The Last Mari For Now

Here’s the last of the monotypes I made recently at Swansea Print Workshop based on my drawings of the Mari Lwyd. I used a vintage paper made by J Green and Sons supplied by the rather wonderful company The Vintage Paper Co in The Orkneys. The ink is Caligo Easy Wash Relief and the chine colléContinue reading “The Last Mari For Now”

The Stone With No Name…..

This is the second stone we visited yesterday in muddy West Wales, near Llangain. Quite a few of the Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments around here don’t have names and this is one of them. It’s a large, fine stone with an unusual feature that makes it look like a face from some angles. It’sContinue reading “The Stone With No Name…..”

MUD!

Mud. Mud and standing stones. After a break of about three months I’m off out traipsing across the muddier parts of South Wales with filmmaker Melvyn Williams and pre-historian Dewi Bowen. There are still a lot of ancient monuments to be explored, recorded and drawn before Dewi is able to complete his new book. ThisContinue reading “MUD!”

The Right Combo

Spent the day at Swansea Print Workshop making more monotypes based on the drawings I did while I followed around two local Mari Lwyd in December and January. I’m experimenting to find the right combination of ink, paper and glue (for the chine collé). I originally used Bockingford, Somerset then switched to a vintage paperContinue reading “The Right Combo”

Printing The Plate

After preparing the plate with my image of a Mari Lwyd, I printed it on one of the smaller etching presses at Swansea Print Workshop. For this one I used a vintage paper, by J Green & Sons that was manufactured between 1969 and 1974, sourced from the Vintage Paper Co. I didn’t have to soakContinue reading “Printing The Plate”

Prepping The Plate

Working from my recent drawings of the Mari Lwyd, I developed some of them into monotypes. I used a piece of perspex (acrylic sheet) and litho / relief ink mixed with Extender (by Intaglio Printmaker). This was rollered very thinly onto the perspex and I drew into it with cotton buds, wooden skewers, scrim andContinue reading “Prepping The Plate”

Getting Ready

I’ve been popping down to Swansea Print Workshop since Xmas, experimenting with reductive monotypes based on my recent sketchbook drawings of the Mari Lwyd. As with most things, preparation is everything and here are some of my photos of getting ready. I’m trying out different papers to print on – Somerset, Bockingford, BFK Rives andContinue reading “Getting Ready”

A Slow Head

After drawing a Quick Nude (10 minutes) at last night’s life drawing session at Swansea Print Workshop, I settled down to do a portrait drawing for the remaining 50 minutes. I started with roughly blocking in some highlights with white conté crayon onto a piece of brown wrapping paper (about A2 size) then added someContinue reading “A Slow Head”

A Quick Nude

Just back from life drawing at Swansea Print Workshop. I went for a half session after the tea break and did a quick 10 minute drawing to start with. I used white, sanguine and black conté crayons onto brown wrapping paper. I started with some quick lines in white (left) then added sanguine (middle) andContinue reading “A Quick Nude”

Echo From The Past

This is the last drawing I did of The Mari Lwyd, Y Fari Lwyd, at Gellionen Chapel last Sunday. Sitting in the pew during the visit from Mari Ystrad (the Mari Lwyd from Ystradgynlais) gave me the time and space to do more detailed drawings than I was able to do a couple of weeksContinue reading “Echo From The Past”