A Little Hairy Basket…

I went on a short course at Swansea Print Workshop this weekend led by the artist Dr. Veronica Calarco. It’s called “Prints To Baskets” and she shows how to reuse those failed prints (we all have them) by converting them into hand-made baskets. This is a selection of those made by the artists participating. TheContinue reading “A Little Hairy Basket…”

One Tarp, Two Leaves, Three Badges.

I’ve been doing some adult education sessions on Swansea’s Kilvey Hill, part of a creative partnership between Coed Lleol and Swansea Print Workshop. This is where I was working this morning, it’s lovely, even though the rain threatened, we had a big tarpaulin stretched over the work station. I was teaching the participants how toContinue reading “One Tarp, Two Leaves, Three Badges.”

I rooted around in the garden for a selection of leaves for my recent adult education session on Gelli plate printing. The delicate leaves at the top are from a dwarf lilac, Flowerfesta Pink, that is still growing new leaves in mid-September. The ones at the bottom from the hardy evergreen ivy. Although sceptical aboutContinue reading

The “oooohhh” Factor.

I really didn’t like gel-plate printing when I first tried it. I thought it was gimmicky and superficial. But I’m warming to it. It’s a very good technique to use in adult education as it’s very accessible to people who would normally avoid anything to do with art. Unfortunately, so many people had bad experiencesContinue reading “The “oooohhh” Factor.”

Up A Hill In The Sunshine.

I love Adult Education, it’s such a joy to teach people. I work several sessions a week with different groups of participants. Today I spent a couple of happy hours up Kilvey Hill in Swansea in the sunshine, taking Gelli Plate prints from the local trees and using recycled bubble wrap to create background texturesContinue reading “Up A Hill In The Sunshine.”

Little Figures, Big Press. And Cakes.

Had a lovely afternoon last Saturday down at Swansea Print Workshop. I and the artists I went to Germany with, Chris Bird-Jones, Sarah Hopkins, Rhiannon Rees and Rhian Haf, held an open afternoon where we presented an illustrated talk and showed the work we did at Atelierhof Werenzhaim. I cut up the huge paper intoContinue reading “Little Figures, Big Press. And Cakes.”

Lovely Jubbly (Fun With Teaching).

I love adult education. So much fun. I was working with a small group this afternoon in a community garden. I demonstrated the effects you can get with some pieces of plants, acrylic paint and Gelli-Plates. By doing a demo, I get to play with the materials too. Lovely Jubbly.

A Pakistan Journey In Print:1

Way back in 2007 I was lucky to travel to Pakistan for a two-week visit with friends from Wales, Denmark and Pakistan. It was a fantastic journey, the country is so geographically and culturally varied, the people kind and friendly. I sketched as I normally do and when I came back to Wales I workedContinue reading “A Pakistan Journey In Print:1”

Sponging…

I did another Adobe Photoshop transformation of one of my little drawings from my recent residency. My original was first put into “Sponge Painting” in the Filter Gallery, then pushed through “Gradient Map”. I went to the artist residency with four other Welsh women artists, Chris Bird-Jones, Sarah Hopkins , Rhiannon Rees  and Rhian Haf. We have been supported by Wales ArtsContinue reading “Sponging…”

#Caturday Saturday Archives: 2

It’s #Caturday Saturday and here are some archive images that I posted in January and March 2012, just a few months after I started this blog. They’re mostly Sparta Puss but there’s one of the late, great and much loved ‘Bobbit‘, another short-haired naughty tortie who died in 2011 at the age of 18.