Category Archives: Arty Stuff

Bideford Black

I was with a group of artists working with the 15 Hundred Lives collective at Creative Bubble today. We have the artspace for a couple of days every month to work together and to let the public come in and see how art is created. I’ve been working on a very big drawing in charcoalContinue reading “Bideford Black”

Comparing Blues

I did some experimental cyanotypes yesterday, comparing different papers and fabrics. I used some of my sketchbook drawings for the imagery. The best results were given by a medium weight white cotton that was dipped into the cyanotype chemicals and squeezed to remove the excess. There was also a good result with the white SomersetContinue reading “Comparing Blues”

The Blues

Spent a happy few hours at Swansea Print Workshop this evening experimenting with cyanotype. I want to do some onto fabric rather than paper so I had to try out some different materials and methods of application today. I had three different fabrics; a very lightweight white muslin, a cream coloured stiff cotton and gesso-coatedContinue reading “The Blues”

Pen. Paper. Nude. Chair.

Just back from life drawing at Swansea Print Workshop. I started drawing with my Samsung Galaxy tablet and the darn thing ran out of battery! So I had to go old school and use pen and paper; Faber Castell Pitt drawing pen size F in sepia into a Khadi handmade paper sketchbook, pre coloured withContinue reading “Pen. Paper. Nude. Chair.”

Developing A Head

Here’s another portrait drawing I did at Swansea Print Workshop’s life drawing group last night. I’ve saved the drawing regularly to show its development on my Samsung Galaxy tablet. I used a free Markers app and put in a dark ground to start with, working over it in lighter tones.

Drama In Rags

Yesterday I blogged some drawings I’d based on my travel sketchbook during my artist residency in Pakistan earlier this year. Today I developed one of these sketches into a full colour monotype down at Swansea Print Workshop. The technique involves inking up a perspex (plexiglass / acetate) plate with oil based printing inks and removingContinue reading “Drama In Rags”

Different Direction

I spent April this year in Pakistan, on an artist residency. It’s taken a few months for me to make sense of the experience. It’s so different to my everyday life in Wales and the art that has been developing out of it has been very different too. I normally work with the human form,Continue reading “Different Direction”

Up The Workers

I spent a happy day in the Rhondda village of Ynyshir, helping to paint the walls of the village’s new artspace, The Workers’ Gallery. Artists Gayle Rogers and Chris Williams are renovating the village’s old library and will be opening Wales’ newest art gallery next month. I nipped outside and stood in the drizzle, havingContinue reading “Up The Workers”