A Mari Lwyd Day

mari cards 1

I wasn’t feeling too well yesterday so didn’t do much of anything at all but I bounced back today with my two Mari Lwyd projects. I printed my lino block, in black Caligo Cranfield Safewash relief ink, individually onto white card and then in blocks of four onto A4 sheets of hand made paper made from recycled saris in various colours – here’s the grey one.

mari cards 2

Then I finished painting a layer of gesso onto the two parts of the flat pack Mari Lwyd puppet I’m putting together. I hope to have it all finished ready for Hen Galan, the ancient New Year on January 13th.

Making Mari 5

 

 

 

A Chance To Own One Of My Artworks

I have some small screenprints for sale, inspired by my drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artifacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

To buy my work on the Swansea Print Workshop site please click the image to the left and to see the complete image.

Inspired by drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artefacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

20 percent of the cost of each screenprint sold goes to support Swansea Print Workshop, which receives no public funding.

 

Done Tweaking

pearl 7a

That’s it. I’ve done tweaking my fake version of “Girl With A Pearl Earring” by Johannes Vermeer. I could go on and on, tweaking and refining, but I think I’ve learnt as much as I can from this one, so onto the next. I was having trouble with the shading on the face but was given some good advice from a fellow art blogger, Alli Farkas, about using acrylic paint retarder and it worked. This is fake number 30, done weekly throughout lockdown with Ed Sumner’s Cheese And Wine Painting Club on Facebook on Fridays. It’s suitable for everyone and good fun – come and have a look 😀

 

 

A Chance To Own One Of My Artworks

I have some small screenprints for sale, inspired by my drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artifacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

To buy my work on the Swansea Print Workshop site please click the image to the left and to see the complete image.

Inspired by drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artefacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

20 percent of the cost of each screenprint sold goes to support Swansea Print Workshop, which receives no public funding.

More Making Mari

Making Mari 4

The flat pack Mari Lwyd kit I’m making up isn’t difficult, but it’s time consuming. I’ve assembled the upper and lower parts of the skull and now I’m pasting it all over with paper and PVA glue. This will give it a good surface for painting, increase the strength of the sections and add a layer of waterproof protection. It’s taken a while because it’s fiddly and very, very sticky and I have to keep leaving it to dry before I can work on another bit. But the pasting is finished now and it’s drying off. Tomorrow I’ll be giving it a couple of coats of acrylic gesso.

Making Mari 5

 

 

 

A Chance To Own One Of My Artworks

I have some small screenprints for sale, inspired by my drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artifacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

To buy my work on the Swansea Print Workshop site please click the image to the left and to see the complete image.

Inspired by drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artefacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

20 percent of the cost of each screenprint sold goes to support Swansea Print Workshop, which receives no public funding.

 

Sparta Puss And Scraps

Sparty 5

I’ve been gradually working on a small painting of Sparta Puss, using up scraps of leftover Liquitex acrylic paints scraped from my palette at the end of Ed Sumner’s weekly Cheese and Wine Painting Club on Facebook. It’s based on a photograph of her curled up on a blanket crocheted many years ago by my late aunt. I’m not in any rush to finish, I’m learning a lot about painting every week and I’m letting this painting grow organically. Let’s see how it turns out.

 

 

 

A Chance To Own One Of My Artworks

I have some small screenprints for sale, inspired by my drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artifacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

To buy my work on the Swansea Print Workshop site please click the image to the left and to see the complete image.

Inspired by drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artefacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

20 percent of the cost of each screenprint sold goes to support Swansea Print Workshop, which receives no public funding.

 

 

Making The Mari

Making Mari 2

I carried on making up the Mari Lwyd kit that I bought from TRAC Cymru, the Welsh folk development organisation. It’s been beautifully designed by the artist and storyteller David Pitt and the instruction video is easy enough to follow, but it’s an elaborate piece and needs time and care. The upper skull is now joined onto the lower jaw and it moves up and down, like a real skull.

Making Mari 3

The next step is to paste small pieces of white paper over the whole thing with PVA glue, which will cover up the masking tape and paper fasteners, add some strength and make a more uniform surface. That’s for tomorrow…..

 

 

A Chance To Own One Of My Artworks

I have some small screenprints for sale, inspired by my drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artifacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

To buy my work on the Swansea Print Workshop site please click the image to the left and to see the complete image.

Inspired by drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artefacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

20 percent of the cost of each screenprint sold goes to support Swansea Print Workshop, which receives no public funding.

A Flat Pack Mari

Making Mari 1

This is my Xmas present to myself, a Mari Lwyd flat pack kit. I’ve wanted a Mari Lwyd for ages but it isn’t easy to get a horse skull these days, since the internal combustion engine took over from carts. This kit has been designed by Swansea-based artist David Pitt AKA The Crowman AKA Dai Gong and is marketed by the Welsh folk development organisation TRAC. It’s been pretty easy to follow so far, but there’s a way to go yet. I want to get it ready for action for Hen Galan, the ancient New Year celebration on January 13th.

The Mari Lwyd is an ancient tradition with it’s roots in the worship of the Celtic horse goddess Epona, manifested in Welsh mythology as Rhiannon.

 

 

 

A Chance To Own One Of My Artworks

I have some small screenprints for sale, inspired by my drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artifacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

To buy my work on the Swansea Print Workshop site please click the image to the left and to see the complete image.

Inspired by drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artefacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

20 percent of the cost of each screenprint sold goes to support Swansea Print Workshop, which receives no public funding.

 

Still Tweaking The Five o Clock Shadow

pearl 6

I’ve been tweaking my fake painting of Vermeer’s “Girl With A Pearl Earring” and I’m so very nearly there. I’ve slimmed down her cheeks and lifted the too-droopy left eyelid and firmed up her chin and jawline. But now there’s too much grey and black, the poor thing looks like she has five-o-clock shadow, so I’m going to have to find a way of applying flesh tones while keeping the shading – this is new to me as I’m not an experienced painter, this is a learning experience. I also need to do a bit more on her left eye, she’s looking slightly boss eyed at the moment, and finer brushwork on her clothes. I’m using Liquitex Heavy Body acrylics onto canvas and here are the previous stages.

I started this in an online tutorial with the painter Ed Sumner, who also runs the Cheese and Wine Painting Club on Fridays on Facebook. He’s got a great series of painting events coming up – here.

 

 

 

A Chance To Own One Of My Artworks

I have some small screenprints for sale, inspired by my drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artifacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

To buy my work on the Swansea Print Workshop site please click the image to the left and to see the complete image.

Inspired by drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artefacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

20 percent of the cost of each screenprint sold goes to support Swansea Print Workshop, which receives no public funding.

 

The First Proof

proof 1

I did some more carving on my new Mari Lwyd linocut this afternoon, more or less finishing the head. I thought I’d take a first proof print to see what else needs to be done to the head and to have a think about what, if anything, I might do to the rest of the block. I’m pleased with the head, but there are a couple of flaws on the surface of the lino which I will go over with a fine sandpaper.

 

 

A Chance To Own One Of My Artworks

I have some small screenprints for sale, inspired by my drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artifacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

To buy my work on the Swansea Print Workshop site please click the image to the left and to see the complete image.

Inspired by drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artefacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

20 percent of the cost of each screenprint sold goes to support Swansea Print Workshop, which receives no public funding.

Cheese And Trackie Bottoms …..

Cut 2

It’s Boxing Day. Yesterday was Christmas Day. I’m on holiday so mostly I’m stuffing my face with cheese and cherry liquer chocolates, slobbing around the house in trackie bottoms and watching Netflix. But I managed to drag myself off the settee for half an hour earlier to go for a socially distanced and masked walk because guilt was getting the better of me and then I had enough enthusiasm to do a bit more carving on my lino block. Not a lot but I can honestly say that I haven’t wasted the entire day. It’s the Mari Lwyd. This is the third year I have carved a lino of the Mari Lwyd. It will be printed up and sent out for the Hen Galan – the ancient New Year.

 

 

 

A Chance To Own One Of My Artworks

I have some small screenprints for sale, inspired by my drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artifacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

To buy my work on the Swansea Print Workshop site please click the image to the left and to see the complete image.

Inspired by drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artefacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

20 percent of the cost of each screenprint sold goes to support Swansea Print Workshop, which receives no public funding.

 

Almost There ….. Not Quite …..

pearl 5

Yesterday evening I joined in with a Zoom tutorial run by the painter Ed Sumner. I’ve been following Ed’s Cheese and Wine Painting Club throughout lockdown, copying a work by a famous artist every Friday lunchtime, but this was a more intense teaching session about Vermeer’s “Girl In A Pearl Earring”. We did a lot in 2 hours but there’s still some more to do. The likeness is almost there, but not quite. Her cheeks are too fat, her jawline needs firming up, the shadows on her skin need to be more subtle and there’s a tiny bit of tweaking to do around her eyes. I’m enjoying this painting stuff on the quiet 😀

 

 

 

A Chance To Own One Of My Artworks

I have some small screenprints for sale, inspired by my drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artifacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

To buy my work on the Swansea Print Workshop site please click the image to the left and to see the complete image.

Inspired by drawings of the taxidermy collection at Swansea Museum. I have given these antique artefacts a modern twist by combining them with images of rubbish – old fruit nets, bubble wrap and plastic – highlighting the problem of human pollution and how it affects wildlife.

20 percent of the cost of each screenprint sold goes to support Swansea Print Workshop, which receives no public funding.