scribblah

Showing In Boise

I spent 4 marvelous days working with some talented Boise artists to produce drawings and monotypes and the finished work is now being shown at Wingtip Press. It’s been a great experience collaborating with a group and one I hope to repeat when I’m back home.

It was a joy to work with Lisa, Karl, Mary, Gale, Tyler and Cassandra. If you’re in Boise please pop in and see the work.

It’s also been a delight to work with the tireless Amy, who runs Wingtip and I hope this is the beginning of many future collaborations between South Wales and the Wild West.

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

Daytripper – Part 3

Daytripper – Part 3.

From ‘Notes to the milkman’, here’s an excellent write up of the Becoming Picasso exhibition at The Courtauld in London which showcases his earliest works, and possibly his finest IMHO.

Post-Muckiness….

Just spent a happy couple of hours at the fabulous Wingtip Press in Boise, Idaho, proof printing some little Lino blocks I cut from drawings of Snake River petroglyphs.

Here are the blocks inked and raring to go onto the press. It is their destiny.

And here is my little set of four petroglyphs…….

I used a water-based ink for the first time, Akua intaglio carbon black and I’m very impressed with the result and the ease of inking and cleaning, so I’m going to track some down when I get back to Blighty.

This artist residency has been supported by Wales Arts International and Arts Council Wales.

Mucky Time!

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.

Making Cuts

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.

Skull Attack

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.

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

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

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

Harleys And Petroglyphs

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.

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

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

In The Boise Studio

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…..

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.

Getting Down And Dirty

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.

Once the paper had Ben smeared with compressed charcoal, we got stuck in with wire wool and aluminum oxide paper to remove the highlights and reveal the tones of our still life subjects.

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.

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

I think I’ve got it?!

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.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: