I’m just back from life drawing at Swansea Print Workshop and it’s late. I did a graphite sketch of our model onto paper prepared with an olive green acrylic paint, applied with a squeegee, and then used a piece of stiff card to apply some highlights with white acrylic. About 30 minutes in all.
Good night. Nos da.
Trying out some different ways of drawing our lovely life model. I used graphite but went from a fairly academic approach, through some slight abstraction focusing on shapes and patterns to a very stylised linear drawing, which I later used for a linocut.
I love that moment when my lino block (traditional grey) is carved and ready to ink up. I love that first stroke of the roller (brayer) across the surface, when you start to see the image revealed. Then the satisfaction of inking the whole block, ready for printing. And that heavenly smell of oil-based ink as well. Am I weird?
This is one of the 12 blocks I cut and proof-printed during my artist residency at Swansea’s Urban HQ throughout April. I loved getting stuck into making a new body of work, and also all the lovely people I met while I was there.
Another dive into my archives of scribbles and these were done at a public arts event in May 2015, the Fringe Arts Bath. A group of like-minded scribblers from the Swansea area descended on the Bath city centre and did some timed live sketching. It was really exhausting; the weather was very hot and we did several one-hour sessions, standing and sketching, with short breaks in between. I don’t think I could do it now, I’m getting on a bit.
Can you believe it’s come round again! It’s #Caturday Saturday and here’s Sparta Puss back in September 2016, “helping” me when I was sketching Husb. She likes to “help” a lot, particularly in the garden. I plant things, she pulls them back up. And clean laundry too, needs helping by being lolled upon while I’m folding and putting away.
I’ve finished my artist residency at Swansea’s Urban HQ and slipped back to normal routine with Life Drawing at Swansea Print Workshop last night, working with this lovely model. I pre-coloured some vintage paper with an olive-y green acrylic screen-printing medium and drew onto it with 4B Graphite. I like the look of it in real life, but it’s a bit faded here, it’s quite hard to photograph because graphite is shiny. Never mind.
My artist residency at Swansea’s Urban HQ ended yesterday and I’m relaxing today, pottering in the garden, enjoying the sunshine and being given the runaround by Sparta Puss and Erik The Tabby Boi; (Bill aka William Chat Noir is just chilling). Tomorrow I’ll start planning what I’m going to do with the work I’ve created – some blocks will need a bit more carving, others will be ready to print as editions. But, shall I print them plain or use chine collé? Hmmm.
I’d like to thank Laura and all the lovely staff at Urban HQ for giving me this opportunity and for being so kind and supportive…although that chef is WAY too good and after a month of delicious lunches I need to go on a diet!
It’s the last-but-one day of my artist residency at Swansea’s Urban HQ and I did a first proof of the last block I carved, block number 12. I started out on April 1st with a pile of portrait sketches, done from life, a stack of traditional grey lino blocks and my carving tools. I’m really pleased with the way it’s gone, next step is to look carefully at all the first proofs and decide which ones need more work. The mouth in this one could do with a bit of tweaking, we’ll see.
There’s only one day left – tomorrow (Wednesday 29th) and I’ll be there from 9.30ish (depending on insomnia) to 3.30. Would be lovely to see you 😀
Here are a couple of the first proof prints close up, with their lino blocks inked-up. It’s been really interesting to play around with textures to create the features on the faces. I used several of my carving tools, including ones I had hardly used before, especially on this small scale.
I only have 2 more days left of my artist residency at Swansea’s Urban HQ before the residency passes to another artist at the beginning of May. If you’re visiting the city centre, please pop in and have a look and pick up a free postcard of my work. It would be lovely to see you.
Tuesday (9.30 – 3.30) 28th
Wednesday (9.30 – 3.30) 29th
I’ve done first proofs of 11 newly carved lino blocks. I have a bit more carving to do on number 12 but I think I should be able to proof that one as well soon. I’ve done all these during my artist residency at Swansea’s Urban HQ . I only have 2 more days left before the residency passes to another artist at the beginning of May. If you’re visiting the city centre, please pop in and have a look and pick up a free postcard of my work. It would be lovely to see you.
Tuesday (9.30 – 3.30) 28th
Wednesday (9.30 – 3.30) 29th
scribblah 