DRAWING, DRAWING...

The end of my teaching term at the yard:ARTspace does not always mean I can put my feet up. I can see Christmas hurtling towards me, so I am about to set up my creative safety net to get me started again in the New Year. It is always tough rekindling that creative flame after decorating the house and dealing with days of giant meals.

Just before Christmas I now make stuff that will need attention on December 28. Drawing ideas and half making collagraph plates that will ease me into 2017.

So here is my process, I am starting to draw new work

that I hope to make next year,

these ideas began to appear earlier in 2016 so 

I want to build on it for new work in 2017.

Lots of mixed media,

transfer and

acrylic and

ink.

I am determined to  use the gum arabic technique

on the finished prints.

This year has seen me having a dalliance with fabric and stitch. I can't quite seem to shake this off  and 

I am still transferring images onto random bits of material...watch this space.

END OF TERM AT the yard:ARTspace

December has arrived and this means the end of my second year here at the yard:ARTspace.

The last couple of weeks has seen lots of activity with the 10 week course and an end of term workshop.

My 10 week courses have produced wonderful work and as a treat we 

experimented with mono printing into collagraphs

and making completely new work using this flexible technique.

Fabric was used as a substrate together

with prints made during other workshops.

The washing lines of prints looked rich and

experimental.

Beautiful things appeared.

Saturday hosted the last workshop of the year.

A twist on the usual mono print technique used earlier in the week,

we explored viscosity mono printing. Everyone

made lots of energetic images which were developed

later in the day with more mono printed shapes.

2016 at the yard:ARTspace has been a busy year and there is lots planned in 2017. Workshop bookings have been tumbling in. There are still places if you would like to join the Wednesday, 10 week Printmaking Course. Hope to see you sometime next year.

FUSION

For the past few months I have been dabbling with Gum Arabic transfer onto fabric together with the 

odd collagraph print and have been surprised at the quality

of the results I am achieving.

But what to do with these snippets?

As I am not a textile person... although I adore what can be achieved, I have been fumbling about

and learning new skills here and there.

Thanks to the effervescent Julia Jowett, I have popped a few hand sewn bouillon roses onto the piece to get a bit of texture in there.  

And there is always an excuse for the odd french knot.

I wanted to add a touch of shabby chic with these cloth shirt buttons.

But the biggest revelation has been the free machine embroidery introduced to me by Catherine Kingzett. She ran an inspiring workshop at the yard:ARTspace earlier this term.

Thank you Catherine for introducing me to dissolvable fabric, I am totally obsessed.

All this experimentation has turned into a cushion, yes a bit scratchy.

Now all you textile embroiderers and makers of gorgeous things in fabric and thread, would you like to know how to print onto velvet and muslin? I am running a Gum Arabic transfer workshop in May, check out www.theyardartspace.com for details.

I STILL LOVE MY JOB!

Christmas has arrived at the yard:ARTspace this weekend with the first Create for Christmas workshop.

The tree is up, as are the fairy light, the crocheted snowflakes are out of the brown box, yes I found them easily this year!!

And to add an extra Christmas vibe, there are angels everywhere.

The workshop was fueled with special edition Christmas fingers. Like the tin?

With examples everywhere in 

sketch books, on fabric and feathers, this lovely group set 

to with Gum Arabic transfer, ink, 

wax, acrylic paint and bleach.

very individual work was created.

The Christmas twist was using glitter in the form of embossing powder to embellish finished pages.

What a glorious sight.

After 2 days of learning new processes and

being reminded of processes already in the back of our heads,

these beautiful books were made.

Some with very strong narratives.

Risks were taken with substrates.

And glitter was used in context.

The next mixed media workshop at www.theyardartspace.com will be a creative kick start for the new year on January 14-15, 2017, places are booking. The ideal Christmas present for the person who has everything...(tucked away in the art materials draw!!)