Tbc
As a result of my week on Cornwall I have arrived back in Norwich with piles of collaged sketches, photographs, filled sketchbooks, monoprints and of course, ideas. I was particularly drawn to the geology of the area the origins of the industry. My studies of the geology are already providing a wealth of resources for my prints. Im intrigued by concepts surrounding bringing together both micro and macro scale, aerial maps and different viewpoints simultaneously. A week wasnt long enough so I have applied to return next year to continue my journey.
After the Norwich Print Fair I will return to my painting, but with the same experimental approach and using my geological studies as starting points. I am intrigued at the way my printmaking informs my painting, and vice versa. Overall I am very excited about what my creative future will bring, and confident that I can make it happen.
Since returning I have been using my studies, and collage technique, to create a number of plates for collagraphic printmaking. Three prints will be exhibited next week at Once Bitten, a show in Norwich, and then later in the summer many more will be shown at Norwich Print Fair. In addition I am delivering a number of adult workshops this summer where I will be incorporating the ideas and techniques I have developed as a result of my time at Brisons and giving a talk to a local Art group in July on the residency and my work.
I noticed in the visitors book that one artist set up an honesty box for visitors to Cape Cornwall selling small paintings and donating proceeds to the charity. I didnt get time to set that up this year but would like to..I hope to attend Brisons again in the future and will bring some small prints with me, and bring a small etching press to make some there.
So, what did I do….as usual I set myself a complicated set of hurdles! I was intrigued by the play fullness I achieved by tearing up and reassembling drawings and paintings (An idea stolen from Lewis Noble)
I made 10+ A 3 collagraph plates …and a few smaller ones to get a range of textures in different tones. Once dry I inked and printed them..no small task, and quite exhausting!
I then photographed the prints, and printed off the photos A4 to use as collage material. These gave me ideas for potential plates…..
I then made a series of six plates.
By cutting and butting them together I am able to get a range of textures..not so easy to do that on one plate. After allowing them to dry overnight and printing them I could see what areas needed filling, varnish, heavy body paint or carborundum.
Another day to dry and I printed them with a brown/black ink with chine collè on Khadi paper. Using the Khadi meant I didn’t need to worry about white borders, and the edges complement the subject matter.
The next day I decided they needed more, but I didn’t want to mess with the plates so added hand colouring and finally dropped down a monotype with Gelli of white and black opaque areas. These last two stages were joyfully, playful and creative! I’m pleased with the results, have learnt a lot but now know where I’m heading for Print Fair in September.
