The First Cut

  The first cuts, carving my new woodblock (MDF), removing the bits to remain white. I’m using the smallest gouge from my Flexcut carving tool set and it’s going to take me ages at this rate, so I might rethink things a bit.

Getting Ready To Carve

I carried on preparing a sheet of MDF for my next woodcut. After I’d reversed my original drawing and traced it onto the wood, I painted in the different colours that I need to cut away. It’s a reduction print, often called the “suicide” method by printmakers as the process results in the complete destructionContinue reading “Getting Ready To Carve”

A Big Box Of Pencils

  I did a bit more work on my next woodcut today, making a tracing from my original drawing to transfer the image onto the wood block. I used a thick charcoal pencil for the tracing because I have to turn the tracing paper over to reverse the image onto the wood. Once the reversedContinue reading “A Big Box Of Pencils”

A Glutton For Punishment

  So did a couple of hours teaching today and loads of admin- the glamorous life of an artist eh? And a little bit more work on my preparatory drawing for a woodcut. I worked out where the dark areas are to be and started to think about the cutting and registration of the finalContinue reading “A Glutton For Punishment”

A Bit Each Day

It’s easy to get precious about making art, I’m guilty of that! I spend so much time agonising about what to do that I almost get creative paralysis at times. One of the things I do to overcome this is to start working on a process and just do a bit every day. Sometimes youContinue reading “A Bit Each Day”

Draw, Redraw And Tidy Up

  Today I had a good clean out of my working space, sorting out cupboards and boxes, clearing desk tops and shelves, filling recycling bags and setting aside things to give away, a new start for the new year. Then I began to so some preliminary work for a new woodcut. I did a drawingContinue reading “Draw, Redraw And Tidy Up”

Root And Branch: Gwreiddyn A Changen

Coming up February 16th and 17th, I’ll be running a 2 day printmaking masterclass at Swansea’s Glynn Vivian Art Gallery inspired by the forthcoming exhibition PHYTOPIA. The creative imagery of the tree is rooted in the ancient oak forests of Britain, growing through the ages to branch into the present. From ancient Druidic and CelticContinue reading “Root And Branch: Gwreiddyn A Changen”

Drawing Obsessively

I’m getting a bit obsessed with drawing Mari Lwyds; I’m thinking of doing some larger artworks incorporating them so I’m drawing them from lots of different angles as preparation studies. I’m choosing random photos from the Internet at the moment, but I’ll be going out to do some en plein air drawings on the 13thContinue reading “Drawing Obsessively”

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

“Ce n’est pas un Mari. Ceci est un impression lino d’un Mari.” Just channelling a bit of Magritte there. Mari Lwyd traditionally welcomes in the New Year in Wales …. well, who else would wander around with a dead horse’s head on a stick at this time of year? And “Blwyddyn Newydd Dda” is WelshContinue reading “Blwyddyn Newydd Dda”