CLEAR THE DECKS...DECK THE HALLS

Just before the festivities kick in and I throw myself whole heartedly into decking the halls, 

I have taken to completely tidying up my shed and starting a new piece of work that I can pick up when the glitter has settled in the new year.(More about that in later posts)

 It was a mammoth tidy. Thanks Iris!!

I excavated some printmaking experiments.

I found things I had lost, but suspect that I have now lost things as they are placed in different...tidy places!!

Reminded myself of work I would like to develop...the flock of enamel crows come to mind.

My weird collects are now on view.

I can get to the pillar drill.

And now know where there are some nice brushes.

 Four bags of rubbish later and a box of books are now off to the local Red Cross bookshop. Now looking at these photographs I am wondering how tidy this space really looks, it feels neater at least. 

Now I am turning to the gentle decorating of the house that takes place during December.

You might recognise these from other Christmassy posts.

Even Frank is getting into the spirit, or in the way depending on your point of view.

END OF TERM

And so ends another education year for me. My 10 week courses at Hampen Factory, Cheltenham and New Brewery Art, Cirencester are now finished this term.

I have been posting regularly about the work that has been made at Hampen. We have explored some interesting and challenging techniques, such as combining lino with collagraph.

Or just doing lino for a change, there has been lots of fabulous work from everyone, I have been rubbish at recording it, however.

The pin board has been full of prints drying, the top images is a silk aquatint, and as you have seen in past posts, this technique has proved very rewarding.

The afternoon group embraced the idea of printing lino blocks onto collagraphs, as with the teasel at the top of the post, this viaduct shows how a background collagraph inked in different colours can change the mood of the work. The smoke is on the collagraph plate, an excellent use of wood glue at the plate making stage.

The exciting addition to my classes this term has been the 10 week, Contemporary Enamel for Beginners at the New Brewery Arts, Cirencester. NBA bought 2 enamelling kilns and off we went! The experimental pieces below show a wide range of techniques attempted over the course. Each week there was a new development as everyone tried things out. An amazing amount was achieved in such a short time.

 

                           

 I have had a lovely time this term, all my groups have been full of lovely, generous and creative people.

There are still places on both courses next term, contact me directly for information about Hampen Factory or contact the New Brewery Arts http://www.newbreweryarts.org.uk/ and check out their range of workshops and courses.

VITREOUS ENAMEL EXPERIMENTS

Now that all the Christmas stock has been delivered I am now turning my attention to exhibitions I will be in at the beginning of next year.

This and the following piece will be off to the

Devon Guild of Craftsmen's exhibition Narrative Remains.

These images, enamel on steel will

find themselves in Bath

at the Rostra Gallery.

I have just finished these labels of Lost Relatives

ready for an exhibition of MA graduates called Second Impressions.

This will be at the New Brewery Arts, Cirencester.

I am beginning to explore the use of red and as you can see I

am still obsessed with using postcard messages.

Now that I have finished all this work I have mental space to sit down over December

and draw, plan and design some new pieces.

Watch this space!!

HOTHOUSE

The Crafts Council announce the 38 makers selected to start the six-month Hothouse programme in January 2014, which is delivered in partnership across four regions in the UK.   

...and I am one of those makers. I have been selected to join the Midland cohort in January.

For more details about the scheme, http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/about-us/press-room/view/2013/38-makers-selected-for-hothouse-4?from=/about-us/press-room/

CONTEMPORARY VITREOUS ENAMEL

Let me take you back to almost exactly last year when I announced in a post that I had been awarded a public art commission for a set of  vitreous enamel panels. http://suebrownprintmaker.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/great-expectations.html

I am pleased to announce that it is now complete. Here it is sat in my sitting room ready for the representatives of Cheltenham Borough Council, the Bath Road Traders and Cheltenham Connect to see it for the first time.

Happily they liked it so the hard work of Rachel Davies and the generosity of John White at Hy-Tech Enamellers has not been in vain. 

For those of you interested in the processes and stats. The whole piece measures 7ft x 3ft.

The image is white enamel drawn through to the black. Yes the image is completely hand drawn onto to the surface.

The coloured panels are thin steel with digital transfers fired on. Thankyou Jane for your computer help with these.

Enamel is notoriously difficult to photograph because of its sheen, but at the bottom of each panel

I have etched into the enamel surface with glass etch to create soft grey images.

 

I am now looking forward to the panels being install either late this year or early 2014.