Category Archives: Arty Stuff

Blue Birds

I carried on with my cyanotype experiments. I have always used an ultraviolet unit to expose them in the past, which takes about 6 minutes. I wanted to see if I could expose them with natural light so I sandwiched two negatives between pieces of chemically treated paper and a sheet of glass and leftContinue reading “Blue Birds”

A Metre Squared

There’s a new gallery opening in Ynyshir in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales. It’s being run by artists Gayle Rogers and Chris Williams and they’ve put together a group of artists to become gallery artists. Each of us has a metre squared of wall space and that’s our own, permanently. I’ve made a metreContinue reading “A Metre Squared”

We’ll Be Back!

I finished my big drawing today at Creative Bubble artspace in the city centre. The art collective I’m in, 15 Hundred Lives, has been using the venue for two days a month for over a year now, this was our 14th event. The three of us, collagist Sylvie Evans, painter Graham Parker and me, useContinue reading “We’ll Be Back!”

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.