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.

BURIED TREASURE 2010

Here is a post which is from this time last year. I am re posting it as part of Seth Apter's Buried Treasure 2010 project to be found on the blog The Altered Page. He has asked folk to collaborate by posting a favourite past post. I felt that it would be apt to post this one as it is about this time last year it was first posted. It will also celebrate the fact that my blog is just over a year old now...Happy Blogday to me. Enjoy going back in time.

I have just spent a wet week in Bude, Cornwall with husband Rob and son Toby. While they spent the days frolicing in the waves in wet suits, I had an enjoyable time exploring rock pools and collecting stones.

I find seaside pebbles irresistable, the Bude coast line is edged with these gorgeous stones before the sand appears when the tide goes out.

The rocks on the edge of the beaches are covered in the deepest blue clusters of mussels

and although the orange fishing net is really rubbish it looks fabulous against the blue.

I knew I would have sometime left to my own devises so I cut up a larger sketch book to make this square format, 11 x 11cms and at the end of the week decorated the front with beach finds.

I manage 2 to 3 drawings a day, some on the beach, some inspired by the day

I prepared pages with acrylic paint and wall paper before coming away,

and used collage to inspire some pages.

I am left with a personal reminder of a lovely holiday that is easier to look at than a set of photos.

Now back at home I am working on new collagraphs for my galleries, this Barnacle Goose lives at Slimbridge and fills an A1 piece of Snowdon cartridge

CARRY ON COLLAGRAPHING

I spent a happy but hot beginning of this week working with 19 'A' level students. A very friendly art department with fantastic work being done by the staff and students.

We had a very energetic time making collagraph prints with card, wall paper and wood glue the first day. The students then worked into their prints by monoprinting inked card and wallpaper

over both wet and dry prints. Lovely work was produced, but I think we all wilted in the heat by the second day!

I have just about found time to bind together the colour samples I made during the Open Studio event at Hampen Factory at the beginning of June. If I don't organise them I will just put them away and forget all the good ideas they have sparked. I am not an accurate or talented book binder, but I do love this form. I have used the printing plate for the cover of one booklet, but my favourite samples I have covered in acetate.

I intend to hang the booklets up in my studio by the bulldog clips so that they are a very visible reminder that I can do colour...!!!

Thankyou Lesley, who has a great blog Printed Material. Lesley found this fabric at the Bristol Ikea, for me it was a must have and I am now the proud owner of a flocking frock for summer.

My daughter kindly fed the birds with a series of humourous textile bugs, thankyou Holly!

Finally, Cassey the Hampen Factory Arts Centre cat has had 7 kittens in a cello case.

They are about 7 hours old here.

Mother and kittens are doing well, Carolyn and I are thrilled!

CONTINUE TO COLLAGRAPH

At last, after 2 days in a school making collagraphs with year 10 students I have managed a day in my studio doing some work.

The Open Studio event gave me time to do some sketch book pages but I finished this off today.

I have also been able to experiment with colour a little more on slightly larger plates, this is Burnt Umber in the intaglio with a Raw Sienna and a Turquoise Lake roll.

And this is the same rolls but with Carmine in the intaglio. I love the rich possibilities and

I think it will push me to try and make more abstract pieces. Meanwhile back to the work that exhibits and sells.

I made this Flamingo plate before the Open Studios, all carborundum and wood glue on card and have finally got to print it today. It is 32 inches by 24 inches, perhaps a little cross looking, but if I was a big pink bird I think I would be too!