COLLAGRAPH EXPERIMENTS

June has been a really busy month. The house is now back to its usual state after the Cheltenham Open Studios, it was a very successful event. I have also just come back from teaching a collagraph workshop for the Twenty Twenty Gallery in Much Wenlock, Shropshire. I had a lovely weekend with some very enthusiastic and talented printmakers. Fab food and lovely work, what more can one ask for?
Well, to finish a collagraph I have been working on for a while. So enthused was I by the tremendous prints made at Much Wenlock that I came home and got straight down to proofing this silk aquatint plate.

This rook looks like a youngster still demanding food, or have I been watching too much Spring Watch?

Pressing alium heads into tile cement produces these wonderful textures.

For those of you with long memories, you may remember that I blogged about the arrival of a Scarlet Tiger moth in my garden this time last year. It must have met a friend as in the Spring we had caterpillars on the comfrey.

We now have a whisper of Scarlet Tigers fluttering exotically around...next year how many will we have?

DAY TWO IN THE HOUSE

Did you read the title to this Blog in a Geordie accent?
Yesterday was the first day of the Cheltenham Open Studios and we had people popping in while out buying milk because of the signs and bunting, so thankyou to the people on the committee who organised the designers. Will Sunday be quieter?

The fantastic thing about an event like this is that the public can see how and where artists work.

Now to be honest this space feels tidier when standing in it than it looks in this photo and I have squeezed 5 people in here to do a taster collagraph workshop. If nothing else Cheltenham folk will know what a collagraph is and how it is made...then I unlock the shed door!

AND THEY'RE OFF!

Yes the Cheltenham Open Studios has started, my house is clean and the lounge is now a gallery space. Sharon, Stephen and I set up the exhibition yesterday.

Stephens ceramics work really well with my collagraphs and enamels.

Sharon's metal work pieces are hot off the work bench, these bird pieces have been made especially for this show.

I love the way this wall sculpture works with the colour of my walls

Stephen's ceramics also look very sophisticated in my sitting room.

Flashes of colour and the lovely crackled effect of raku match the enamelled spoons.

I could quite happily keep my sitting room as a gallery, neat tidy and surrounded by beautiful things. The show kicks off at 11am June 4th and continues to June 12th.

For details of the other open studios, www.cheltenhamopenstudios.org.uk

Ask me at the end of the week how I feel about keeping the house gallery tidy...!

READY, STEADY...

One week to go before I open the door to my little house and shed studio as part of the Cheltenham Open Studios event starting on Saturday June 4th. Sharon McSwiney, Stephen End and I are joining forces to put together an intimate exhibition at my house.
As part of the show there will be examples of my latest collagraphs.

Sharon will have decorative wall pieces in copper and brass, including her latest leafy designs and abstract textured plaques. Stephen is showing contemporary hand built raku vessels.

I will also have some of my latest enamel creations available.

I am opening the doors at 11am on Saturday morning and the exhibition continues through to Sunday 12th June. Check out the web sight http://www.cheltenhamopenstudios.org.uk/ for more details about other interesting studios to look around in Cheltenham that week.

COLOUR CHALLENGE

So what exactly is happening here? Colour? For those of you familiar with my work
these collagraphs are a departure from my usual style.

Tile cement and carborundum enhanced with blended rubs have produced

these subtle neutral greys and flashes of pure colour.

This colour is exploding into the enamel work too.

It is all so liberating, why have I never done it before?

HAPPY SECOND BIRTHDAY

About this time 2 years ago I was contemplating starting a blog, my first post was about the Cheltenham Open Studio event that I and my friends were about to take part in.

So 2 years on here I am again getting ready for Cheltenhams bi-annual artistic frenzy.

This time I am getting together with metal work artist and chum Sharon McSwiney and ceramicist and chum Stephen End. I will be showing collagraphs and there will be a number of enamels available.

We will be snugly fitting into my front room and a short walk through the garden will offer a snoop into my studio. All this takes place in Cheltenham, 4-12 June and we are inviting everyone to our preview evening 2 June 6-9pm.

A RESULT

Thankyou to everyone who took the time to come up with a suggestion for the dome.

I agree with Sarah that the dome creates separation and anything in it will feel special. Jane's idea of painting the dome black to give the impression that the moths are flying out of darkness has a lovely Gothic feel, that's if Gothic and lovely really go together. Sharon's idea for a contrasting, brightly coloured moth works, as does Wendy's moth predator. Narrative will play a large part in what I want to make next.


Other ideas have been suggested to me, a carriage clock although I think that person watches too much Antiques Road Show. A stuffed bird, a dead bird with it's legs in the air. Cruel and not what I would really do, but a fluttering trapped moth has appeal, if I was technically adept a projection of a flying moth would be very clever.


You have all got me thinking and trust me a bare light bulb has not been ruled out as I had already bought a bulb with a curly filament from Baileys last year when I started making the moths. But Lesley's alternative light source using reflective surfaces or glow worms has set me off in a different direction.



As you can see I made 2 moths and drew out 2 names from the up turned dome just after 8pm, so congratulations Wendy and Lesley the moths will be winging their way to you later in the week.


Thankyou everyone.