Field

 This is a little bit of a cheat post as I am showing you some old photos and mosaics; most of them come from The Persistent Thread group on Flickr.  You may have read before that I have an inspiring view from my little room/studio, overlooking an open field which slopes up from the road below my window. I have often used it in one way or another for images. As I have just done that whilst practising my lino cuts, I thought I would seek out a few of the other images and put them together.

Harvest time and a print making course at City Lit..

Machine embroidery, sketching and photography.

A collagraph print and the prints made using a pasta machine.

A little bit of everything,including used envelopes(click for a clearer view).

Stitching on pulp paper,then photographed.

Photographed with a gauze texture added.

'We Love Your Books'

minute

an exhibition of experimental artists’ books

curated by we love your books|2012

15 November - 17 December 2012 

Avenue Campus Foyer

Avenue Campus, The University of Northampton

St. George’s Avenue, Northampton NN2 6JD

Slide show here.

Purchase  a catalogue or digital download at magcloud.

Selected minute books in exhibition

Selected minute books in exhibition, a photo by rejectamenta on Flickr.

New toys (tools).

Sometimes it is nice to give way to an impulsive buy and that is what I did when I bought myself three catalyst wedges. I feel pretty sure that with a bit of cardboard or a decorating tool that I can get a similar affects, but sometimes it’s good to buy something new and to get that parcel in the post.

For the amount of fun I have had with them, they did not exactly break the bank. Just listen to me, a sure Yorkshire woman, trying to justify spending a bit of money.

 There are a few videos that you can watch to get ideas for their use. I wonder about using them with wax; will the wax come off easily or will the tools have to be dedicated to future use with wax. Let me know if you have the answer.

 I bought mine from here   I think they are easily available in the US..

Lino cut

On Saturday I went to an afternoon workshop on Mark Making with Lino cut . It was run by Susan Yeates of Magenta-Sky. I found the course via Hot Courses following an internet search. I have had a few goes at lino cuts over the years and haven’t really liked it but after doing a repeat print of one of my drawings from a recent art class I thought it would be good to learn more about the process. That print worked on fabric with acrylics(apparently not really the done thing,I don't know why), is now my new apron.

 This workshop was better than previous attempts I think because it focused on learning something about the basic marks and ideas of how a shape can be interpreted in different ways. It was well organized and was well attended with fourteen people in the upstairs room of the Electric Theatre in Guildford. It was also very reasonably priced.

As you can see, I would need a lot of practise to make acceptable prints and I also need to read Susan’s book to find out how to register my prints. It is an enjoyable process, despite being hard work, and is one that can be done at home with minimal equipment and mess. I say hard work because we all pretty much agreed that it is hard on the hands and the back  - the lady next to me kept sighing which I told her made me feel better, as it summed up how I was feeling. There was a lot to do in a short time.