Another shameless plug for the Printopia exhibition of work by members of Swansea Print Workshop at The Seaside Gallery, Volcano, High Street, Swansea. It opens on Thursday 4th July, with cake and nibbles and a pay bar, and continues until 26th July.
And my great big woodcut, “Here Be Dragons” has finally been framed and is lording it over the little prints nearby. It’s a Big ‘Un alright!
PRINTOPIA, The Swansea Print Workshop annual member’s show is coming up in a few days, opening at Volcano on High Street on July 4th from 6.30 – 9.30 and running until the end of the month.
It’s not all creativity, being an artist. There’s loads of other stuff to do, like getting things ready for exhibiting. I’ve spent the morning cutting mounts (mattes) and slotting my monotypes into frames. I based the monotypes on sketchbook drawings I did en plein air.
Do drop in and see the show if you’re out and about in Swansea.
I was sorting the paper recycling bag earlier and found this piece of orange card in some packaging. So I thought I’d have a bit of a scribble. I used a black Berol Papermate fibretip pen, which showed the ink strokes really well on the slightly shiny surface of the card. It’s nice to have a doodle sometimes, without wanting or needing to do anything specific. It’s also nice to feel the pen glide over the surface, just enjoying the physical sensation of drawing without having to engage my brain.
We find inspiration often in the oddest places. I never thought that I’d be inspired by Victorian culverts way out up in the Brecon Beacons, but here we are. I recently made a series of sketchbook drawings of culverts on a field trip with scientists Steph and James from the FIRE Lab project in Swansea University’s Department of Zoology. I’m playing around with the imagery to see what emerges.
I was having a rummage in my paper draw the other day and found some pieces of paper that I’d stretched ages ago, gessoed and sponged randomly with thin glazes of acrylic paint. I’d forgotten all about them so I grabbed one and smeared compressed charcoal over a section of it and then started rubbing into it with wire wool and aluminium oxide paper. Finally, I added a few charcoal lines. I like it. It’s very different to what I’ve been doing most of my life.
This looks simple, just a bunch of scribbly lines, but it’s the product of years of practice building enough confidence to just “let go” and not worry about doing a ‘proper’ drawing – if there’s such a thing…..
Here’s another head I sketched at the recent launch of Jen Wilson’s book about Jazz. I find it hard to draw heads and hats. They’re alright separately, but put them together and I’m all over the place with my proportions.
Please follow the link here if you want to find out more about Jen’s book….
A couple of evenings ago, Husb and I went to the launch of Jen Wilson’s new book, “Freedom Music: Wales, Emancipation and Jazz” at Swansea’s Dylan Thomas Centre. There were singers and dancers performing, including the lovely and talented Elissa V Evans who sang a beautiful and haunting version of “Oh Susanna”. Of course, I scribbled her!
A couple of evenings ago, Husb and I went to the launch of Jen Wilson’s new book, “Freedom Music: Wales, Emancipation and Jazz” at Swansea’s Dylan Thomas Centre. There were performers as well as readings by Jen. The Congolese Development Project had drummers and a dancer – here he is along with a lady in an awesome dress who was watching him.
I’ve been doing a manier noir drawing (above) the past few days (click here if you want to see the process), based on an original sketch I did a few weeks ago on a field trip with scientists from Swansea University’s FIRE Lab project. We were looking at culverts up in the Brecon Beacons. I found them fascinating, lovely stone architecture, probably Victorian. I thought there was an otherworldly atmosphere to them.
From left to right: paper prepared with charcoal; original sketch; manier noir drawing in progress using wire wool and aluminium oxide paper.
I like this technique, it has a spooky, soft, ethereal quality. Manier noir means “the dark manner” which I think suits it.
I spent a couple of hours at Swansea’s Creative Bubble this morning with fellow artists Patti McJones and Chris Bird-Jones. We unleashed a box of compressed charcoal! And got mucky together. That’s one of the nicer things about being an artist, you always have an excuse to shamble around in overalls with charcoal dust up to your elbows.
scribblah 