Category Archives: Arty Stuff

Cake, More Cake And A Head

Such a busy day. Putting up the new exhibition at Swansea Print Workshop this morning. It’s a gorgeous show of miniature prints from all over the world called Leftovers V. Then Husb and I went down for a much needed session on the allotment, loads of work to do but some harvesting too – potatoes,Continue reading “Cake, More Cake And A Head”

The Acme Gizmo

Today I went on a short course to Swansea Hackspace to learn how to turn a drawing into a rubber stamp. It’s something I’ve been wanting to try out for ages. I learned loads and got the chance to use some very advanced technology (well it seemed so to me). We started by learning howContinue reading “The Acme Gizmo”

Colour Reflected

I did a series of life drawings a while back, doing linework with Faber Castell Pitt drawing pens and using my box of Winsor & Newton half pan artist watercolours to overlay colour washes in a choppy style. I posted one a couple of blogs ago and some people asked to see more. So here youContinue reading “Colour Reflected”

Watercolour Nude

I don’t often work with paint but now and again I get out my rather lovely box of Winsor & Newton half pan artist watercolours and use them with my Faber Castell Pitt drawing pens, to create colour washes with the line work. I don’t use the watercolours entirely in a ‘traditional’ way, but IContinue reading “Watercolour Nude”

Working Flat Out

I’m working flat out for the group exhibition I’m in next month at Oriel Ceri Richards, with Sylvie Evans, collagist and Graham Parker, painter. We’re part of a collective called 15 Hundred Lives and as well as exhibiting together, we do a monthly public access event at the Creative Bubble artspace where we open theContinue reading “Working Flat Out”

Faces From The Dark

I have some lovely vintage papers and I’m trying out different ways of using them. I used a silkscreen squeegee to randomly coat a few sheets with acrylic paint, firstly in black and when that was dry, overlaid with a translucent bronze. Then I sat and looked at a sheet with a piece of willowContinue reading “Faces From The Dark”

A Night At Life Drawing

Just back from life drawing at Swansea Print Workshop, the regular Thursday night group and I am shattered, so just a quick blog from me. I focussed on the model’s face, drawing with my Samsung Galaxy Note 8, using a free Markers app. I saved the drawing regularly and put it into the slideshow belowContinue reading “A Night At Life Drawing”

Why Life Drawing?

I’m often asked why I do life drawing. Partly it’s because the portrayal of the human form in European art dates back around 40,000 years to cave paintings; partly because I love to study anatomy, it’s complex and I love it; and partly because I was trained in the discipline of regular drawing exercise, whichContinue reading “Why Life Drawing?”

Grow Up, Step Up

  I’ve been working on a series of tiny reduction relief prints and last week I printed the first colour. Today I began cutting the second colour from the blocks. This is called the reduction or ‘suicide’ method as you systematically destroy the block leaving no room for error. I was chatting to an experiencedContinue reading “Grow Up, Step Up”