Mucky Time!

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Another very hot day in Boise, Idaho and I spent the morning with Amy and Arun at Wingtip Press, setting up a simple exhibition of the work done by our collaborative group of seven artists. I’m really pleased with it and we’re going to continue our collaboration when I come home and expand the group to include some other artists based at Swansea Print Workshop.

I wanted to do a trio of monotypes based on anatomical drawings I had done from skulls. The monotype process I use produces one full-colour and 1 ‘ghost’ print per plate. Here are my three skulls, two full colour and one ghost. I don’t normally work so small, it’s about A4 size and I normally work to A2 or A1 so it’s been good to have a bit of a challenge.

Now – some block printing for the rest of the afternoon. Time to get mucky!

This residency was partly funded by Wales Arts International and Arts Council Wales.

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Making Cuts

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Today in Boise, Idaho, I spent a very pleasant morning with Gale who blogs most excellently as Paperstew, then I gave an artist talk to some lovely printmaking students at Boise State University then spent some time at Wingtip Press, cutting some Lino blocks based on my recent drawings of petroglyphs carved into boulders at Snake River. I will proof print them tomorrow. Now I’m going to chill out and read and watch the very good public service television channel. Good night 🙂

This artist residency was partly sponsored by Wales Arts International and the Arts Council Wales.

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Skull Attack

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Back in my wilder, younger, biker days I was very fond of a local beer, Brain’s S.A., fondly nicknamed Skull Attack. Now I’m older and wiser (?!) I like to use skulls in the development of my artwork. I’ve been at Wingtip Press in Boise, Idaho, collaborating with a group of artists to develop a body of full-color monotypes and I’ve been using my drawings of skulls as my subject.

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This sequence shows the development of the three-stage process, beginning with a yellow plate, which is then overlaid with a red plate….

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…..and finally a blue plate, giving a wide range of colours. The method also produces a secondary ‘ghost’ image…..

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This residency received funding from Wales Arts International and Arts Council Wales.

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Harleys And Petroglyphs

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I realized today that I’m actually in the Wild West, taking a road trip to sketch in different parts of Idaho. First we went to Snake River! What a great name. We trekked through the fantastic desert landscape to find some ancient petroglyphs carved into 15,000 year old Bonneville Flood Melon Gravel boulders at Celebration Park.

It was punishingly hot and after a gorgeous picnic we set out to find Idaho City an hour or so north of Boise. Now, city is a word that described the place when it was founded about 150 years ago. It’s built of wood with boardwalks instead of pavements and dirt roads. It’s a brilliant place that looks like it’s straight out of a movie. We quenched our thirst in Harley’s Biker Bar on Main Street (there were only a couple more streets), probably the only people supping soft drinks in there. I scribbled this.

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The chaps wore leather chaps! Don’t get that at home.

This residency was partially funded by Wales Arts International and Arts Council Wales.

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In The Boise Studio

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It’s already day 5of my stay in Boise, Idaho and I’ve been working with a group of artist for three days now. We’ve been making full-color monotypes since yesterday; here are a few of them…..

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Tomorrow we’re having a break from the studio and we’re going to look at some 10,000 year old petroglyphs…….scribble time!

This residency at Wingtip Press is supported by Wales Arts International and Arts Council Wales.

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Getting Down And Dirty

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Day 2 in Boise, Idaho and I’m nearly over the jet lag and settling in to work with a group of Boise artists to develop work for a group exhibition. First day and we’re working on drawings in the manicure noire style, which means getting proper grubby.
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Once the paper had Ben smeared with compressed charcoal, we got stuck in with wire wool and aluminumimage oxide paper to remove the highlights and reveal the tones of our still life subjects.
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Here’s the finished charcoal drawings that we did in the morning. In the afternoon, we went through a similar process but with paper coated in graphite.

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This residency at Wingtip Press has been supported by Wales Arts International and Arts Council Wales.

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I think I’ve got it?!

outward 5

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Maybe. I’m using a Mac and I hate it! I’ll never slag off Bill Gates again! Here are the first drawings I did on my journey (I hope). There’s one of pigeons hanging out on a rooftop in Chepstow and the others are very quick sketches that I made as the bus to Heathrow was traveling through Wales early in the morning. The low sun threw vast shadows across the frosted fields.

I shall persevere with the Mac (I have no choice) and bring you some more sketches 🙂

This artist residency is supported by Wales Arts International and Arts Council Wales.

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Mad Old Bat

One thing this trip to Boise, Idaho has already taught me, Get Out OF The Dark Age! When it comes to IT I’m so used to faffing around with lots of, mostly, archaic technology that I’m used to. My mobile phone is a phone, my PCs and laptop are out of the Ark, but you learn to cope until you’re in a situation where something doesn’t work as it normally does.If I stopped being a stubborn mad old bat and got a smartphone, it would have everything I needed in one place. I think I’m converting.

so I’m blogging on a borrowed Mac iPad and I haven’t yet figud out how to download photos so I can post them here. Hang on a minute, something’s happening. It’s linking to a photo, I think! well, let’s see what it’s done, eh?!

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Yaaaay it’s one of the drawings I did from the bus taking me from Swansea to London to get the plane. It was very early and there was a low sun casting deep shadows acros frosted fields. Only enough time, s few seconds, to scribble quick impressions. Tomorrow I promise to find out how to put all the drawings up properly.

This artist residency is supported by Wales Arts International and Arts Council Wales.

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Stranded!!!!!

In a foreign country! In a posh hotel in San Francisco! Could be worse I s’pose :).

Ever had one of those days? Aeroplane delayed in London; huge queue at American Immigration; missed the connecting flight; not another one until tomorrow! So the airline had to put me up for the night. Which is why I’m in San Francisco, not Boise.

Not a problem except that here I am on the other side of the world, in the wrong place and no-one knows I’m here. No problem – I’ll phone them. But my mobile phone network doesn’t work here. So I thought I’d email from one of those pay as you go email terminals in the airport. Except that my email provider and Facebook decided that I was a hacker and  locked my accounts down. Like I’m supposed to let Hotmail and Facebook know when I’m travelling abroad? pppfffttt! I finally settled on making a hugely expensive International call from the hotel to Husb who was fast asleep because it was 4am back home and he did some international calling and emailing to the people in Boise who had been waiting in vain for me to step off the plane. So it’s sorted now – as long as I get on that plane tomorrow!

WordPress recognises me so I can still communicate with the world through the hotel’s complimentary Internet access. Unfortunately, the leads that connect my camera to the computer that allows me to photograph all the sketches I did today and post them on my blog – is in Boise. So are my clothes and toiletries. So I’m in this posh hotel, surrounded by sparkling posh people, and I’m all smelly and dishevelled, like a mad old cat lady. Well, mad middle-aged cat lady. With a sketchbook………

This artist residency is supported by Wales Arts International and Arts Council Wales.

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Out Of The Darkness (female nude)

Rose Davies female nude

I’m off to the USA in a few hours to work in Wingtip Press with a group of artists from Idaho, Utah and Oregon. I’m so excited!!!! On one of the days, I’ll be leading the group in a drawing workshop, using the maniere noire style. The phrase means ‘in the dark manner’ and is usually associated with mezzotint. I learnt this technique from Irish artist, Aoife Layton and I love the way that the image comes out of the darkness. The effect is lush and voluptuous. Mezzotint seems to be making a comeback and there are lots of British printmakers using this technique now. Apart from Aoife, I particularly like Martin Langford, who works in mezzotint, etching and linoblock.

And now I must try and get a bit of sleep because tomorrow is going to be a long day.