH

After a summer break it is a relief to get back to some work. Over the summer I have been working on flamingo images and this week I have completed these new collagraphs.

I use grey board as a base, then apply wood glue for the whites and Carborundum for the deep colours and areas of black.

I have had some good news this summer, the largest collagraph I have ever made has been selected for the Royal West of England Academy's Open Print Exhibition in Bristol.

'Heads Up' measures 180cm x 85cm and is made in a similar way to the flamingos. The exhibition is on until 19th September and is well worth a visit if you are interested in printmaking, it has a comprehensive collection of national and international examples of the many processes used in print.

HOLIDAY SKETCH BOOK

I have been lucky enough to have another week off on holiday, this time in Italy where the weather was a little warmer than Bude. I stayed with my artist friend Amanda and her husband in their house in Umbria.

My sketch book became inspired by the things I saw. These dear little lizards shared the house.

and the fields were full of sunflowers.

Amanda and I had fun playing with mixed media techniques on the last day of my stay. Inspired by the green paper table mats from a meal earlier in the week which forms the basis of these 2 collages.

And the beautifully shaped grappa bottles. My little sketch book is a great reminder of what a lovely summer I am having. Thankyou Amanda and Rob for your generous hospitality.

Back to work, I have had an order for 5 of these collagraphs. Atonement is the size of an A1 piece of paper.