Florence

Have just returned from a thoroughly enjoyable week in Firenze and a day in Pisa. Am having difficulty walking at present as a knee is playing up, but managed to see and experience many of the wonderful sights, and there was always a good church to sit and rest in.

The art making has gone on hold for a short while while I prepare some boards for a presentation on Japanese style printmaking for a local art club.

London British Museum

Have just spent three days in London, catching up on art shows and museums. However well we plan, the highlights were accidental discoveries. There is a lesson there somewhere!

Trying to find a small exhibition on tribal people of the Himalayas, we were directed on a detour through the Japan Gallery. This proved to include an exhibition of Japanese prints selected by the artist Julian Opie.

The show has had no publicity that I found, but here are some of my favourites

Julian Opie also contributed one of his own work, which was inspired by the collection. This was a computer generated illuminated panel on which the branches moved up and down as if in a breeze, and there was a sparkle on the water. The still shot below loses the effect.

The other lucky happening was walking past the theatre with Mama Mia playing, and getting a last minute ticket. A full house and what great atmosphere. A real feel-good pick up on a cold winter evening.

Lastly I will let the snowman in the garden say goodbye.

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Winter fun

Although the blog has been quiet, I am still busy in the studio. The Buddha in the tree is an image of a real tree in Thailand, which I first saw some 35 years ago. I have created this print for the Barenforum exchange which had self portrait combined with tree as the topic. I intend that this is a portrait of the inner self demonstrating the ability to root wherever I find myself, making the best of what is available, and the development of the Buddha within.

The second print, called Winter Offering, the Barenform members will recognise as having been heavily inspired by Annie Bissett's wonderful Stars print. It was done to assist the local Museum http://www.dorsetcountymuseum.org/ to raise funds by selling cards. The object is to purchase a stunning hoard of over 400 bronze age axes found at Langton Matravers (in Dorset UK). They were buried brand new at the time and may possibly have been the gift to the gods. I have given them a December sky as it seemed to me to be logical that it might be the winter equinox, that people would plead with the sun to come back.

There has been discussion on the barenforum about protecting hands from seizing up using carving tools, so I am showing the hand protection I use, bought in a sports store and designed I assume, for tennis players. I have also strapped my hangi-to with tennis raquet strapping to make it easier to grasp.

Brewing ideas

The Barenforum group have set the topic for a print exchange to combine Portrait with Tree as a theme. Ideas abound, and I stand contemplating the strangest trees. The emerging theme for me is to create an image of the inner me rather than an external portrait of what someone looks like to the outside world. As always I have a beautiful image in my head, and have done some drawings, and a series of thumbnail sketches for colour separations. THIS is my very favorite part of the process, before the picture in my head has to compare with a rather less than good image on paper! I have stocked up on paper and blocks. I still have not identified a suitable source of cherry yet. I went over to Martock in Somerset, They have American Cherry but a great deal of work would have to go on their planks. I may have a go at their bowl blanks one day for a circular piece. If any of the UK based bareners have a solution I would be grateful.

The family with grandchildren are coming down for half term, so actual work has stopped while I blitz the house and make up beds. But colour choices and image problem solving are still going on in my head.

One for the 'oilies'

Among my other travels I joined a two day relief printmaking course with Peter Ursem. He was using lino, oil based ink and a nipping press. Sadly I was badly lacking sleep, being somewhat jet lagged, but as always I learnt as much from watching him work as well as his helpful guidance. To find out more of his work see http://www.counterparts.org.uk/ He told a story which involved looking inside the Wizard's hat if you dared! Thus my image of said wizard.

Islamic Spain

Have been travelling around Andalucia: Jaen, Cordoba, Seville, Granada. Wonderful trip and weather. Thought you might like to share a few images.

Will get back to the studio soon I hope.

vinyl experiments with owl

I learn everyday and hope one day to do some more acceptable work. This experiment was using vinyl floor covering. I begged an offcut from a neighbour who had done his kitchen floor. It cuts so easily it is a joy. Obviously it will not do very fine lines, but after a light sanding took pencil and carbon paper marks very clearly. I also used it to make an embossing plate. The latter is the last plate in the sequence. It is reversed as I printed it from underneath with the paper still damp.

I used the usual dry pigments with water. The paper was very absorbant and I brushed gum arabic on the embossing plate to ensure that the embossing held its' shape. I am not too sure about the latter as it seems perhaps a bit too strong, but time will tell if it settles down. Maybe I will dilute the gum arabic another time, it really all depends on the paper.... another whole topic about which I am still very much a beginner.

Yesterday spent the day in London. The Cezannes in the Courtauld (Somerset House) are well worth seeing, as also their print exhibition of French 19Century artists French prints from Manet to Picasso. A simply amazing double bill, plus the usual wonderful collection of French Impressionists. As a viewing experience it beats The Hermitage. I recommend it to any visitors in London this summer. www.somersethouse.org.uk/visual_arts

The next stop was the Royal Academy http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/ the summer exhibition had some very interesting prints of all kinds, but found no moku hanga, There too is an exhibition of Vilhelm Hammershoi:Poetry of Silence. Stunning work. I emerged feeling I had just been through a long Scandinavian winter where a gleam of light gains huge significance, and a sunbeam carries pure joy.

Happy printing