Thursday 25 August 2016

DRAWING, DRAWING...

Having a few weeks off teaching means that I have been able to catch up on a little me time.
This means opening up my sketch books and trying out a few ideas
These are all rough ideas that I might like to develop into collagraphs.
From the usual birdie subject to  
 a combination of angels and
 corvids.
The angels are a blast from the past
and images that I explored years ago.
Can't wait to start the collagraph plate making.

Thursday 11 August 2016

MAKERS PLAY DAY AT THE YARD

So I am meant to be having a rest. After a very busy few months I feel becalmed and I don't know about you, but that makes me feel panicky. I know I don't have to make, make, make....but the alternative is house work!!!
So I opened up the doors to the yard:ARTspace  and invited a bunch of creatives to come and play.
The monkey on my shoulder said, relax Sue, we are playing...I think everyone else felt the same. I offered gum arabic transfer, they bought marvelous stashes of fabric treasures and off we went. And we relaxed. I made them inky, they made me think textiles woooo!
Very quickly, because gum arabic as a technique is very quick, we all created some mouth watering results, surprising even ourselves as to how well the technique works on fabric.
The lovely Kathleen Murphy  delving into her stash. 
And then made this, and many other beautiful prints during the day.
Being gifted some beautiful embroidered pieces, I tried collagraph printing and then gum arabic.
Thrilled with the result.
 
The effervescent Caroline McCatty  shared her fabulous velvet because
it is a fantastic substrate to print on (yes we all learnt a new word). I can't wait to see this turn into a 3D piece.
I looks like Viv Sliwka is having fun?
And her drawings look so good printed onto these 
beautiful fabrics, very exciting to see this process being pushed to the limit.
Claire Cawte came with a project in mind and 
this looks wonderful, I can't wait to see her finished textile book.
But at the end of the day we are ladies who lunch, put a bunch of creatives together, say, bring food to share and colour plus taste is the result.
A well deserved break. 
The day has got me thinking, I love fabric and I am well out of my comfort zone here, thank you ladies for the inspiration and a day of laughs.

I will be running a Gum Arabic Transfer on Fabric workshop on 20 May, 2017 at the yard:ARTspace  





Monday 1 August 2016

FOR THOSE OF A SQUEAMISH DISPOSITION, LOOK AWAY NOW.

So last weekend my super talented friend Caroline McCatty and I made new friends.
Yes, we spent 2 grueling days on a taxidermy workshop learning how to stuff a crow. Now I do understand that this is not everyone's idea of a relaxing weekend and in the end it was not our idea of a relaxing weekend either. 
2 hectic days at the Islington Arts Factory under the gimlet eye of our tutor, Tonja Grung, Caroline and I tackled the intricate process of stuffing our crows. 
From the first incision, 
to dismantling it.
Around us the results of successful work
by other students.
Day 2 on the way to the workshop there was a sign that I was doing the right thing!
Less gore, more coiffure as the empty skins were washed
and blow dried.
Leaving us with clean birds
ready to stuff
wire and mount.
Hello Gary. 2 days later we all had crows to take home. We took ours on the coach, others on the underground and by train. I have to say it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. The skill and work that goes into taxidermy is unbelievable. The patience Tonja showed was unbelievable as we all had moments we could take no more!!
So back to my latest creation. Give me sometime to get over this first experience and I may have another go...watch this space.