Interesting talk last Friday by printmaker Susie Turner who visited Red Hot Press to give a solar plate masterclass over the weekend. Susie talked about her processes and the ideas behind her work. She is particularly interested in nature and the changing seasons. There seems to be quite a pleasing conflict in some of her work between order and chaos. She arranges many of the elements in an orderly, systematic way, but nature will do its own thing and always brings a little disorder to the images. At least, no two elements are the same, whether leaves, feathers or seeds, no matter how regular the pattern they're arranged in. Have a look at her work on her website here.
I've suddenly got some time and head space for creative things so have been beavering away in the studio, making monoprinted bookmarks and gift tags for the Wayzgoose in September. Never done this sort of thing before - and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. More coming soon.
The returns are done, we made our deadlines and apart from a few mop up tasks and a final report to be written, we can leave the data mines behind (for now) and resume what passes for normal service.
To mark returns completion, we paid a visit to Bursledon Brickworks and had a most enjoyable afternoon poking about amongst the old machinery, brick moulds, chimney pots and finials. The dragon is a particularly fine example.
There's also a great collection of chimney pots which was the Reverend Valentine Somebody's personal collection. Apologies to the late Rev and family - I can't remember his surname.
The highlight for me though, were these two old boilers (below). Weirdly, I'd been thinking a few days before about the old boiler in John Steinbeck's Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday. In particular, the scene where Doc calls on Susie at home in the boiler. She peers out through the fire door but can only see Doc from below the knees so has to crane her neck round to look up at him. She invites him in so he has to get down on his hands and knees to crawl through the door - and in so doing, catches his trouser leg on the corner of the door, pulling it shut on his leg. He's stuck and Susie tears his trousers in getting him free. So funny, so brilliantly written. And this is Susie's boiler. I can feel a print coming on...
Visit the brickworks if you're in the area - and read John Steinbeck if you're not.
Ever wondered what a Wayzgoose is? Originally it was some form of entertainment in the printing trade. A master printer would provide it for his workers to mark the beginning of autumn and working by candle light. Later it became an annual dinner or outing for workers in the printing trade usually held at the end of August around St Bartholemew's Day, he being the patron saint of bookbinders (and leather workers, tanners, plasterers...). The British Printing Society's Wayzgoose won't be quite like that but there will be lots of interesting print related stuff to see and buy, so come along on 22 September and join in the fun. Cowprint will be there with a stall.
There are a number of different elements to this exhibition: paintings and drawings by Shaw, a couple of paintings from the National Gallery’s collection from which he took inspiration (see below), a collection of works from Southampton City Art Gallery’s collection curated by Shaw, and a film about his ideas and processes.
Hendrick Van Balen the Elder, Pan pursuing Syrinx,
after 1615, oil on copper. National Gallery, London
The main exhibition was made up of a series of paintings of trees and woodland settings which he had made whilst on a two-year residency at the National Gallery. Inspired by works in the gallery's collection, Shaw created paintings that
'offer a contemporary response to the mythological landscapes painted by masters such as Titian, Poussin and Constable.
Shaw is interested in how the stories in these paintings – often featuring violence, illicit sex and drunkenness – have parallels in the way that people might behave in the woods today, when they think they are unobserved. This is complemented by Shaw’s interest in Christian imagery, especially how landscape artists of the past often alluded to the Crucifixion in their depiction of trees.'
Sebastiano Ricci, Bacchus and Ariadne, 1700-1710, oil on canvas National Gallery, London
Interesting idea which enriched my experience of the paintings (links to Greek myth grabbed my attention immediately of course) and encouraged me to watch the 15 minute film (below) in which Shaw talks about his ideas and processes. Also, he visits a Humbrol enamel paint factory! Worth a watch.
Shaw also selected various works from Southampton City Art Gallery's collection displayed under he title ‘A good day for looking out’, a phrase used by his mother for bad weather days. I didn't find this group of paintings terribly interesting though I liked what Shaw said about it, particularly this:
‘Looking back at my selection I can see that it has an air of sadness about it. It is one of the few national characteristics I’m content to inherit so I make no apologies for the gentle beauty of the show. Perhaps it is evidence of Edward Thomas’s ‘melancholy wrought magic’. Or perhaps it just comes from the weather and not getting out much. In the end it is the transformative influence that painting has to take the mortal facts of the world and concoct a heady, strange and enduring potion.’
Finally got the box sets for the Falkland Island Printmakers all packed up and in the post this week. Hope they get there safely. I have no idea how long the journey takes. Having left the UK in a record heatwave, they will arrive in the depths of winter, possibly to snow. How weird is that. Anyway, I hope the recipients will enjoy them as much as we northerly printmakers have.
,,It’s that time of year again. Local artists are preparing to throw open the doors of their studios to welcome visitors to view their work. The one I’m taking part in isn’t until August but I thought I’d get my prep done early as things are pretty intense down in the data mines at the moment. Spent the last couple of days packing unframed prints and ordering frames so I’m all ready to go. Fingers crossed for a sale or two.
I did a brief thing about the Belgian painter James Ensor recently at our monthly artists’ group meeting. I can’t really call it a talk; it was more of a muddled ramble about what I like about his work with a few biographical details thrown in. This is a new thing we’re doing - bringing artists to the group that members may not have come across or not paid much attention to. In doing some research for the session, I found that the more I discover about Ensor, the more intriguing I find him - his work, his life and he himself. So, I got hold of a copy of his selected writings. Just one snag - it’s in French... Having scraped an O level in the language (that dates me!), reading it and understanding it is going to be something of a challenge. It could be my life’s work...
The box sets are finished and were distributed to the northern participants this week. What a great set of prints. The southerly set will soon be winging their way South to the Falkland Islands so I hope the participating printmakers there will enjoy them as much as we are. Here's the front and back - pics of individual prints to follow.
Lost a bit of momentum with this due to the prolonged data mining going on at the moment, but it’s nearly there. Just working on the hair now. Having built out the back of the head, it’s become rather top heavy so may need to think about the base and stabilising it somehow. Doing a thing about James Ensor next week so I may take it along with me in - grotesque papier mache masks and all that.
This was the pallet that my press travelled to and from York on. Was going to get rid of it but decided to upcycle it into a rather 'rustic' garden table for the Aged P. Spending an awful lot of time down the data mines at the moment due to fast-approaching, non-negotiable deadlines so it was good to set all that aside and make something tangible for a change. It's not a thing of beauty particularly, but it's functional and has a certain agricultural charm.
Visited the first exhibition in the new John Hansard Gallery this week. Interesting exhibition (Artist Rooms: Gerhard Richter), fabulous space. One piece worked particularly well in its situation 4900 colours, 2007. I don’t envy those who had to measure up to install it. Also fun with badges. Well worth a visit.
The Thing is taking shape. Thoroughly enjoying the process... amazed at how easy to use papier mache is. My new favourite thing. May try making some paper clay next.
Not sure what I’m going to do with it when it’s finished... maybe put it back into a print, if you see what I mean. I’ve been thinking about making some of my characters in 3D for a while, since Captain PB in fact. Also thinking about the characters that Paula Rego makes to paint. Maybe that’s the way forward. Layer them up so they’re constantly evolving... drawing to print to ‘sculpture’ to drawing to print and so on. Hmm.
Fun in the garden with newspaper and glue! Have been having a relaxing time sitting in the shade of the plum tree (which provides very useful hooks to hang the Thing from as I work on it) building this up with papier mache. What larks! Haven't done any of this since I was at sixth form. Took a while to get the hang of it - very sticky. The newspaper seemed more keen to attach itself to me than the wire. Anyway, we'll see how it goes.
