Thursday, 28 May 2020

Orange Grove


Despite not having the usual goals to work towards such as Cambridge Open Studios, I'm still working away.  I've recently finished this new drypoint print with chine-collĂ©.  It's an imagined seen of sparrows hopping around in an orange tree.  It reminds me of sunny holidays in the Med.  I'm told they can't be Italian sparrows as they look quite different to other European sparrows, so I'm thinking more Spanish or Greek.

I've used chine-collĂ© before on the sold out 'Rich Pickings' drypoint.  Using hand-made Japanese paper, I paint it the colour I need, then tear them into shapes, in this case oranges.  After inking and wiping the drypoint plate I place the 'oranges' face down on the plate with the glued side facing up.  The etching paper is placed on top and rolled through my press.  The outline and oranges are transferred to the paper.  Once the ink is dry I hand colour each print with watercolour.  I've printed five so far and coloured three, one of which is already sold.
Here's a mock-up of how it could look framed in a room setting.  I'm using a new App called InSituArtRoom which has been fun to use.

Wednesday, 13 May 2020

Challenging Times

Well where do I start? So much has changed since my last post.  I hope everyone is well and coping OK with these strange times we all find ourselves.

Work-wise not a great deal has changed for me as I'm able to retreat to my garden studio and potter around.  However some days I just can't focus properly and at the end of some days I don't feel I've achieved very much, but I'm OK with that.  Cambridge Open Studios has been cancelled in July and all my usual outlets, shops and galleries are closed.  However I have added more card designs to my website and have been getting more online orders with free delivery to local people. 

The biggest challenge for me is that my beloved Dad passed away suddenly on 22nd March, aged 84. Thankfully it wasn't virus related.  There's a post about him on my Instagram page if you want to read more about him.  Here he is last August, helping me put stickers on the back of my coasters.  I'm very lucky to have had such a lovely kind dad for so long and he's greatly missed by all the family.

Talking of family, we are back to having a full house with both children returning from university.  Emily is in her final year of studying Illustration at UWE, Bristol, so that has come to a grinding halt and she's keeping herself busy with producing work to sell from her website and also working part-time packing up online orders at Cambridge Contemporary Art.  If restrictions are lifted I may do a small scale Open Studios at the end of July also showcasing Emily's work which she wasn't able to exhibit at her degree show.

Dan is back from Sheffield Uni and is studying hard for exams which start soon (Aerospace Engineering - brains from me clearly).  We only know he's home as things keep disappearing from the fridge!