Japan fundraiser

Do look at the prints created by an international group of artist printmakers, hoping to raise some funds to assist the Japanese cope with the post earthquake traumas. http://www.barenforum.org/japan/index.html

City of the World

My small contribution to the giant City of the World project in which various printmakers around the world carve a small piece and Maria Arango-Diener nobly co-ordinates, prints and sends out the final product, all married up. A labour of love indeed. Yes it has been carved in reverse, I flipped it in the computer. Called Graffiti, I felt that every city should have at least some tho' I wanted mine to share a positive note.

Spring 2012

This blog has not been updated for nearly half a year, so what has been happening? I am working through an Open College of the Arts Printmaking course and here are some of the prints made during this time. Printmaking by post? Yes it not only is possible thanks to a really switched on tutor and great materials as guides and instructions, but it is really working. I needed feedback and a good kick to get out of an artistic rut, and I believe it to be time and money well spent. Mind you it does take quite a bit of time.

The Cherry tree print was made for an online group Barenforum to help raise funds for the Japanese after the earthquakes and Tsunami in March; called 'Alone' . Next to it is 'Pompeii Memory', followed by Maiden Castle and lastly Avebury Mystery.

London exhibitions

Intensive trip to London, saw the Glasgow Boys at the Royal Academy, http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/glasgow-boys , Paul Cezanne's the card players at the Courtauld and Drawings at the British Museum.

The Cezanne little exhibition had collected together many drawing, tryouts, studies etc connected to Cezanne attempting to create a 'proper academy' picture for posterity. It is humbling to see just how hard he worked at it all, particularly as he was considered second rate at the time! http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/gallery/exhibitions/2010/cezanne/

While at the BM as usual I popped into the Japan Gallery and thought you would enjoy the two Hokusai on show. The pictures were chosen as Winter pictures and Hokusai was 88 years old when he did them. Which reminds me does everyone know the little book 'The Old Man Mad About Drawing' A Tale of Hokusai written by Francois Place originally in French (Le vieux fou de dessin)? US ed pub in 2004 by David R. Godine, Boston . French ed pub by Editions Gallimard Jeuness, Paris in 1997. It is wholly enchanting and contains a beautifully simply explanation of woodblock printing.

Have done some monoprints and am trying to get myself to do at least one drawing a day. Have a wonderful year everyone.

Turning over new leaves

This monthly blog can show no new work as my unhappy body is still in recovery mode. All is improving and I have been swimming again, albeit very gently. The whole experience has forced a 'who am I and where am I going' rethink. At one point I thought I could never make art again, which brought realisation of how important it is to me. Now I am more hopeful, and have been wanting to kickstart a new search for individuality and originality, rather than the focus on technique which has marked the previous decade.

As a result, I have signed up for an Open College of Arts Printmaking remote learning course. I am hoping this will give me both feedback and direction, and make me work harder at keeping sketchbooks and digging deeper for that elusive origionality. http://www.oca-uk.com/

I am also working my way through the book 'The Artist's Way' by Julia Cameron pub by Jeremy Tarcher/Putnam ISBN 1585421464 2002. The language is a bit New Age over the top, but many of the ideas are helpful. The author recommends writing a daily 'stream of conscousness' words. I haven't done this since I was 18 and influenced by Virginia Woolf but hey.. it's fun! I hope to add random drawings to this mix, but am stuck at present, so am working through a very basic book 'The Complete book of Drawing' by Barrinton Barber instead. This provides exercises which I hope will loosen me up. Page 1 suggested a different way of holding the drawing stick which was a surprise.

So in summary, I have thrown myself into another adventure, which those that know me will recognise as something I need to do quite regularly in my life. I will send postcards along the way. Meanwhile some pictures from snowy Dorset.

Season's Greetings to you all and Happy Printmaking

Exhibition continued

Just a few extra images of some of my work and the exhibition space. We are in an old farm building ( now a Garden Centre) in what has now become Poundbury, the community that the Duchy of Cornwall is building to provide funds for the Prince of Wales. Prince Charles likes coming to Dorset and is a frequent visitor bringing town planners etc to see some of the ideas demonstrated in Poundbury.

Thank you to all who have left encouraging notes. It helps, and I am grateful.

Winter exhibition

Some weeks ago I fell off a stile walking the Dorset countryside, and various parts of me complained and the shoulder seized up altogether and has been very painful. The good news is that the Chiropractor is getting me mobile again slowly, and I am beginning to believe that I may still work at the art again.. one day.

With a lot of help from husband and fellow exhibitors the attached image shows that I did manage to get my part of the exhibition up. As I could not mount, frame etc I have added my chinese brushwork paintings to the prints as these were all ready from a previous show. Now all we need is to sell something!