RESEARCH METHODS

I have just finished my assignments for the Research Methods module of my MA course, everything has to be handed in next Thursday. To celebrate I have made a homage to the language of Research Methods.
This is a collection of enamel experiments put together as a collection of moths, genus Researchium Metholepidoptera. Inspired by the curious names moths have been given, collected here is the Large Heuristic, the Scarse Phenomenologist, the Artium Magister and of course the very rare Bloody Deadline. All a bit of fun, but will mean I will not loose my experiments or forget the new terminology I have had to learn.

COLLAGRAPH AND COLOUR SEPARATION

This weekend at Hampen Factory I ran a class teaching collagraph plate making
using the two plate colour separation technique. Making plates with glue, textured wall paper

and Carborundum powder, a variety of images were made and printed.

It is a versatile way of working, plates can be printed singly

or layered together for interesting results.

It is fantastic what can be achieved using card, glue and a craft knife.

CAW!

At the moment I am obsessed with crows, rooks and magpies they are everywhere.
I am also obsessed with enameling and have moved on to experimenting with

enamel on steel. The enamel is applied in the same way as onto copper, but it reacts differently,

the steel does not expand as much as copper in firing and the colours do not take on a greenish tinge.

These pieces are about 14cm x 18cm. I am looking forward to making a small flock.

PRINTMAKING EXPERIMENTS

I am very excited about the work that the 10 week printmaking classes I teach at Hampen Factory
on Wednesdays are producing. The plates are made with tile cement , glue and carborundum on

a base of card. The plates are then inked up using the viscosity inking method.

These are just a few examples of the many prints that were made. I have 16 people learning

printmaking during the day. I am really lucky, both groups are full of talented, lovely people. Hampen Factory is situated in the middle of the Cotswold countryside just outside Cheltenham,

Gloucestershire and I have been lucky to be able to teach classes in printmaking from here for

several years now. The next weekend workshop is 22nd and 23rd May, Multiplate and colour separation using collagraph plate making techniques, email me for more details.

NON TOXIC ETCHING WEEKEND

I have just had a creative weekend teaching a really talented group non toxic etching.
Using copper sulphate and gum arabic resist the group of six artists made sets of experimental etchings on aluminum plate.

After inking the first prints in the usual intaglio way.

I let the group explore viscosity inking.

These rich colours are printed by pushing one colour into the etched line,

then rolling two different viscosity's of ink in different colours across the plate.

Exciting flashes of colour are achieved.

Try the technique on collagraph plates, the effect is even more dramatic.

I had a great weekend, it was a very simulating group, we put the world to rights

and lots of prints were produced.