Grasshopper First print

I’ve been sketching grasshoppers over on the blog I share with Sue. See the sketches here. We are focusing on a small community wood  which is really a little nature reserve and I have decide to make a set of work about things that “sing” in some way.

Grasshoppers and crickets are another wonderful sound of a UK summer, along with the bees, so they are one of the subjects I will be working on.
I am not sure I can really call this a grasshopper its a bit of a hybrid mix and I have taken quite a bit of artistic license with it, but it’s fine for some more experiments and does have some of the essence of the sketches and grasshoppery-ness about it. I have been reading about the difference between crickets and grasshoppers and, as usual, it all becomes more and more fascinating the more you find out.

Drawing, block  and first proof…

 

I have quite a few more prints and drawings and ideas for this little chap in progress so more soon.

A Small Frog “book”.

In order to try some book forms I have been using some old prints. It’s not really a book but a folded print  contained in two stuff covers.

It amazes me how much can go wrong with such a simple exercise. Very accurate measuring and cutting is essential but without a proper guillotine its tricky but I am improving.  The covers are simple thin card covered with an old frog print with a few additions

 

Cover

It does stand up.

 

Front and back

Opened out

The frog print unfolded.

It was a good exercise but it needs a bit more attention. The back of the print needs  printing.It needs a fastener and you would have to keep the back of the print in mind when printing to make it acceptable but it’s a neat way to present a print…..if you don’t mind the print being folded!!

These folded forms are very nice for presenting a small amount of information. Something I am thinking about.

Into 2015 with Eel Print Trials

My first post to Print Daily 2015! I have spent a bit of time updating this blog with past prints. It’s useful for me to see how and if the work has developed. Apologies to anyone who subscribes to this neglected blog and received a deluge of posts .. hopefully it will all be a bit more regular from now on. I have given myself  a pretty strict work regime…for now anyway

I am playing with all sorts of printing methods at the moment and wanted to make a simple concertina book to practice a bit more simple bookbinding. I like eels. The story of their life cycle is amazing and worth a little book perhaps?

But to start with some sketches and a first couple of print trials.





Here are a couple of plates cut from card. I  made a couple of card plates for the moon project but they were not terribly successful. Now I have made up some of my own shellac which I think will help.





Trials with different weights of ink



A first folded print… more experiments to come.

The Turn of the Year.. and yes, more Moons.

Today must be one of my very favourite days, because I know that tomorrow, albeit falteringly, it will start to get lighter. Hope, spring, warmth and sun cannot be far away.
Meanwhile my first, fascinating, full-on, MA project is drawing to a close. Not so much about finishing things this one, more about cranking up the thinking processes. And for another two weeks I will remain deeply in thrall to the lovely Moon, lost in the wonder of its science, myths, facts, fallacies, hopes and dreams.  There will be a last little sliver of a waning moon tonight before a new moon for Christmas.
I have learnt enormous amounts of stuff; about book forms, monoprinting and the moon. I have made some strange images, played with many maquettes, knitted a Clanger, read some extraordinary fiction and finally worked on a set of monoprints which, in a way, relate the story of my research. I am now just assembling them into a rather haphazard book. The learning curves have been steep but the skills will be useful.
So here,  for the winter solstice, are a few of the monoprints. Out of over 60 plus I  have to whittle it down to 29 ish.  I will post the full set when I have made those tricky final decisions and also will explain a little about how and why I got there.  
I had only made a few monoprints before but loved the quality of the line see here

                                 
Ten of the monoprints, some with relief printed additions: image size 4 x 6 inches

Somehow they seem appropriate for Christmas.
I will, yes really, be back to the blogs with a bit more regularity in the New Year and I might just get one more post in before Christmas but, if not, a very Happy Christmas to all my faithful blog readers…

Many Moons

I am just 3 weeks into the MA course and working on lots of ideas to do with the Moon's Phases. I cut some blocks to print all phases both singly and overprinted.
They made some unexpectedly lovely prints:

 

It was a quick trial so only printed on newsprint, its sods law that they would come out so well. Maybe I will try on some Japanese paper later..maybe..

Moon moth

I’ve been working on some prints of the moon lately and as moths are night creatures I have been wondering about combining the prints. I have no time for actual printing so this is a combined Photoshop print, colours I don’t think I could ever achieve in real  life.
I tend not to use Photoshop much but as I am doing an Illustration course I think its time I really used it for the best it can do, which for me is combining images and playing with colours. So many ides and possibilities can emerge.

 

Moon moth, 2 prints combined in Photoshop

Moth Print Development

I’ve spent a little time with the moths again… no joke ..
This time combining the two plates.







Hmm.. nice possibilities. These are just proofs on newsprint which prints up really well! Better sometimes than the expensive paper. That’s just how it is sometimes ..