Press On regardless this Sunday

Nestle is almost finished.... she is reminiscent of fairy tales... nestling amongst the brambling roses....it is night and she is latent, ready for transformation...  

she has been a long time coming.... the latent being in theme and method... she is the first in a series coming...

In this print I'm going to use Chin colle´ a beautiful laminated collage process during the act of printing that adds subtle texture and colour and its perfect for this image as it lifts out the roses and I can still retain that dark midnight sense of colour with prussian blue and black. 

subject to flooding

I’ve been exploring the Clarence River after the floods, with dark mysterious inlets and dappled forest light.  It has the quality of otherness, a space where memories, imagination and potentials can occur.  

I am embarking on some new work that has that dynamic and sexy collaged female form negotiating the element of water.... as someone mentioned to me " I've been up in the air for awhile!"

Press On Regardless

Well, some big printing days to finish the final etching but definitely worth it!  The colour is a la poupee a very painterly approach to inking up your etching.  A variety of chosen inks are placed on individual sections of the plate and blended to suit.  The sea is a mixture of viridan and prussian blue- such dynamic vibrant colours.  This etching is 1metre long and 50cm high, and Ive called it Awash with the sensations of days in the sun.  A big thanks to Susan Byrne who helped me manage the huge clean sheet of paper when trying to place it on the press with clean hands.... !!!

Press On Regardless

oh what wonders being able to take a little hobby sander to a bit that you hate!!  burnish it back to a nice level.... shame i cant do that to excess weight on the body!!  Have added an aquatint to give a more gentle tone and some on the little surfer dude.  Will need to soften some areas of wash with the burnisher still and next job some more darks in the little surfer dude....

Press On Regardless

Ive now added a body board to the collaged figure... and some more tones onto the plate. Some areas will need definite burnishing back to soften tones and lighten areas, but pretty pleased with overall richness of darks.  Now for some mid tones to bring the swirling wave together....

Press on Post 3

Im now building up the tones of the image with sugarlift.  This is a lovely textural effect made from a sugar mixture that you paint on the plate.  You add sugar and water and simmer till the sugar dissolves and stop just before it becomes toffee. Where you paint it is where the tone will go..... always a process of adding and subtracting with etching....thats what really creates those lovely effects...

Press On Regardless July 2

Spit bite etching is a lovely effect.... i like being painterly with the solution so it works more like watercolour.  It takes a few goes to build up the tonal effects.  This is the second proof...

Press On Regardless

I am working on a commissioned etching.  It has had very interesting beginnings for me.  It was a series of negotiations on how the imagery was to be designed.... let me tell you a little story..... "I want a palm tree, a beach scene, a surfer and a surfboard stuck in the sand..."  Ok.  I dont make work quite like that.... and so we came to a compromise... "Ok... a beach theme.... a surfer, a wave, a shark and your 'random shit'  Ok, I think I can work with that! 

Now its a matter for negotiating through the process of etching- with its alchemy of solutions, marks, textures and tones.... this is the first proof! I've drawn in with hard ground and begun to spit bite.

she went she networked but did she conquer?

Well, i did the most intense and amazing thing last week..... i was selected to speed date with 23 sydney galleries... what an amazing opportunity!!  I can say I achieved alot of networking and possibilities, but did i conquer a sydney gallery position... well no....

maybe that was too much too hope for in a session of 2 minutes per gallery...after being hoarse for two days.... had to yell almost to be heard... i feel a bit deflated that there was no feedback opportunity from the gallerists....

still time will tell....

but mean while... the work continues and my next projects are 3 collagraphs of dancing queenie doing the shimmy...