Going Back

R. Davies 'Let Peace Prevail'

In a few hours I’ll be starting my journey from little Wales to great big Pakistan. It’s a return journey for me; I visited in 2007 and I loved it so much that I’ve always wanted to go back, but life got in the way. So now I’m off to be an artist-in-residence in Rawalpindi for most of April. Last time I visited I travelled up the Khyber Pass to the border with Afghanistan. This is a large monotype I did from a tiny sketchbook drawing, standing on a hill in Pakistan with a bunch of jolly soldiers (the Khyber Rifles), looking down at Tamurlaine’s ancient fort and the Afghan border and waving at the drones going overhead. I’ve called it ‘Let Peace Prevail’ because just behind me was a sculpture erected by schoolchildren with ‘Let Peace Prevail’ written on it and it really moved me.

Afghan refugee children

As we travelled back towards Peshawar, I took a photo of a family of Afghan refugees returning back home, looking very happy and I used it as the inspiration for this monotype. I didn’t know at the time that the situation in Afghanistan was set to become much worse. I often wonder if these children were able to resettle safely back home or if they ended up as refugees once more.

I’m very excited to be returning as the country and it’s people inspired me so much last time. I’ll be blogging my journey every day, but might miss a blog or two while I’m travelling. See you in a day or so. 🙂

My residency has been supported by Wales Arts International and Arts Council Wales.
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Where I Live

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Yesterday’s weather was gorgeous and we went for a walk on the beach. It’s just a few minutes walk from my home and it’s lovely. I’m very lucky. The tide was fully in and still as a pond of mercury. People moved around at the water edge, walking their dogs, fishing, paddling. I stopped for a quick scribble. Then off up the road for a Joe’s Icecream. For tea 🙂

Endless

I did these sketches on one of the endless train journeys yesterday in London. Husb and I went up to pick up some printmaking supplies from Intaglio Printmakers in Southwark and then onto the Dulwich Picture Gallery for the exhibition of David Hockney prints. But London’s transport system was conspiring against us. Every single journey we made was severely disrupted. A 12 minute journey turned into an hour long trek with 3 different trains. Still, it gave me a chance to draw people on the way.
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Man And Pole.

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Here’s another digital life drawing from last night. The model, although an older man, is fit enough to hold this difficult pose for half an hour.

The Hard Hand

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Just back from life drawing at Swansea Print Workshop. I chose to punish myself this evening with a foreshortened hand. It was hard. After the tea break (with a Victoria Sandwich) we had a one-hour pose and I spent the whole time working on this hand and knee.

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Little Leftover

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Today I packed up an edition of fourteen little lino prints to send to Boise, Idaho, USA to the lovely Wingtip Press for this year’s Leftovers print exchange. The Director, Amy Nack has been organising this for five years now and attracts miniature prints from all over the world. This year’s deadline is April the 15th.

This linoprint is based on some small sketchbook drawings I did of petroglyphs, paleolithic rock carvings, in the Karakoram Mountains in Pakistan a few years ago. The original carvings are possibly 10,000 years old . The petroglyphs are mostly of animals, mainly the ibex.

The image is 10 cm square and printed onto handmade Japanese lightweight paper with black oil-based relief / litho ink.

Its not the same – thank goodness!

I’m reblogging this from Knitnell because it’s so darn civilised – drawing, tea, cake, more tea….lovely

 

Its not the same – thank goodness!.

Out Of Tune

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I did my daily drawing in Waterstone’s Cafe, having a cup of coffee late this afternoon after getting stir crazy back at the studio. Daily drawing for me is like a singer practicing their scales each day. It’s fundamental to my practice as a visual artist. But sometimes the drawing doesn’t come out right, just like sometimes a singer will be off-tune. I didn’t get the proportions right between the woman and the pillar in front of her. Never mind. I’ll carry on…….

Proofed!

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I cut these little lino blocks of running hares a few weeks ago. Now I’ve done some proof prints. I’m pleased with them so I’ll print up an edition.

hare right hare leftI’ve used black oil-based litho/relief ink onto a Japanese hand-made lightweight paper. I’ll probably do an edition of about 30 of each.

Big Wig And Crumble

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We went to a Kate Bush themed birthday party yesterday and our friend, who is a strapping bloke, dressed as Kate in  mahoosive wig. Fair do’s.Drawn into my A5 clothbound sketchbook with Faber Castell Pitt pens sizes F and B.

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And today, I picked the first of the new season’s rhubarb from the garden and made Husb’s all time favourite, rhubarb crumble. With lashings of custard, of course.