printed material

I spent the weekend near Cheltenham on a Collagraph making course run by Sue Brown, who has been my printmaking mentor for the last couple of years. She's very inventive, creative, supportive and encouraging - and I always come away from working with her with a bad case of sketchbook envy. Her work is so free and spontaneous as opposed to my detailed doodling!
Anyway, the initial two plates we made were supposed to be printed one over the other. They were just quick plates, one of which was using carbroundum grit to achieve deeper tones. I printed this plate again on its own using an azure lake and black inking followed by viscosity inking with white and then cadmium yellow deep. I really liked the result - it looks a lot better in the flesh - and then decided to add more carbroundum in places and ink up again....

It occurred to me that the pleasure I got from finding the paintings of Alicia Lachance was similar to that when I found out about Mary Margaret Briggs via another printmaker's blog.

Her images have the same strong graphic visual element that I love. She works directly from plant materials collected at her home on Vashon Island which she then runs through her etching press to create monotypes. Once completed, the images are then collaged and framed on a box canvas to create these colourful pieces.

Look at these wonderful paintings by Alicia Lachance. I love the use of colour, pattern and texture. I am a pushover for graphic images and these hit the spot for me.

I know Aristotle said that 'one swallow does not a summer make' but one is all it's taken to make my day! Last night my husband saw a couple circling over the garden but they did not take up residence in our little pig cott which is where we have a nesting pair or two every year. Last year they turned up later, in the middle of May, but for the previous two years they had arrived on April 22 each time. As yesterday was the same date it would seem fated but I can only honestly say that today, the 23rd, is the first time one solitary swallow has returned to take up residence.

When you think that these birds have a brain no bigger than a pea it is hard to understand how they can travel 6000 miles and navigate their way back to the same breeding place, on the same day virtually. Absolutely wonderful. No wonder they are my favourite bird. I hope our swallow is joined by a mate very soon but so many are shot down over places like Malta and North Africa that their lives can be a bit of a lottery.

The garden is starting to look very very lush and green so it shows that summer is on it's way. This Centaurea montana 'Violetta' was looking wonderful by the back door this afternoon and whilst I had the camera on it a bumble bee came along and took advantage....

The flowers alone are lovely but to see a bee enjoying the nectar makes it even more special.

I am always trawling around looking for artists who work with alternative photographic processes. As a natural dyer I love both indigo and woad so I guess it's no surprise I'm drawn to anything blue! In fact blue and rust is a favourite colour combination in any work I do - isn't it amazing how we work unconsciously on themes?

Anyway,today I found Martha Madigan, who has worked with cyanotypes since the 1980's, developing her work more these days into solar photograms. I picked a couple of 'traditional' type prints to show. They remind me of some prints in an old gardening book I found that I was going to collage, alter and make thermofax screens from. I am just drawn to the graphic images.

The gorgeous weather of the last few days has enabled me to crack on with a few things that need a bit of heat to help things along. First up is a dress form that my friend Joan gave me as a swap for a bread machine we never used. I think I got the best end of the deal and I've started to papier mache onto it. So far, I've only put on a couple of layers but the sun has already dried it out nicely. Now, I'm going to build up the neck and arms and decide whether to keep it short or add panels to make a full length figure. I have an inkling to make a corset for it and drape lots of fabric strips from the waist using it as a way to display samples and make a complete piece at the same time. Don't know what will happen next at this stage. Knowing me it will evolve in fits and starts until I'm happy with it. Still quite a few layers, sanding, priming and painting to go before I have to commit myself too far......

The hot weather also kick started the rust dyeing samples I'm working on as part of the group work my friends and I have started. We're beginning with the task of each producing as many samples as we can from a metre of calico. We all have different strengths and interests so we will no doubt all come up with different methods and surprise each other - which is the point of the exercise. We want to share and learn from each other as well as push and persuade each other to try new things. I have dyed some of my samples with tea and coffee and then overdyed with rust. The picture below shows a couple of pieces filled with steel wool and rolled like a swiss roll. I put them out yesterday afternoon and washed them out about 20 hours later. They have both taken on a similar colouring.

Ever since my fascination with printmaking began I have searched for different ways to transfer images onto both paper, textiles and other surfaces. There will never be enough time to explore all the possibilities but it's great trying!

Anthotypes are an alternative photographic process using plant juices instead of chemicals to expose a photograph. It was developed at the same time as the cyanotype process and can be read about here.

Some of the most stunning anthotypes are the work of Jennifer Linnea Daly. Have a look at them here and take a good look at the rest of her portfolio. Jennifer has also produced some wonderful imprints which are solar plate prints on plaster. She has a great eye for imagery and is interested in historical and altenrative processes.

After reading about the greenhouse industry of purple podded peas I decided it was about time I got on with this year's seed sowing today. My long list of things to grow this year include lots of salad crops and beans, peppers and sweet corn - which I only grow to make paper from - as well as the usual fruit which is well under way. For flowers, I often grow herbs every year and always try some architectural plants for cover, stature and usually, magnificent leaves which lend themselves to printing from. This year it will be Ricinus 'New Zealand Purple', Pennisetum 'Purple Majesty', Nicandra - or Shoo-Fly to the rest of us - as well as loads of my favourites, dark red and orange sunflowers.

Of course, a greenhouse of soil filled pots is not that exciting to look at at the moment but the garden is full of seductive promise today so I couldn't help but take in the cherry blossom on both of our trees......

On Friday my boy and I went into Swansea to see an exhibition at the Attic Gallery by Brenda Hartill. I first came across Brenda Hartill's collagraphs when I bought her book in the Printmaking Handbook series and I have been hooked on printing and collagraphs ever since! These two images have been taken from the gallery invitiation and show new collage work that Brenda has produced. The exhibition also has mixed media paintings as well as her specialist limited edition collagraphs and etchings. Up front and personal they are just stunning. The use of colour is wonderful - it's a palette that really hits you between the eyes.