A FABULOUS FRIDAY

Up the road from where I live in sunny Cheltenham is the lovely Red Cross book shop, I have to limit myself to one visit a month as I have a penchant for old books. I am buying my childhood back and also I am a sucker for lovely book covers. 

So here is my latest score to assuage a habit that at least does not damage my health, (unless I become crushed by the rapidly growing piles of hard backs!!??)

This beautifully illustrated Brer Rabbit was a must have, how did he get away with being so naughty? Peaking in this photo is a lovely spotty book, Bird related (of course), Birds from the Hide, 1933 with sixty- three plates in photogravure. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photogravure, before you ask!)

But look at this beauty, as an artist maker how could I leave this on the shelf?

From 1907 this book has made me come to terms with the fact that animals may have had the idea first and made it...nothing is new!!

I just love the headings although 

some topics are a bit dubious.

Yes, there are a couple more books that I am not owning up to and for a change there are no Ladybird books in my latest binge buy.

But some will be put to good use as this lovely book was during Cheltenham Open Studios, display resources makes them all tax deductable. 

and this little collection turned into Alice in Wonderland shelves at Select Showcase in October 2015.

This all makes me feel a little less guilty.

PENULTIMATE CLASS

Yes it's that time in the 10 week printmaking course at the yard:ARTspace! Last printing day as next week we make books.

So it was an inking frenzy, but what a day.

The morning, afternoon and evening class produced some of the best prints I have seem this term.

9 weeks of learning techniques and clean printmaking strategies has really paid off,

as during all 3 sessions the room was filled with glorious colour

and images.

Viscosity inking was used

to it's best advantage.

Work was made with scope to extend it with mixed media.

Everyone seemed to have a plan using chine collee and

the drypoint collagraph combo.

Extravagant colour was the order of the evening.

Rich textural images were successfully made.

All in all it was an energetic and

productive day. Thank you everyone for making my Wednesdays a printmakers joy.

There are a few places remaining on the Summer Term 10 week courses, for information and booking go to www.theyardartspace.com

COMPLETED FOR MARCH

So here it is completed in all it's knitted glory, my collagraph for March.

 'Drop a Stitch'

SILK AQUATINT AND OTHER STORIES

What a busy week I have had, the yard:ARTspace hosted a very successful 

Silk Aquatint workshop over the weekend.

Silk Aquatint I hear you cry...well it is a fabulous

collagraph technique that with the addition of

viscosity inking produces rich, moody, tonal  images.

2 days of plate making and

experimenting with different ways of inking produced

lots of interesting prints.

If you can get hold of this book, it is the Silk Aquatint bible as far as I am concerned. 

Fun and hard work in equal measure, I am always surprised

how hard everyone works on a weekend workshop.

Last week also saw the arrival on March's 'Print a Month'

4 hours printmaking in the studio and this was produced.

Not quite finished yet, there is a surprise element planned to fit in with my sewing/making birds theme...???

I love working in the yard:ARTspace. If you want to join in the fun check out the workshops and courses on www.theyardartspace.com, but be warned, printmaking can prove to be habit forming!

A PRINT A MONTH

In 2014 I set myself the task of making a print a month...it was not easy, but it was achievable. Not every print was a winner, but it did keep me working. So guess what? I have decided to do the same this year.

So far so good, here is the collagraph for January,

Tea for Two, I have even tried a different technique and seem to be using a spot of colour!!

So you know me, I do cheat a bit and I have a print in hand, Cup for One was also made last month.

I am taken aback by this sudden use of colour, it doesn't feel quite like me.

So here is Februarys collagraph, back to my default

rook, carborundum and black ink (don't those blankets look clean?)

I am comfortable with Escape and feel a bit of a theme coming on with 

the cage.

So now I have sated my need to use black and white, this is the start of the print for March. There will be a bit of a twist as this Macaw will be knitting by the time the work is finished.

The plate has been started, I never put myself under unnecessary pressure, it is only printmaking after all and I should be enjoying what I am doing, so the fact that it is not March yet makes me feel ahead of the game. And yes I make lists where things at the top are done so they are ticked off immediately!! Can't be just me?

This may be Aprils offering, watch this space.

WORKING WEEKEND

So what makes being an artist a profession and not a hobby? I always thought that a job was in the week and you got weekends off...but this is the second weekend I have worked. (I make sure I take days in lue in the week by the way) Don't get me wrong, I am not having a moan and I'm not looking for sympathy. I love my job.

So it's enamelling in the shed, with safety kit on. 

I am making more enamelled spoons for up and coming shows.

Let me introduce you to Kit Korner, pillar drill which saves me lots of time and energy, Bertha the bandsaw and a tray full of my soldering equipment, a new toy which I am thrilled with.

I use new steel spoons, holes drilled, annealed in the kiln, then soaked in hydrochloric acid prepares the steel to take the enamel. 

I have spot welded moths onto some of the spoons, yes there is another corner with kit!

The spoons are then grip coated,

a stage you have to go through with steel to allow the enamel to stick.

It's really, hot, hot, hot!

And there we have it, after 2 days work the spoons

are now ready to take transfers and be fired a couple more times. Yes, all the spoons get 4-5 firings. The question is what do I do on a day off? What is the shape of your working week, proper hours, ring fenced days, is self employment flexible or more ridged than having a boss?