Madrid and British Museum

Came across these Japanese style cloud trees in Madrid. Most unexpected! We looked at some wonderful art there.

A recent London trip saw us at the Van Gogh exhib, well worth even the 2 hour queue. The on to Cornelissen the art pigment people to stock up. The good news is that they are planning to set up a website with ordering: http://www.cornelissen.com/ It is a small shop full of character (and helpful staff). I always half expect Turner or someone historic to walk in.

On to The British Museum print room to see Mexican prints. Stunning collection, and of course upstairs to the Japan rooms.

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Stockton, NSW Pelicans

Finally this is the result of hard labour. I used a machine made Hosho paper in the end. It has really not turned out as I wanted as I seemed to have slipped backwards in the technique, perhaps I am getting over ambitious. Next time I will go for something smaller!

The image is of Pelicans who have come to roost in the early evening. The lights are solar powered, and the place is at the entrance to Newcastle harbour, about a 100 miles north of Sydney.

Pelicans

Here are the blocks for the Pelicans at Stockton print. (Newcastle NSW Australia) Am trying out various papers and may have to buy as I have little that goes this large. Will keep posting when I have an image that is presentable.

Power carver

I have a new toy. I wanted to use these large ply boards which have been sitting around the studio for far too long. However, the sheer size was daunting, so Tara! enter the power carver into my life. I love it, and can use it with either hand, which is a bonus.

If any reader can give any hints and tips I would be grateful especially about sharpening. At the moment I am stropping on my leather barber's strop, each time I change the blade, but I don't think it will enough in the long run. I have Japanese water stones, and the Tormek water cooled sharpening system available to use.

Am working on an image of the Pelicans sitting sentinal along the Stockton Breakwall looking over to Newcastle NSW Australia. We visited my brother who lives that way. Will post when more is done.

Wellworths again

I did some more carving and this is the final version, tho' it is still too messy somehow. Will move on I think.

Wellworths

Have been having a lot of difficulty with the latest print. Imagined as a Dorset Beauty in the tradition of the Japanese beauty series, the print has fallen sadly short of my aspirations. Here are the blocks and 2 of many attempts using different paper. One effort used the lino 'background' block in blue and the other not using that block. I ended up adding hand touching to add more to the girls' features and to the range of colours in the sweets.

This has all taken far too long with not very satisfactory results. I have decided to walk away from it for a while, go into another project and maybe come back to it.

Wellworths is a shop which grew out out the ashes of the closed Woolworths in our town. Managed by a brave lass who has worked her way up in the original store from a Saturday girl. A shining beacon of get up and go in these difficult times.

Valencia

Wonderful week catching the last sun of summer in Spain in Valencia. They have grown the city very quickly and created an interesting mix of architecture. Catch up with more news later