Mini Print Exhibition

Mini Print opens this Friday.

Here's my favourite little print that I've made for this show


'Snowy steps' etching 10 x 10 cm

I'm fond of this print because I captured the scene in just two 'takes' and because there is something of the essence of the place:

 

'Likeness can be obtained by shapes without spirit, but when truth is revealed, spirit and substance are both fully expressed'

(from a story about the Chinese artist Ching Hao)

 

It's what we all aspire to.

 

 

 

Mini Print is open throughout May, in conjunction with Stroud's major Site Festival

Has the water finally settled on this path?

A little while ago I showed the development of my print 'water pooled path' (link)

We left it with white margins, and some pencil scribble to see if it might be better with extra dark textures in the side areas.

I printed a short 'stage 1' edition and then with more trepidation than I thought I would feel, back it went into the Ferric. Now I'm so glad I took the risk:

'water pooled path'

- a little path that leads away from the Maple collection at Westonbirt Arboretum

Now the puddles are the focus, and the reflections speak for themselves. The viewers gaze is drawn up through the image rather than roaming side to side. This was a risk which paid off (and that doesn't always happen!)

Getting organised for Mini Print

I'm underway on making a series of mini prints for an exhibition at the Printmakers Gallery at Gloucestershire Printmaking Co-operative.

Over the last 6 months or so I've been doing a lot of sketches in a lane above the village, and I've decided this is the lane for the mini prints. Its called Steps Lane, a great name for all sorts of wordplay opportunities. Each print has to be a maximum of 10 x 10 cm, here's the first completed one:

'steps ahead' Etching 10 x 10cm

I've been really pleased with the sketchbook feel to these little plates - I've been getting freedom in the marks which I'm very happy with.

I recently read this by Brett Whiteley, "a great drawing is either confirming beautifully what is commonplace, or probing authoritatively the unknown."

I'm not so confident about the 'confirming beautifully', but I love the idea of aiming for it by drawing the commonplace, which in my case are the everyday views I share with lots of other people in the village. Allowing the freedom in the marks is definitely probing the unknown, I'm never completely sure if I've quite got what I hope for.

I'm sure there are going to be lots of interesting little prints, please make a diary date for:

Sennen sketchbook

We've had a lovely few days at Sennen Cove in Cornwall. The weather stayed dry and we were able to walk on the beach every day - who could ask for more?

We even saw a fair bit of sun, the photograph above looks like it was taken on a mid summer day rather than the end of March. It was roughly the spot where I chose to sit and draw each day.

It was however a bit more difficult to draw because of the freezing cold wind. The wind doesn't show in the photographs we took, but it showed in my drawing...

This was a particularly blowy 10 minutes, stormy water and the waves rushing into where I was perched.

The weather was gloomier the next day, same view but visibility was poor, however the air was a lot calmer, and I had more feeling in my fingers.

The final drawing is the same view, slightly different angle, and a much brighter day. there was some warmth in the sun and I could sit for longer.

Drawing the same view is fascinating, its an illuminating and addictive process. The weather played a stronger role in these drawings than I expected. The rougher the weather the more vigorous my drawing; the calmer weather produced a more considered drawing, with gentler mark making. The rough weather drawing has a good energy, I may have to brave the gales again!

I miss the view now I'm home, but I have found another rather charming corner in the lane behind the house..

February walks

I'm a bit late posting the altered book for February, time ran away with me... where do the days go?!

This is a lovely old book of pockets for photographic negatives. Artists have inserted a number of pieces of mini work into the pockets, sometimes removing or replacing the negatives.

My miniature contributions are sections from small experimental etchings with modest interventions - drawing, stitch and collage.

 

February Walks

a little breakthrough

A new bit of copper and a relaxed approach.

I scratched the plate a bit before I started, so it wasn't perfect, then looked at the scratches and used the plate the way they dictated. It felt fun putting the stop out down because I already had some marks. When I printed the plate I had a little bit of a eureka moment! The marks had freedom, movement and surface... all the stuff I constantly strive for, but usually overwork.

So the next stages were a mixture of trying to keep a light touch, not overworking things, but also maintaining the freedom in the mark making...

hard ground line



'Brisk'  20 x 10cm

A few people have seen this print and they all have their own interpretation of where the track is, the type of weather and how it feels to be there - I love that about these types of images, there's an ambiguity which allows the viewer to make it their own.
Now to maintain this approach, that's always the hard part.

Etching Progress - Water Pooled Path

Work has continued on the etching:

water pooled path - stage 1

I've created some distance with a spit bite horizon line, and a soft shading in the puddles.

This all looks great on the inked up plate, but now its printed I've reached an impasse. I'm just not sure I can stick with the unfinished areas down the sides. These looked great on the drawing, but maybe not on the print.

Here I've drawn shading over the white areas, and I think darkening the sides will serve to focus attention on the puddles, and draw the eye through the image. Just to be sure I've printed a few off at stage one, and then its back to the acid and a good strong bite for this plate.