New paintings and regular art updates.
Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.
I love painting (oils, watercolour, acrylic) , drawing, digital art, printmaking, pastel and charcoal drawing. Pottery, jewellery making, creating fused glass. Collage, scenery painting, illustration, photography and more.
I’ll try and do anything once. I’ve even tried drawing with boot polish and had a go at melted wax art. (I’m quite old and don’t like getting bored). Even had a go at brass rubbing once!
College piece of printing from about 1979? When I was learning to do engraving I think. I remember using a powder to give a texture, and having to paint it with a varnish to resist the acid bath but it would take a refresher course to remember how to do it now.
Many years ago I joined a stamp collecting club. I don’t know if it was Stanley Gibbons? But every month you got sent sets of stamps in the post to add to your stamp album. I remember the gummed paper that you used to stick them in the album with. Or you could get albums with cellophane over the top of the page to hold the stamps in place.
I remember Noytia CCCP, Greek stamps, ones from Australia, Magya Posta, some British and American ones. As someone with an artistic eye I used to admire them. I loved the colourful ones. Ones with interesting perforations, old ones and different languages printed on them.
Talking to another WordPresser has bought them back into my mind. I remember leaving home for college as a young woman and giving my collection to my sister who also had stamps. I don’t know what happened to them. They might still be somewhere?
I remember using tweezers to pick them up carefully. The enjoyment of looking through the album. The excitement of waiting for stamps that I had ordered. Oh what memories!
My attempt at wax resist printing that I did with the brilliant Belinda Latimer a few years ago. I enjoyed trying to do Batik in her workshop, creating layers of colour. I also did a print of a couple of fish that I called Pisces had framed in a deep wooden frame. Another example of my experimental art practice.
My friend always sends me a photo of cards or things we send him so we know he’s got them. But I was surprised when this popped onto my screen. My hubby had sent a card of a black cat that I had printed last year. I had been experimenting with lino cutting and I had forgotten that I had made them. It’s a surprise and nice to see one of the again!
Lino cut cat from last year. The curve at the back could be from a snail shell. This is another technique I would like to pramore this year. I think I will try and create card sets, hopefully without cutting my fingers. You also have to remember to carve back to front or letters are the wrong way round. If you have ever tried this you can feel the carving tools slipping on the surface of the lino. You have to push quite hard to cut down into it but not too deep or you can split the lino. The kit I bought had a safety carving blade which is the safest way to carve. I look forward to doing some more.
One of my paintings has been turned into a little jigsaw by the gallery I have it in. I need to decide whether to order a few off them. I’d like to get some flat boxes to put them in so I can have a picture on the front of the box. Probably unrealistically expensive but I think it would look nicer in a box than just a plastic bag? I need to find out about sourcing something. Maybe a strong envelope?
Colourful patterns swirling round and merging. It could be alien or insect. Maybe a design for fabric or a stained glass window. I like complexity, I don’t know if something like this would be a good idea for printing onto a note card?
I have talked about doing this before but have never been organised enough to do it. I have lots of ideas but I think I need some expert advice. Which are the best sites to get things printed at? I need quality prints, but not too expensive. I found a shop that might do it but I haven’t got the money to do it yet…
I’m going to do some cards using this linocut for a craft fair I’m thinking of doing. I wonder if this is to quirky and should I try different colours. Perhaps gold or bronze instead. If I also get envelopes it might make an interesting card. I hoe cat lovers will like them.
‘Tiger Cat’, a lino cut I have done, well finished off, today. The top is the lino block and the bottom is the print in black ink onto hand made paper. I’m going to get some blank cards and envelopes and print a few cards off. X
Mallaband-Brown