Christmas Card 2012

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you who take the time to read this blog, your support is very encouraging.

'Tree 2012'
Etching with gold leaf

Happy Printing, Drawing and Blogging in 2013

2000 year old Limes

Last week BBC's Countryfile programme filmed a 'momentous event' , the coppicing of the 2000 year old Limes at Westonbirt Arboretum...

This process of cutting back the stems shooting from the original clump happens once every 20years or so; we now won't see the Limes in full growth for some time. Follow this Westonbirt link to find out more: www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-923CYM

Today I was able to go to the Arboretum and was amazed to see all the cut branches lying around the old stumps - what a dramatic sight/site! Unfortunately I didn't have my sketchbook, but sketched with my camera instead. The light was low and bright describing lines and angles in sharp relief.

Westonbirt are now looking for a sculptor to propose a sculpture to sit on this site using the cut branches, while the tree regrows. The open submission closes on 11th January, it's going to be fascinating to see how this space develops.

To see the Countryfile programmefollow this link : www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pdxsr

Pushing the possibilties - Burnishing

Pushing the possibilities of the little Hepworth plates just a bit further with aquatint...

...and scraping/burnishing

Its been great fun just seeing what I can get from these two images. There's a depth to them now, they're not so one dimensional, an there seems to be more movement; the images are a little truer to the spirit of the original sketches. How much further can they go?!