Solar plate etching

A couple of weeks ago I went to David Wilsher’s exhibition on an old ferry at Blackwattle Bay. David, who teaches drawing at the Sydney Community College was successful in gaining a residency on this old ferry. What a treasure trove of images in that area. I took many photos on the day, but the sun was high in the sky, and a week later we went to take photos at 9 a.m.

The last two Saturdays, I did a solar plate etching course with Seraphina Martin. Fantastic! Last week we made four plates and this week we printed them in various ways. The first and second ones  have been inked up a la poupee (different colour inks on different areas).  They are also both photographic, with a bit of Photoshop, then after they were printed onto acetate I worked into them with a stylus.

The last one has been inked up  in a dark brown  and viscosity printed. The first colour roll (the blue) was masked with torn paper, then it was rolled with a blend.  This one was drawn onto architects drafting film with Liquid Pencil, then some stronger darks were put in with a very thick propelling pencil.

I am really pleased with these three. Now I know the process I can’t wait to get some more solar plates and make some at home.

Latest urban landscape

This urban landscape is on the other side of King Street from my previous ones,  and down the back lane. This is a really interesting building with all kinds of paintable areas, but unfortunately it seems to be mostly permanently in shadow.

I’ve underpainted this canvas in Napthol Crimson, then I’ve worked with a limited palette of Prussian Blue, Yellow Deep, Permanent Maroon and Titanium white – all Matisse Structure acrylics.

I have also used a new medium that I’ve been testing – can’t talk about that yet, but just to say I really love it, and will be using it for my next painting as well.  I’ll tell you about it as soon as I can.

I think I’ve channelled Jeffrey Smart in this painting.  I borrowed some huge Jeffrey Smart Books from the library and his skies are really amazing, so I am now in the ‘why-does-the-sky-have-to-be-blue’ mode.

More handmade boxes

Last year I was lucky enough to have the chance to learn to make a box with Glen Skien. You can see that box here. Recently I made this one with handmade papers in green. The papers are of various techniques using Matisse inks, paints and mediums.

I showed it to a work colleague whose eyes lit up, so now I have made this blue-green one for her.

Both these boxes have itajime papers and credit card papers. The top one has some papers that used Gloss Medium as a resist, whereas the bottom one has some paste papers.

The third box is made from some papers using a friend’s technique made in a huge batch on a very hot New Year’s Day. They’re all from a monoprinting technique. The paper I used here is cartridge paper that had previous been life drawings in charcoal – those two minute ones that are usually a total disaster. They make an interesting layer for decorated papers.

Another Urban Landscape (or two)

This urban landscape is also done with the Matisse Dry Mediums, so lots of texture.

The dry mediums are coming into the shops now, and selling like hot cakes. Jerrys Artarama have bought them for all their stores.

In this painting I mostly used the finer grades of sand, and some pumice (love the pumice) and for the sky I used the Wollastonite which is really a medium for drawing, but I wanted to test it for texture for the sky.

I am testing two more new mediums, still secret, so I have a painting on the go for each of those.

I’ve done this study for a large painting I want to do, and even bought the canvas for that one.  I’ve prepped a canvas for another painting for the Pyrmont Art Prize. And I have three canvases with dry mediums on them that I’ve done as demos. And I’m still cross with myself for not drawing enough.

Then I hurt my back so I’m lying flat reading. I read the best book…. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen I told a friend about it last Monday & he keeps texting me telling me how much he’s enjoying it. It’s very funny but also a little sad.

Another book I’m re-reading is Cooking with Fernet Branca It’s hilarious. I love both these books – they’re very different.

I also read Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesiaby Elizabeth Gilbert. The title had put me off, but then I watch this very interesting video of her ideas about genius/creativity. So I read the book – didn’t like it. I found her too self-indulgent, and anyway spirituality isn’t my thing. Interesting from the point of view that she lived in Rome not too far from where I lived in Rome, and in Bali, she at first lived in the Monkey Forest Rd, just down the road from my second home, Ubud Village Hotel.