Variations On The Spoken Word

 

track music

I went to Rufus Mufasa’s album launch last night at Cinema & Co in Swansea and it was a fantastic explosion of word performance, so different to traditional poetry performances, so energetic and angry and joyous and funny and full of life. And so varied. She had invited lots of other performers to join her. Of course I had to have a scribble. In the dark. As you do. I used graphite stick into my A5 lined notebook by Peter Pauper Press. Here it is with Sparta Puss, who seems a bit miffed by it.

book cover

If you want to check out Rufus’ album, Fur Coats From The Lion’s Den, which is fantastic, please click here.

 

 

 

Word Performers

carl beer

Husb and I went along to Cinema & Co this evening for poetry, rap and word performance. I have dismal memories from decades ago of ‘Poets and Pints’ nights in local pubs, with few exceptions, full of third-rate wannabe John Cooper Clark’s declaiming drunkenly and I’ve mostly avoided poetry ever since. But this new generation of performers are amazing, so innovative, clever and entertaining. Of course, I had to have a scribble. This is Carl Beer from Swansea. He’s brilliant. It was quite dark in there.

Rocking In The Dark

party

 

Husb and I went to a friend’s seventieth birthday party this evening and it was fab. There was a rock band playing classics from the 60s and 70s. Great fun. Lots of dancing. There were people from their twenties to their nineties partying and it was lovely. Of course, I had to have a scribble. It was dark and I couldn’t see what I was doing so it was a surprise when I got my sketchbook home and opened it.

Randomness Ensued

caligo 1

I did an afternoon of experiments at The Workers Gallery last week, trying out different combinations of inks and papers on a Gelli Arts gelatine printing plate. I want to print papers for collage. I did some basic experiments a few weeks ago and I wanted to do something a bit more advanced to see what the technique is capable of.

tissue net

I used two different types of pigment – Caligo Safewash ink (oil-based) and Liquitex paint (acrylic) and two papers to print on – Daler Rowney cartridge paper and Hosho Japanese tissue. I also used ripped tissue paper and fruit net bags as stencils to add variation to colour and texture. I took two prints from each inking – a full colour one and a paler ‘ghost secondary image.

 

The Caligo inks had greater translucency and depth but in future I’ll try the Liquitex with a medium to thin it out a bit and see if I can get a more translucent paint. I prefer the Hosho paper, it gives much more luminosity than the Daler Rowney cartridge. The stencils – tissue and fruit net – worked really well and it was exciting when I took the paper off the plate to see what randomness endued.

 

 

 

Workers’ Mates

2017 Punjabi Storm

I’m a gallery artist at the excellent Workers Gallery in Ynyshir where up to 20 invited artists are selected annually to have a square metre of permanent exhibition space and to work with the gallery to develop the exhibition programme and run regular residency and demo days. The Workers’ focuses on art made in Wales but also has a special programme of international artists throughout the year. It’s a lovely gallery, worth visiting.

Supporters of the gallery often become ‘Workers Mates’ for an annual contribution of £20 and in return they receive special exhibition opportunities, offers and VIP invitations. It’s an interesting model of working as it embeds the gallery in the local community through the Workers’ Mates scheme and also gives artists an opportunity to curate their own exhibition area.

I just visited last week and changed my ‘square metre’ to show these fairly new monotypes that haven’t been exhibited before. They’re based on impressionistic drawings I did during my last visit to Pakistan while I was travelling through The Punjab, and I used the 3-colour reduction technique with Caligo Safewash relief inks onto BFK Rives paper. See my Techie section for more about the technique.

 

 

Translucent Overlays

caligo ghost 1

I’ve been experimenting with Gelli Art gelatine plates for printmaking again. This time I used Caligo Safewash oil-based printing inks mixed with extender to make them translucent and overlaid the monotype three times, once in Process Yellow, then Process magenta and finally Process Cyan. I’ll explain the process in tomorrow’s blog. This is one of the pieces that I liked best, it is delicate and the overlays have produced so many subtle colours. I’m trying out this process to see if it will produce interesting papers for collage.

 

 

1511471417279-252037244.png

 

Here’s a longer life drawing I did this week at Swansea Print Workshop using the free Markers app on my Samsung Galaxy Note 8 tablet.

 

 

Strong Face, Big Character

15114727006131104275377.png

 

I sometimes do some portrait practice at life drawing sessions and I had a go at Swansea Print Workshop last night. Our model, an older woman, has such a strong face and a big character which shows through in her expressions. I drew onto my Samsung Galaxy Note 8 tablet with a free Markers app.

A Late Quickie (Female Nude)

15114705771221793293261.png

 

Just back from life drawing group at Swansea Print Workshop. This evening’s model is an older woman who has been modelling for years. I never tire of drawing her. This is a quick warm-up sketch on my Samsung Galaxy Note 8 tablet using a free Markers app. I blocked in a black background to start with then used a fine white pen function for the quick sketch.

Chuffed To Bits

mono 10 chine

 

I just heard today that I have had 2 artworks accepted into the Swansea Open exhibition, running from December the 3rd to January the 6th. It’s returned after a gap of about 5 years, while the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery was closed and being refurbished, and it’s great to see it back. I’m chuffed to bits as Swansea is full of talented artists and the competition is stiff.

 

mari 2

 

I submitted two monotypes of the Mari Lwyd, based on drawings I did in my sketchbook at the end of last year. The Mari Lwyd is an ancient Welsh tradition, where groups of revellers wander the streets and pubs accompanied by a life size puppet constructed around a decorated horse’s skull. It may hark back to the worship of the Celtic horse goddess, Epona.