SILK AQUATINT

The holy grail for many printmakers is to be able to print a dense black. In etching this can be achieved through mezzo tint or using a lung damaging resin which is melted on to the plate. For collagraph printmakers it is usually carborundum grit, difficult to ink and only really useful in large areas. Easier to handle and wonderfully affective is silk aquatint.

Using chiffon or silk attached to the card plate using acrylic paint, tones are then introduced using acrylic gel mediums and PVA glue in various layers, the white area on the above plate is a thin piece of card with detail scored into it.

When inked with colour the plate prints like this.

This silk aquatint has tile cement with leaves and wall paper pressed into it to make the textures.

The resulting print is full of subtle tonal contrasts. The chicken print is 5ins x 5ins and the rook is about 10ins x 5ins. Inspired by these 2 experiments I am now working on a much larger piece, wish me luck!

SKETCH BOOK PRACTICE

I have been really inspired by a blog post by a friend of mine about her sketch book practice, http://www.wendyrhodes.blogspot.com/ , it made me contemplate my own need to work in sketch books.

Using a variety of techniques that appear no where else in my work I experiment with ideas and media.

I feel that this is where the hard work is done, where an artist can be privately creative. I often think that the work I do in my sketch books has more spontaneity and freshness than work I produce for public consumption.

I use my sketch books to record and rough out ideas. It is my safe place to draw badly and make mistakes. If I do not make a note of an idea immediately it will often be lost forever.

Artist's sketch books are the support to their work, most are private and it would be a tragedy to rip pages out to display as it is often the juxtaposition of one idea following the other when the page is turned that makes it so interesting to look at.

I love to see other artist's preparation, a sketch book, like a diary shows what is going on in a creative mind. Here are 3 of my favourite books, this one about Picasso's sketch book, full of spare gestural line drawings which shows the development of some of his most famous works.

This book about Palmer full of annotated drawings that look so contemporary, but then quick drawing does not date.

This well thumbed book is full of ideas and techniques to get a sketch book under way. Chapter 1 is entitled, Purposes of a Sketch Book: Pause, record, reflect, move on... says it all really.

So... what is in your sketch book?

Here is the challenge, let me know if you post about your sketch book, the techniques you use and what you use your sketch book for, do you have a favourite subject or technique. Like dieting and exercise, regular sketch book use is on that New Years resolution list. For inspiration check out Sharon's post from September 1st 2010 on
http://blog.sharonmcswiney.co.uk/ . I look forward to hearing from you.

CAW!

So why have I been making these large enamel crows?
So that I can place them on fence posts of course, this one I found in a Welsh field...on the ground I might add after the farmer had renewed his fencing.

Adding the moths adds a lightness to the piece. Upwards and onwards!!

ENDLESS ENAMEL

I am very excited about this experiment. I have spent the last few days cultivating these rust
patterns onto a white enamel surface. It is then fired in leaving this shabby chic look. A fly transfer and the addition of a newly acquired stamp and hey presto, the character of a mixed media piece in durable enamel.

ENAMELS - CAW!

These enamel crows on steel are 12" tall.
The first 2 using black and white enamel with the edition of transfers are made from one complete

piece of steel. Due to their size they were fired in Elizabeth Turrel's kiln at UWE, I am grateful for her support and advice. I was really over the moon with these 2 crows until I made this one last Friday.

Made in sections so that it fits in the ceramic departments enamel kilns then glued together. I used clear flux instead of white which has given me this lovely soft grey, I am finding this tonal range more satisfying.

Everything is exciting, new and all such an adventure at the moment.

ALTERED BOOK

6 talented artists, 12 months and 6 random books equal an extraordinary altered book project which has now sadly come to an end.

But we all own a wonderful artifact full of treasures.
I launched this project 12 months ago with the challenge...alter a page and send the book on, take 2 months to do the next section and send the book on.
Everyone approached the project in their own style, trying out new things.

Playing and experimenting. Having fun and challenging themselves. The deadlines were strict, but communication allowed for flexibility.

We all have busy lives and this project was out bus mans holiday.

Every other month the postman was anticipated excitedly.

To mark the end of the project we met for tea and cake yesterday to hand over the books in person, except for our book mate in America who was with us in spirit and the gorgeous pages of her contributions to the project. Daunting and stimulating in equal measure.

The project punctuated my year, which has not always been straight forward, with a sparkle of creativity which would otherwise lie dormant.

It has been a joy to share this project with such a lovely group of creative people. Thankyou for my book.

ENAMEL EXPERIMENTS

I have spent the day in the shed experimenting with my newly acquired enamel grade steel.
The exciting thing is that it does not need sand blasting to degrease it and I may even get away with not grip coating it if the experiment on the right is anything to go by. I really like the look of the burnt metal. I have been playing with black, white and flux. Layering, scratching and stoning back. A little bit of sifted enamel in orange and brown has been added here and there.

Being fairly new to enameling it has been so valuable just to spend an afternoon doodling. The greyness looks so English, I quite like this shabby chic thing though.