Notes for an exhibition

Recently I've been spending quite a lot of time on my biggest print to date, getting it ready for the Wotton Gallery show.
The print I was about to make was to be 66cm x 44cm - the preparation needed to be thorough to make sure I wasn't going to spoil the wonderful expanse of copper and it all started with drawing.
I find it useful to make notes when I am out and about making preparation drawings. I've turned my most recent jottings into a bit of creative writing (I call them word walks) that will be shown beside the big print. Here are my notes shown with the sketch created at the time. It helped me remember what I saw and felt when I was in the place that inspired me and I hope it gives an insight into the creative process for the viewer.

top of the lane, clear blue skies

   hard ground; quite a frost

     ice on the puddles

      dog claws scratching on the surface of the earth

          what am I going to be looking for today?

             process - surface rather than the view

           the way place is made / making the surface of the plate

                                  surface more worn as winter moves on

                              rain washed gravel - channel of gravel

                      I’ve decided to stop and draw here  

                          hands are starting to get cold, nose is freezing

        hat and glove day

                               surface damage - ankles twisting against the lane

                                                         surface shapes stretch across

                                                        a drawn swoosh where water drains

                                                           drawing following tyre tracks

                                            descriptive marks - quicker, and looser

                                           slope up or down or across, tilts, falls away

                                             dark across the middle, working the graphite

                                               sharp little points - precise detail and distance

                                                       pencil is quicker than my brain

                                        dog reminds me of the time - give him a biscuit

               dark - with the direction of winter sun, making a deep mark

                                                         snakes down

                                        line drawing now – mostly tonal before

                                   contouring the channels that the water has cut

   gouge into the paper - stone and harder edges, frozen frosted earth

                                                    water damage, weather and wear

                                                  - ends of fingers starting to ache

                                                                        time to go home

                                    let’s call this sketch ‘water damage/frosted’

The final print and words are shown together at Wotton Gallery, exhibition open for one more week. 

Walking, drawing, etching - exhibition opens

My exhibition in Wotton-under-Edge opened last night with a sociable crowd of friendly arty faces. The Gallery was dressed and prepared beautifully by Gallery Managers Belinda and Cate; I am very grateful to them both. The detailing was superb, right down to the white jugs brought in with catkins to compliment the wintery monochromatic feel of my prints.

Wotton Gallery has a lovely ambiance and provides a warm welcome to all its visitors. Thank you to all who came last night and if you're planning to visit I hope you'll enjoy the show.

http://www.wottongallery.com
Wotton Gallery, 42 Long Street, Wotton-under- Edge, GL12 7BT
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 4pm (closed Wednesday afternoon)
Tel: 01453 845286

Exhibition preparation

I've been so busy preparing for my exhibition at Wotton Gallery that I have rather neglected the blog.
I will have lots to show everyone soon though!

The poster was designed by the gallery manager with the help of her talented son, one of the students at my school. If you're in the area we will all be very pleased to see you.

Printing squarely - bringing out the image

I left this print on the last post at the first tonal stage. The second layer of tone gave much more detail and I can see where I'm going now...

Final stage adding in the line work, defining the perspective and leading the eye to the distant point.

Oct 5th 5.15pm

I left the title of the print fairly ambiguous - different months have layers of meaning for different people - I hope the time suggests a relaxing point in the day to be out for a walk.

This print will partner the previous square print at my little exhibition in a month's time.

Printing squarely - first proof

I stuck with my square format for one more print and found that it is a satisfying shape to work on. I can see a much larger square print 'thing' developing later this year.

My sketchbooks are square, I like the shape and they're easy to hold. This last few prints have been a fascinating direct translation from sketchbook to plate. This sketch follows a similar composition to the previous print, so maybe the two pieces will work well as a pair...

Oct 5th 5.15pm - warm. Mountain bike family whir and shake

My caption on my sketch refers to the noise and movement of the family of mountain bikers as they variously whirred or shook as they passed me, depending on the route they took over the ground, some shaking more than others! The captions I write when I make the sketch are really important to me, they take me back to the moment; feeling the light and sensing the experience of being there, wherever it was. They won't always make sense to other people but perhaps they allow people to identify with what I'm doing.

First proof - stop out

The first etching stage puts most of the tone in, if I'm lucky. My luck held on this one, I got most of the structure. The leading lines of the lane already draws the focus to the distance.
But... not enough fullness to the mass of tree and hedge, and I want more texture on the path. Another coat of stop out is required.
Back to the print room!

All squared

Continuing with my new sized square print. I'd put a hard ground on but had been too tentative with the line work.
Another hard ground required...

hard ground line work

Much better, the grasses no frame the path, and the line tracing the route taken by walkers makes better sense. Strangely I found it much easier to create fluidity in the lines on this second hard ground, maybe the first set of lines gave me a structure to work with so my mark making could be more relaxed.

Spit bite aquatint

Next I need to sort the confusing shapes in the tree canopy and strengthen the shaping of the path floor. I put an aquatint over the plate and used spit bite to create a variety of tones. Its all a bit flat in places so a bit of gentle scraping is the next step.

"July 6th, Sunday" 20 x 20 cm etching

The scraping and burnishing worked a treat in the distant trees, bringing a bit of light through past the furthest tree trunks, creating a satisfactory focal point. And voila - done!

Squaring up

I enjoyed the size and the square format for my 20:20 print so much I decided to cut down a plate destined for another project and started work on another square, 20 x 20 cm .
The sketch for this was made in the summer back at Westonbirt Arboretum

sketchbook page

This was drawn on a lovely sunny day,sat on the clover dappled grass with loads of butterflies about. 

This path is a quiet spot; the view to the tree trunks is towards one of the main paths.

Free drawn stop out wash, open bite

Some good shapes on the ground and a good starting point in the trees but the focal distance area is a bit of a weird figure like blob which needs bringing under control - softening or obliterating.

Hard ground line

The hard ground line gives me more of an idea about what needs doing in the background, but just like the last print I've been a bit sparse with my line drawing - another hard ground on the way...