"Painterly"Developments

The Faber and Faber artist pamphlets pages  often provide the backdrop to my work. Originally the pages were a background and it took awhile to realise that I could digitally print onto the pages.  I had a folder full of paintings that I had detached from the pages which I have used in printmaking, but only recently recognised that I could use them for digital prints as well. The surfaces of the paintings are semi glossy, which changes the colour and appearance of the subject matter of each piece. 

This week I decided to try using the paintings in the work in other ways, partly to bring a more painterly feel  back into my work.

Lobster Pots - cutting up sections from several paintings to recreate a recurring theme

The Dustcart ( painting back onto digital print/ found painting).

Landscape -combining sections from different paintings together  to create a  background to the piece.

Gelli Monoprints

I have been working with a gelli plate, this is about 1/2 " thick clear rubberised plate that can be used for mono printing and provides a much cleaner and sharper image. I began with by using a home-made one made with gelatine & glycerin which works to a degree and and with these I printed lots of surfaces and then made collages from them

I decided to buy one as a birthday present to myself and have been using it at the studio.  I wasn't entirely convinced of the success of the images. However towards the end of the day I began to discover that images were emerging and developed better when worked back into or collaged. I was quite pleased with these three pieces.

Cormorant - September - October 2014

Certain images from I-Spy at the Seaside re-occur throughout the work - the Cormorant is one of these and acts as a vehicle to be reinterpreted.

Using photocopies have allowed me to alter the scale, but I've also wanted to explore other processes that would alter the nature and origin of these images.  Printmaking has been an ideal transition, from simple monoprints and press prints to drypoint. 

New Studio

At the end of August I moved back into Rogue Studios after about 12 years gap.  The new studio is on the 4th floor right at the back and looks out over Ancoats.

This gave me enough time to prepare for open studios.  It was lovely to have the opportunity to talk to people about my work. I found as I talked that I understood more about what I was doing and what I want to achieve.  I also felt like I had come home - here were a group of people with similar aesthetics and concerns.