A fantastic printgeek blog about doing a mezzotint onto an aluminium plate from Nancy Farmer.
FAB Fridge Art
Busy busy busy in Bath. I have work in three exhibitions in Fringe Arts Bath this year. I’ve blogged about the first two in my previous 2 posts and now here’s the last – 3 little arty magnets in FAB Fridge, a street art extravaganza made up of over 500 little fridge magnets which will be stuck all over Bath at the weekend.
It’s organised by the Collect Connect group that organised an exhibition of tiny art in cardboard boxes along London’s South Bank earlier this year. These three images of mine are original drawings on top of transfer prints, done from some of my digital photos.
I really like the work that Collect Connect does, democratising art by taking it out onto the streets for anyone to see … and collect. It’s all systems go in bath on Friday night. All the exhibitions in this year’s Fringe Arts Bath are opening from 6.30 pm so if you’re anywhere within travelling distance, please come along. The city will be buzzing with arty stuff!
Another Exhibition Piece
Well, I think this is an installation. Or it may be a sculpture? I’m not sure. Anyway, it’s something I’m exhibiting at anotther show in the Fringe Arts Bath, this time with the 12:34 group from Swansea. It’s a cardboard box; on the outside I’ve collaged inkjet prints of digitally altered photographs taken during a visit to berlin in a heavy winter a couple of years ago. On the inside, I’ve placed a drawing in ink on acetate based on the very graphic imagery of the Holocaust Memorial. I painted and drew on a small wooden artist’s mannequin and stuck that in front of the acetate. Then finally, I’ve put a small light source behnd the acetate to backlight it.
It’s quite different for me, but I’m starting to like doing drawing installations, taking drawing off the wall and out into three dimensional space.
Long Hard Day
Just back from the city of Bath where I helped install the Commensalis group exhibition for the Fringe Arts Bath festival. We have a group show at The Octagon from May 23rd to June the 8th. It’s one of the biggest fine arts festivals in Britain. I’ve done a drawing installation based on my research into ‘Degenerate’ artists, persecuted by the Nazis in the early 20th century. I’ve made a start portraying contemporary artists I know who would have been designated as degenerate under the Nazis. In the background is a large drawing in graphite, carbon and charcoal based on drawings I did of the Berlin Holocaust Memorial in the snow.
Here’s another angle, with fellow artist, sculptor Jonathan Green sitting just outside the gallery, having a rest after spending 6 hours putting up his installation.
More to come tomorrow 🙂
Drawing A Big One
I’m making a drawing installation for the Commensalis collective’s new show which is opening at Fringe Arts Bath (FAB2014) next Friday. It’s made up of five sections and this is the first, a large drawing (about 150 x 200 cms) in carbon, graphite and charcoal. It’s based on drawings I’ve done from photographs taken during a visit to Berlin a couple of years ago. It was minus 20C and there was about 2 feet of snow everywhere; it covered the Holocaust Memorial throwing the dark granite monoliths into sharp relief against the pristine white snow, creating ethereal grey shadows in between.
Lush Leftovers
Just back from the opening night of Leftovers 4 and Public Gestures, two cracking exhibitions of international printmaking at The Cove in Swansea.
Leftovers is the brainchild of Amy Nack , director of Wingtip Press in Bois, Idaho, USA. Now in its 5th year, printmakers from across the world contribute tiny pieces to this travelling exhibition. We’re showing 175 pieces at The Cove.
Here I am with Gayle Rogers. We both have monotypes on display with the Public Gestures group of prints that were developed in collaboration between 6 USA and 7 Swansea artists. It’s a lovely show, even if I say so myself and it runs until the middle of July.
Head And Shoulders
Just back from life drawing at Swansea Print Workshop and I have been focusing on drawing a head and shoulders pose. Our model was sitting above my eyeline with her head tilted back which I find very hard to draw, so it was good practice.
I used my Samsung Galaxy Tablet Note 8 using the free Markers app. I saved frequently to keep a record of the development of the drawing.
Drawing Degenerates
I’m carrying on with my ‘Degenerates’ series of portrayals of contemporary artists that I work with. My focus is on drawing but I am also using paint as these are very large and I need to be able to cover big areas of colour. I don’t particularly like painting so I am using my fingers and bits of rag to apply the pigment in a drawingly way. Once the larger areas have been coloured in with acrylic paint, I’ll work details on top with oil bars, which should take me back into pure drawing.
Here are some close ups showing some of the finger work I have been doing on the surface of the canvas. The work will be exhibited from the end of this month at Fringe Arts Bath at the Octagon.
Degenerates
I’m working on a new drawing installation for a Commensalis group show at Fringe Arts Bath opening on May the 23rd. It’s based on the concept of ‘Degenerate Art’ which the Nazis used to discredit many artists in the early 20th century. This work portrays artists whose political views, subject matter and/or techniques would be criticised as degenerate by the Nazis now. Although I am using some paint, I still consider these to be drawings because I am slapping a bit of acrylic colour on with my fingers and bits of rag, to colour in the larger areas. The detail is being drawn with charcoal and oil bars.
Practice Makes Perfect (Maybe)
I’m having a quick scribble with Husb sat opposite on the settee. I’m using my Samsung Galaxy Tablet Note with the free Markers app.
One advantage of doing a digital drawing is that I can save the stages to show how the drawing develops.
It’s not a good likeness but daily drawing is about practice, not perfection.
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