A grand time

I've had some busy times in the print studio and new work is on its way.
Here's a print I made for the New Brewery Arts show (which closes this Saturday afternoon)
This image was taken from sketchbook studies made last summer.
Drawing in this place brings the trees on the left into prominence, they stand waiting to greet walkers as they pass by.

'Grand summer path'
completed etching

The path at this time of year opens up and loses character but in the summer the undergrowth and lush leafy branches frame the path and the feeling of walking along here is more like that of being in a grand hallway in a large building. The thickness of the leaf canopy make the view in the distance quite dark, but sunlight pours onto the path creating strong tonal contrasts.

An earlier proof was more like my sketchbook drawing, but was too insipid as a print, I wanted more drama - hence the stronger contrast.

'Grand summer path' mid point proof

The process is always an adventure - what will work the best? And what works well in one medium does not always translate to another

Charcoal drawing - a streaming path

Walking around our favourite woodland last month we came across this path only to find that the heavy rains had turned it into a stream.

I loved the look of the water describing the shape of the path and the structure of the trees to the side. I didn't have my sketchbook because of the weather but I was able to take a series of photos to get the scene. The images nagged me, and called to me and so I've had to have another go at trying to draw water...

Getting the background tree structures in was fun and relaxing to do. I was building up to the water challenge...

Here I'm starting to tackle the textures showing through the water...

And here are the first tentative marks of flowing water, its so difficult to know just how dark or light these marks need to be.

If I darken them I can always take away again with a putty rubber...

Time to take a step back now and have a think about this.

Delayed

This is the third print in the Westonbirt series, called 'Delay'.

'Delay' Etching 70 x 35cm

The piece shows the view of the end of a path in the arboretum (the same path the previous two etchings - see previous posts). The exit is framed by two arching tree branches. The word 'delay' is a sumative expression of the comments people make when talking about being in the countryside. Rarely do you hear of people expressing the view that they couldn't wait to get back to the humdrum of daily routines, the more commonly expressed feeling is of wishing to delay the moment of leaving. The sanctury of woodland provides a place to pause, and once stopped there is reluctance to move too quickly.
This etching leads to a crooked tree in the near distance, just at the end of the path, it beckons but the crookedness advises caution. It might be better to stay safely in the shadows of the path, unnoticed.

At the end of the day our crooked lives take us forward and, well, I'm curious about that crooked tree!

Progress of woodland drawing

Work is well underway for my MA show final pieces. This post will give a sneaky preview of subject matter and some of the process. I draw out my images before I etch them, here is some of the planning so far for the first piece:

Sketchbook work on location

One of the many, many photos that enable me to work back in the studio

A discarded starting point

A second start, photocopied part way into the drawing

The image resolved
'In between path, the far end'
70 x 35cm

 Just need to do the etching now, and that will take a while...

'trio of trees'

I have a few major projects on the go that are going to take some weeks to be finished enough for the blog, but while big etching plates and drawings are taking their time I try ideas out on a smaller scale. This one came together very quickly.

Another woodland print of a trio of trees, which started with a base structure of lines inspired by printmaker Michael Goro.

lines drawn through hard ground, some stopping out

trees added through sugar lift and dry brushed stop out,
the atmosphere created with spit bite

I'm going to leave this print at this stage. It can be so easy to overwork an image, I think I caught this one at the right moment.

Woodland Sketchbook

Preparation for my final set of  MA work is now well under way and has required a number of sketchbook visits to Westonbirt Arboretum. These are some of the more recent ones, drawn hastily because of the cold!

While I'm sketching I often write notes and phrases of the things I hear,see and feel. It helps me to develop a fuller image in my own mind of the place. I call these notes 'word walks', and I should warn you that there is absolutley no intention of them being poetry, but I quite like the shape of them. I hope you don't mnd if I try one out.:

Winter space,

A wider path.

Gateway.

Sentinel trees lean inwards, outwards.

Stubborn frost hardens and glitters.

A pale January sky

Silhouettes twisting branches.

Outside world quietens,

Blackbird settles on path ahead.

Rustling in undergrowth,

The dog investigates.

All other sounds are distanced by trees.

Low sun, light pools

Warms hands through gloves.

Trees stand straight,

Or bend and buckle

Throwing theatrical shadows.

Give space, close in

Reach overhead

Embrace the path

Tunnel the exit

Into space