I am beginning to have mild panic about whether I will have enough work for our forthcoming exhibition at The Biscuit Factory. However, today I had a breakthrough with one of my plates. I made it a while ago when I went on a course at Peter Wray's. I really liked it but hadn't yet managed to get a print I was completely satisfied with. I left it alone and then as I often do with old plates I returned to it last week and printed it several times. Each time I was satisfied with a part of the plate but not the whole of it.
I began on it again today and had printed it twice with increasing success but still not there yet and getting a little frustrated because time is running out and I needed to move on if it wasn't going to work this time. Then a friend of mine, Sue Malkin arrived, a very talented painter as I was printing the plate for the 5th time. She saw in it and the previous plates what I was struggling to see and suggested that it reminded her of Hareshaw Lyn waterfall in Bellingham. Bingo! I knew what to do next!
I changed my colour palette slightly and hey presto the resulting prints were exactly where I wanted it to go. Thank you Sue. And I WILL get some phots posted soon to accompany this text.
with a passion for intaglio and relief printmaking.
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Exciting times
On Monday I had a meeting with Rebecca with whom I share the studio. We are talking about the courses we want to run in the coming year. In 3 months time we will have a new resident ceramicist in the studio next to ours, Melanie Hopwood.
We are looking at running a number of printmaking courses where the students get the opportunity to make and print plates on paper and then move onto using their plates to print onto clay and form 3D ephemera from the clay. This expands the idea we started with whereby some who come to our printmaking classes print onto fabric and/or canvas and then take the prints to another stage either through the addition of textiles and embroidery or with paint. We have a number of artists like Glynnis Carter (painter) and Mandy Pattullo (textiles - who teaches some of our courses) who do this.
We are looking at running a number of printmaking courses where the students get the opportunity to make and print plates on paper and then move onto using their plates to print onto clay and form 3D ephemera from the clay. This expands the idea we started with whereby some who come to our printmaking classes print onto fabric and/or canvas and then take the prints to another stage either through the addition of textiles and embroidery or with paint. We have a number of artists like Glynnis Carter (painter) and Mandy Pattullo (textiles - who teaches some of our courses) who do this.
Friday, 9 January 2009
Viscosity Monotype
Today I was experimenting and practicing viscosity monotype in anticipation of a course I am due to teach in early February. I wasn't having as much success as I had just before Christmas. Not sure if it was because I was trying to take a short cut and use previously mixed inks or if it was because I was using different colours. Anyway, I now have a plan for the day workshop. My samples can be seen here. The samples that were less successful than I'd hoped were bottom right (third colour was too close the the first), 2nd from bottom left (colours got a bit muddy), 2nd from middle right (ditto) and top left ( linework filled in too much).
Saturday, 3 January 2009
Thinking in the positive
I posted the blog below because it chimed so well with me. A much better way to approach the new year by looking back on ones achievements in the past 12 months, big or small.
Taking a leaf out of the same book as I look back on 2008 what am I proud of? Well, Horsley Printmakers is clearly beginning to make a name for itself as are both Rebecca and I as printmakers.
We had a very successful tutor and student exhibition in the spring at The Biscuit Factory (http://www.thebiscuitfactory.com/) and we have been invited back for this spring. We also had a very successful Art Tour in June/July (http://www.networkartists.org.uk). Bianco Nero Gallery (http://www.bianconero.co.uk) asked to represent us at the Newcastle/Gateshead Art Fair (http://www.ngartfair.com) at which we both once again sold work. This Christmas we exhibited in 3 separate venues and sold work in two of them.
Our courses are going well and our first foray into a completely independent course with guest tutor and master wood engraver, Chris Daunt, was booked up months before it was due to start. We are running another one in February and this too was booked up within 24 hours of emailing our mailing list.
The year ahead will be challenging with the global credit crunch which is already affecting our bookings of courses but we will just have to think smart on our feet and weather the storm.
Taking a leaf out of the same book as I look back on 2008 what am I proud of? Well, Horsley Printmakers is clearly beginning to make a name for itself as are both Rebecca and I as printmakers.
We had a very successful tutor and student exhibition in the spring at The Biscuit Factory (http://www.thebiscuitfactory.com/) and we have been invited back for this spring. We also had a very successful Art Tour in June/July (http://www.networkartists.org.uk). Bianco Nero Gallery (http://www.bianconero.co.uk) asked to represent us at the Newcastle/Gateshead Art Fair (http://www.ngartfair.com) at which we both once again sold work. This Christmas we exhibited in 3 separate venues and sold work in two of them.
Our courses are going well and our first foray into a completely independent course with guest tutor and master wood engraver, Chris Daunt, was booked up months before it was due to start. We are running another one in February and this too was booked up within 24 hours of emailing our mailing list.
The year ahead will be challenging with the global credit crunch which is already affecting our bookings of courses but we will just have to think smart on our feet and weather the storm.
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