ONE TO GET READY

10 days to go before I open my doors for Cheltenham Open Studios so I am in the process of getting my house, garden and shed ready.

The lounge is cleared and cleaned, here

is a sneaky peak of some of what you will see.

The lovely Mr Brown has helped me to tidy up 

the garden, planting up pots and weeding.

I just hope there will be a few poppies left.

The shed is taking a bit of organising,

I have started to lay out some of the bargains, both print and enamel that I have when it is Open Studios.

This year I will be joined again by Sharon McSwiney, jewellery and metal work and making her debut appearance textile artist Christine Waygood. If you are in the area we are having a preview evening on 11 June, 6-9pm. Then in full swing from 13-21 June, 10am- 4pm, 8, Commercial Street, Cheltenham, GL50 2AU.

Look forward to seeing you.

THIS WEEK I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN DOING ENAMEL...!

I have been having a week of enamel.

My lovely chum Julie Jowett has sent me some 

copper mesh which I have just

had to experiment with. These enamelled labels are now winging their way to Julia for her to add her magic to them. Hopefully some stitching intervention.

Saturday found me at the Museum in the Park, Stroud,

running an enamel workshop. Thanks to Northern Kilns for lending me this darling little kiln.

Everyone

worked

really hard.

I was kept very busy popping things in and out of the kiln.

The group of 8 threw themselves into 

experimental enamel techniques and

produced lots of lovely test pieces.

Thanks to the funding from Arts Council England this workshop was heavily subsidised.

I have been keeping my enamel hand in so to speak making these small labels using transfers on steel and copper, I am very tempted to just hang them randomly on things. We will see.

MORE DRAWING, DRAWING, DRAWING

Art in Action is hurtling towards me, it is July 16-19 and I am preparing for it now...even though it will be Cheltenham Open Studios June 13-21 first...I hope you are jotting all these dates in your diary?

I will be demonstrating in the Printmaking tent this year so I am drawing as much as I can.

I like to show how I make my collagraph plates, from drawing to printmaking substrate. I wanted to make some darker work after the jolly birds on washing lines, so I am playing with the darker side of corvids, rust and decay.

This idea seems to be extending into some enamel work I am experimenting with.

Old photographs, partially enamelled steel that will rust.

The crackle of transfers when fired into copper.

And firing rust into the enamel.

I am extending the moth eaten idea and

there are always beetle, flies and wasps.

LIFE AT THE YARD:ARTSPACE

It is hard to believe that it is nearly half term, 5 weeks of the second term has gone by at the yard:ARTspace. The 10 week collagraph course has progressed rapidly.

All the printmaking groups have taken on the challenge of colour separation and multiple plate printing.

Carborundum, skim and repair plaster and wood glue has been the basis

for their experiments.

Interesting, textural

key plates have been produced.

Atmospheric experimental

images have been made.

But this week it all became clear...honestly! Adding colour to the

second plate and printing the coloured plate under the key dark plate resulted in...

this collection

of rich,

moody,

vibrant,

painterly,

images.

These are just

a few of the

gorgeous prints made on Wednesday morning, afternoon and on the evening class.

It will soon be time to apply for the Autumn 10 week printmaking classes, go to www.theyardartspace.com for details

AIRING DIRTY LAUNDRY

With Art in Action racing towards me I wanted to create one really large image.

So I hit my A2 sketchbook, joined a piece of paper together to a page to make an A1 drawing developing the birds on a washing line theme.

And off I went making a collagraph plate.

I use grey board as it gives me a good mid tone , I use cutting and peeling to create darks.

PVA sealant and exterior wood glue

are brilliant for light areas and highlights.

Making the laundry was great fun. Oiling up my favourite wallpapers and pressing it into repair and skim plaster...so far no art shop has been entering in the making of this plate!

One layer of shellac later...

and I have a piece 66 x 95cm ready for Art in Action.

For more details about the event go to http://www.artinaction.org.uk/