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Category Archives: My Creative Pieces
Abstract Banksia solar plates
Late last year a friend gave me 2 etched solar plates depicting collages of Banksias taken from her own photos. I printed these for her (see post here) and she used them as book covers for a gift. Since then … Continue reading
2020 12 29 Image of the week
This monoprint, by my friend Judy Howe, is part of the Hazelhurst Gallery & Arts Centre 20 year anniversary exhibition. I’ve always enjoyed her work; her reduced yet vibrant colour palettes create life in each of her original monoprints. Judy … Continue reading
Working with selected colours
The designs I choose from all those I’ll be producing over the coming weeks will be scanned into the computer and used to generate a cohesive whole. I normally create my designs and work up the layers directly from paint … Continue reading
Creating a Colour Selector chart
I’ve designed a system of recording both the variety of paints & drawing materials I own and the items & colours I intend to use for each project I work on. I own quite a range of media including oil-based … Continue reading
A gift of solar plates
Last weekend a friend gave me 2 etched solar plates. The designs are from her own photographs, collaged and transferred to acetate and then to the print plates. She asked if I could print the images for her to use … Continue reading
Posted in My Creative Pieces, My prints
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Working in only 2 colours
I recently taught a colour & composition workshop where we concentrated on the wonderful world of colour choices; tones, tints, likes, dislikes and colour matching. Trying to introduce the participants to a new way of considering abstraction in their work … Continue reading
Celebrating 20 years of art and culture
I am delighted to have been invited to take part in the current Hazelhurst Gallery & Arts Centre exhibition. To celebrate 20 years of Hazelhurst more than 350 artists from southern Sydney were invited to take part in a massive … Continue reading
Posted in Exhibitions & Artists, My Creative Pieces, My prints
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Finally back to teaching
After a very long time in full- and semi-lockdown I am delighted to have been engaged to teach a weekend workshop at Hazelhurst Gallery & Arts Centre. Entitled ‘Book Making for Artists‘ this 2 day weekend event will introduce participants … Continue reading
Posted in My books & journals, My Creative Pieces, Workshops & Classes
Tagged Book-making
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Linocut print: Lamb’s Tongue weed
After a couple of trial runs and a bit more carving I completed a very successful print. Good outcome with solid ink coverage and I’m pleased that my instinct led me to translate some aspects of the design differently than … Continue reading
Linocut: Lamb’s Tongue weed
This year, whilst in covid lockdown, I’ve spent a lot of time walking in bushland both observing and collecting flora, mainly weeds. A few weeks ago I started photographing Lamb’s Tongue weeds (Plantago lanceolata). They have a robust cylindrical shaped … Continue reading
More gelli printing
This week I was introduced to another way of gelli printing, one where texture can be created whilst still being able to produce quite exacting patterns. In September I blogged about a similar, but slightly different method, and gave the … Continue reading
New gelli plate printing
Over the last 12 months I’ve done quite a bit of gelli plate printing using a few different methods; random rolling of paints, applying stencils, mark making with objects and the like. All have been done with either one or … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My Creative Pieces, My prints
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Continuing drawing figures
I’ve continued working on drawing fashion figures. Referring to my text book, I’ve produced a couple of line drawings demonstrating different poses. Using one as a template I went on to complete a body shape. I’m in two minds about … Continue reading
Posted in My Creative Pieces, My drawing
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New challenges in drawing
I’ve had a project in mind for a while now but know my drawing skills aren’t up to the job so I’ve bitten the bullet, invested in some basic drawing books and picked up a pencil. I love fashion illustration … Continue reading
Exploring Mixed Media: 6
Masks, Stencils & Monoprinting . . . with a bit of painting and drawing. A fairly good result. Perhaps a little less colour in the upper background would have been better. The buds have more orange and colour variation that … Continue reading
Posted in My Creative Pieces, My drawing, My painting, My prints
Tagged Gelli plate, Stencilling
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Exploring Mixed Media: 5
Continuing with the Gelli printing & stencilling, I used my original source photos as a start point and reproduced some of the images then cut stencils & masks, plus addition pieces to widen my selection. These thin acetate stencils are … Continue reading
Exploring Mixed Media: 4
Gelli Plate printing These first samples have been about re-familiarising myself with the Gelli plate, getting good coverage and colour combinations. All produced with various brands of acrylic paints. Creating patterns within the painted layers. Stencilling: Experiments with different media. … Continue reading
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Another take on natural dyeing
Over the years I’ve done a range of techniques to apply both natural colour (i.e. colour extracted from nature: leaves, bark, berries, plant stems) and natural patterns (i.e. leaf imprints, petals, fronds, pine needles, etc.) to both cloth and paper. … Continue reading
Exploring Mixed Media: 3
Anyone following this thread will note that I’ve changed the title from ‘Working with nature’ (which were parts 1 & 2) to the overall course title. I feel happier not being so constrained by the narrow reference to nature. It’s … Continue reading
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Working with nature: 2
Identifying colour palettes from photos This is something I’ve done many times before but this time I’m exploring computer programs that automatically extract colours from photos. In the past I’ve always painted swatches or wrapped threads to indicate colours. Having … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My Creative Pieces
7 Comments
Working with nature: 1
This week I joined an online class exploring different ways of working with nature in an art practice. Initially we were encouraged to explore our environment and collect flora that attracted us. Obviously, in parks and and on bush trails … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My Creative Pieces
11 Comments
Counterchange
With the restrictions of being at home pretty much full time I joined a small on-line challenge this week. Entitled Notan/Counterchange, it was described as follows: Notan is a Japanese design concept involving the play and placement of light and … Continue reading
Articulated concertina: More complexity
In January I posted the results of my exploration into creating a double articulated concertina book. I made two samples; one with basic stitching and the other with an attractive beaded join. Ever since completing the these I’ve been irritated … Continue reading
Posted in My books & journals, My Creative Pieces, My prints
Tagged Book-making, Linocut
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Finished and framed etching
At the beginning of February I posted my hand-drawn Banksia serrata and my journey to transform it into an etched print. Today I share with you the finished piece, framed.
Part 2: Two colour etching
Back at the end of January I wrote about a 2 day workshop I did with Basil Hall. Click here to read that so you get the idea of what I was trying to achieve. Essentially I didn’t go with … Continue reading
Self portrait
And now for something completely different. Having been playing with water colour effects on paper recently I considered how they could be combined with my more usual oil-based printing techniques. My goal was to produce a printed image on paper … Continue reading
Challenge 30 – Day 17
A long gap since my last sketch of Jack but this one hasn’t come out too badly. Despite not having drawn him for around 6 weeks I’m pleased that I’ve retained some of the improvement I made by concentrating on … Continue reading
Printing: new concepts
Intaglio lino print on 100gsm handmade recycled mountboard & orange skin paper Me, today, struggling to come to grips with a new printing idea. Nothing like spending time with the textbooks. No matter what you think you know there’s always … Continue reading
Posted in My Creative Pieces, My paper, My prints
Tagged Intaglio printing, lino print
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Printing with water-colour
I’ve spent a week playing with water-colour paints, exploring how they can be transferred to print paper outside of the normal landscape or still-life painting arena. In the past I’ve gone down the traditional route of water-colour painting and haven’t … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My Creative Pieces, My painting
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Etched lino: Two colour print
In late December I recorded my initial etched lino process and single colour prints from two of the lino plates. On my return to the studio a couple of weeks ago I intaglio inked one of the lino pieces in … Continue reading
Playing with my photo booth
Having taken some advice from a gentleman by the name of Patrick, a member of a photography group, I finally ordered and received a photo booth. I can’t promise that all pictures will be perfect from here on, but I … Continue reading
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Part 2: Etching with Basil Hall
In Part 1 of my recent course with Basil Hall I worked on 2 colour etching plates. That 2 day workshop encouraged a small number of us to visit Basil in his studio for a further 2 days of printmaking. … Continue reading
Posted in My Creative Pieces, My prints
Tagged Drypoint etching, Photogravure, Zinc etching
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Playing with paints
In anticipation of a couple of book-binding courses I’ll be teaching in a few months time I’m exploring ways of applying different paints to paper without too much mess and water. Last time I taught at this venue I asked … Continue reading
Part 1: Two colour etching workshop
With Basil Hall This 2 day workshop was an eye-opener for sure. The aim was to produce 2 etched plates, with a variety of tones, to layer together to create a coloured print. No ideas for designs were suggested beforehand … Continue reading
Pineapple paper
A friend gave me some semi-prepared pineapple fibre to make into paper. The fronds of the pineapple plant had been stripped and dried before being shaped into a hank. I pulled it apart, chopped it into short lengths and boiled … Continue reading
Challenge 30 – Day 16
Short of time today but at least I’ve got the outline down. The head is definitely a better shape than the previous drawing.
Challenge 30 – Day 15
Nose is too long and a bit narrow. He looks more like a foxhound. I think I need a close-up photo and draw larger to get the proportions. Good movement though. An update on day 14 as I added the … Continue reading
Challenge 30 – Day 14
Not sure how to draw water but it’s a start. I’ve done a bit of shadow but it should probably have been extended under his belly as well.
Double articulation concertina book: Floral linocut
As I bring this project to a close I’m struck by how much I’ve learned on this journey. My first decision was to create a duplicate of every component as this was totally experimental. What I see in my head … Continue reading
Floral linocut – moving along
After my last trials on white paper I moved to printing on coloured bases. My backgrounds were made by rolling various acrylic paints onto damp plastic sheeting and smoothing paper over the surface, thereby transferring some of the paint. Unfortunately … Continue reading
TactualTextiles 