I did some proof prints from my newest little linocut today, at Swansea Print Workshop. I printed in black Caligo Cranfield SafeWash onto Hereford Book paper and for this one I used a Tunnock’s Tea Cake wrapper for chine collé. The model is our little rescue cat, Bill aka William ChatNoir. She was trying to scrounge some bacon. She succeeded.
Some scribbles out and about in January 2014. The colourful image bottom right is a reworking of an earlier sketch, I redrew it onto a digital transfer print.
Here are a couple more heads from the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery at a recent talk about the late Welsh artist Esther Grainger by Andrew Green.
I spotted this man at our local art gallery recently, so I thought I’d get him into my sketchbook.
I was in Cardiff at the annual Printed Festival in the Chapter Art Centre this afternoon, helping out on Swansea Print Workshop’s pitch. Here’s one of my colleagues doing some demonstrations of tiny prints made with the Tetra Pak drypoint technique.
Someone gave me some slightly used Derwent AQUAtone watercolour sticks to try out (they’re now discontinued). I have a sheet of Khadi handmade paper. And I have a stencil in the shape of our little rescue cat Bill aka William Chatnoir. I’m planning to have some fun here.
I tried out some cyanotype prints the other day, when the sun was really strong. I’m not happy with the result, it’s too blue, there’s no white, no contrast. I gave the prints 5 minutes in the sunshine and I think I might have over-exposed them. The instructions on the packet of chemicals were vague – 3 to 30 minutes depending on conditions. I’m going to try some in a UV Unit next, as that will be accurate.
I was off gallivanting at a gig (no surprises there) the other week and had a quick scribble as I listened to a solo musician called Y Pregethwr (The Preacher) who played an extraordinary, haunting and avant garde set.
My beloved Nana and family and friends of her generation often said “gallivanting”, usually in a slightly critical way, “Are you off gallivanting AGAIN?” It’s a word that I don’t hear so much anymore, so I’m going to use it more often. I was off gallivanting at a gig (no surprises there) the other week and had a quick scribble as I listened to a lovely singer-songwriter called Daniela, in front of a beautiful horse-themed backdrop. I can’t remember the artist who did it, I’ll have to find out.
A few months ago, artist members of Swansea Print Workshop got together to make a book featuring 25 original prints to celebrate our 25th anniversary this year. Twenty three artists took part and we’ve been working in groups to assemble the concertina books. I did mine today. I’m thrilled to bits! I love it. My contribution is a linocut of the Mari Lwyd which I’ve called Mari Madarch Abertawe, or the Swansea Mushroom Mari, because her headdress is covered in fly agaric mushrooms.
And when I came home, I made gooseberry and elderflower jam, with gooseberries from my friend’s garden and some of Husb’s home-made elderflower cordial. There’s been a glut of soft fruit this year.
