Monday 23 December 2013

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!

Well to be honest it has arrived in our house.
The mantel piece has its decoration which
I add to everyday as I find lost boxes of Christmas decorating treasure. 
Dedicated this year to childhood memories, garden birds
and friends in distant lands.
Sorry everyone, once again we got Rudolf.
Before Christmas ecstasy really sets in and
this is a strategy I have use for a few years now to survive the post Christmas creative block, I prepare
a few things that I can go back and finish when the games run out and the fridge is empty.
I want to make a series of booklets in enamel
 
based on the Lost Relatives.
I have made notes in sketch books,
explored themes and
treated myself to ink stamps and new transfers.
The shed, tidy with bits and bobs laid out ready to get back too is now locked, presents are wrapped and there is one last food shop to do. The last two images here are my Christmas wish to you all. Here's to a creative 2014.

Sunday 8 December 2013

CLEAR THE DECKS...DECK THE HALLS

Just before the festivities kick in and I throw myself whole heartedly into decking the halls, 

I have taken to completely tidying up my shed and starting a new piece of work that I can pick up when the glitter has settled in the new year.(More about that in later posts)
 It was a mammoth tidy. Thanks Iris!!
I excavated some printmaking experiments.
I found things I had lost, but suspect that I have now lost things as they are placed in different...tidy places!!
Reminded myself of work I would like to develop...the flock of enamel crows come to mind.
My weird collects are now on view.
I can get to the pillar drill.
And now know where there are some nice brushes.
 Four bags of rubbish later and a box of books are now off to the local Red Cross bookshop. Now looking at these photographs I am wondering how tidy this space really looks, it feels neater at least. 
Now I am turning to the gentle decorating of the house that takes place during December.
You might recognise these from other Christmassy posts.
Even Frank is getting into the spirit, or in the way depending on your point of view.

Tuesday 3 December 2013

END OF TERM

And so ends another education year for me. My 10 week courses at Hampen Factory, Cheltenham and New Brewery Art, Cirencester are now finished this term.
I have been posting regularly about the work that has been made at Hampen. We have explored some interesting and challenging techniques, such as combining lino with collagraph.
Or just doing lino for a change, there has been lots of fabulous work from everyone, I have been rubbish at recording it, however.
The pin board has been full of prints drying, the top images is a silk aquatint, and as you have seen in past posts, this technique has proved very rewarding.
The afternoon group embraced the idea of printing lino blocks onto collagraphs, as with the teasel at the top of the post, this viaduct shows how a background collagraph inked in different colours can change the mood of the work. The smoke is on the collagraph plate, an excellent use of wood glue at the plate making stage.
The exciting addition to my classes this term has been the 10 week, Contemporary Enamel for Beginners at the New Brewery Arts, Cirencester. NBA bought 2 enamelling kilns and off we went! The experimental pieces below show a wide range of techniques attempted over the course. Each week there was a new development as everyone tried things out. An amazing amount was achieved in such a short time.
 
                           
 I have had a lovely time this term, all my groups have been full of lovely, generous and creative people.
There are still places on both courses next term, contact me directly for information about Hampen Factory or contact the New Brewery Arts http://www.newbreweryarts.org.uk/ and check out their range of workshops and courses.

Thursday 28 November 2013

VITREOUS ENAMEL EXPERIMENTS

Now that all the Christmas stock has been delivered I am now turning my attention to exhibitions I will be in at the beginning of next year.
This and the following piece will be off to the
Devon Guild of Craftsmen's exhibition Narrative Remains.
These images, enamel on steel will
find themselves in Bath
at the Rostra Gallery.
I have just finished these labels of Lost Relatives
ready for an exhibition of MA graduates called Second Impressions.
This will be at the New Brewery Arts, Cirencester.
I am beginning to explore the use of red and as you can see I
am still obsessed with using postcard messages.
Now that I have finished all this work I have mental space to sit down over December
and draw, plan and design some new pieces.
Watch this space!!