This is the first sketch, trying out an idea for a new linocut based on the Welsh Mari Lwyd tradition. I like the format, 21cms x 42cms, and I like this composition. I’ll probably try out a few more variations and I want to sharpen up some of the design stuff, like the ribbons and bells. I’ve been out and about drawing Mari Lwyds for a few years now, and I think it’s about time I made more work from my sketchbooks.
This #Caturday Saturday, here the silhouette of little rescue cat Bill on top of a silkscreen print based on sketches of pigeons in Swansea. I merged the drawings with some text I had written about the experience of drawing the pigeons, watching them from the window of Waterstone’s cafe, that used to be the old Carlton cinema. I cut the image of Bill from some very heavy textured paper that I recycled and painted black. The pigeons used to sit on the large letters of the “WOOLWORTHS” sign, it was always lit up so the letters were warm. When Woollies closed, the signage was removed and pigeons never sat there again.
More scribbling from me, done last Saturday, which was the ancient festival of Imbolc. A friend had his birthday party at the yacht club and there were loads of musicians. This young man in the snazzy hat played drums. I think that hats are hard to draw, but at least he didn’t have a beard or specs.
It was Imbolc last Saturday and Husb and I went to a gig celebrating not just Imbolc but also a friend’s birthday. He’s in a band of musical pirates called Band Bandanaars – see what they did there? Aaarrr. I scribbled the drummer because normally drummers are at the back and I can’t get a good view of them. Luckily this one was up front, although so difficult to draw, I had trouble getting the proportions right – and he moved a lot! – but I kept at it.
Husb and I went to a gig last Saturday, February 1st, which is the ancient festival of Imbolc. Of course, I had to have a scribble. This singer-songwriter presented me with my triple challenge – a beard, a hat and a pair of spectacles. But it’s good practice.
Here’s another scribble from the gig that Husb and I went to over the weekend. I drew this lute player with the continuous line technique, not taking my pen off the paper. It gives an interesting dynamic to the sketch.
Husb and I went to a lovely gig on Saturday night, down by the docks, some great musicians. Of course I had a scribble. This band is “Wild Eyed, Wicked and Oblivious” and they play a sort of Steampunky Folkrock, I love it. They are also quite flamboyant dressers. Now when you’re a scribbler like me, there are things that are harder to draw than others, and I always have a bit of trouble with hats, beards and spectacles. And this band of six musicians had 5 hats, 3 specs and 2 beards between them. The sixth band member didn’t have a hat, beard or spectacles.
This #Caturday Saturday, here is my silhouette of little rescue cat Bill on top of a silkscreen print I did a few years back, based on a series of sketches I made of pigeons in Swansea. I like pigeons. I merged the drawings with some text I had written about the experience of drawing the pigeons, and turned the whole thing into a photographic screen stencil and printed it up in a pale pink and black. I cut the image of Bill from some very heavy textured paper that I recycled, I painted it black and started to experiment with it.
Looking back to my blog posts in April 2013, I was sketching at a few events – a demonstration against the bedroom tax, some activities at our central library and people in cafes. It’s good practice to sketch quickly at random, it really trains you to identify the necessary details and get them down. Sometimes, there’s enough stillness in the room to be able to take it slowly and do more detail.
I had a couple of difficult months leading up to and just after Xmas with some of the seasonal viruses going around, so my annual Mari Lwyd print was put on hold for a while. I finally caught up with myself this week and printed my little Mari Lwyd lino blocks with foil chine collé. I used Cranfield Caligo Safe-Wash litho / relief ink onto Somerset Satin paper and a Pritt stick to glue the foils.
scribblah 