I had a great time teaching on the Natural Pigmentscourse at Coombe Farm Studios.  The students were lovely and produced some really interesting work.  We will be running a short weekend course in the Autumn and another longer week one early next year.  We explored a range of printing techniques including direct nature printing and used local stones and soil to make inks.  We also made oak gall ink and made egg tempera paints. Plus the food was amazing. 

 

Back in the Print Workshop and experimenting with pure cadmium and indigo powder pigments. Monotypes on Somerset paper.

 JUNE 2015 - MONOTYPES MADE WITH CHARCOAL FROM BURNT BOATS. Whilst living on a Folk Boat up Penryn Creek I collected some charcoal from another Folk Boat, a few berths down who had to be burnt she'd got so far to wreck and ruin. Mixing the charcoal with a printing ink extender (a clear medium) and a few drops of oil, I used a combination of black and white field techniques (wiping into rolled ink and adding extra ink). Each drawing/painting on metal or perspex is then printed on handmade paper on a printing press. There is usually just enough ink to create a second, fainter 'ghost' print. That is the most you can get so hence the name 'monotype'. Although the image is a printed one it is perhaps more helpful to think of the image as a drawing/painting. The marks though are so exciting and the moment of peeling back is always thrilling. The images are from early 20th Century photographs of sailors.

The roller, the ink pad, the plate and assorted tools for wiping, wet and dry brushing, scrapping and scratching and dabbing.

                                     The charcoal from a burnt boat.

                                           A print and it's ghost.

    SOLO SHOW AT DARTINGTON GALLERY 18TH MARCH - 1ST MAY 2015

                      9-5 DAILY, DARTINGTON HALL GALLERY, TQ9 6EL

                                                                      From my logbook for my MA, white and black pencil on black paper

                                                                               White and black pencil on black paper SHIP IN A BOTTLE

DAILY OAK LEAF DRAWING... EVERY DAY FOR A YEAR I AM DRAWING AN OAK LEAF, EACH ONE IS A PORTRAIT OF AN INDIVIDUAL LEAF.
ALICE AS ALICE