Graffiti pages...finally!

I am really pleased with the way this series turned out! It didn't quite go to plan, I missed a deadline for the first time ever and I only created 8 instead of the intended 11. Once the deadline had passed there didn't seem to be a lot of point in creating the projects required 11 but I really wanted to see the project through. I see this series as a bit of a turning point in my artistic journey and even though the series is complete the journey  isn't. It's exciting to have a new path to explore and I will be taking inspiration from these pages and the Rena disaster for my next ICE series.

There are a lot of photos to follow so I am going to do it in two parts.

Part 1

Page 1.

Personally, I'm not actually a huge fan of this page! It showed enough potential though for me to keep working on it and as you will see from the other photos posted they contain similar elements but the style is cleaner.

Page 2.

Jackpot!  Home-made walnut and eucyalyptus dyes, pencil, map pieces and stitching. I love the bigger blocks of paper and most of the pages that followed adopted that look.

Page 3

The first page with an anatomically incorrect heart-nest! (Linocut)

Page 4

Page 5

The stitched text piece is my favorite part on this page, along with the note paper my kids used and left laying about.

It took me so long to 'get around' to finishing the series. Emotionally and physically I was really zapped by the effect of my daughters surgery and my mojo left me. It wasn't really a time thing, I had plenty of time sitting around in the ward and it seems logical to take my supplies and to pass time that way. Unfortuantely my logic and my motivation wern't in tune with each other! When I decided to detox one of the first things I did was to sit down and stitch and it only took a short while to finish these.

School goes back tomorrow for us, I have 2 at home full time doing correspondence and I hope that this term I will do better at balancing school and art. I really struggle with it and even now as I type I am aware that I should be planning the first weeks work instead.

On that note...see you soon:)

Anatomically Inspired Grafitti

I am so excited to be back in my art zone! I have been wanting to do another lino cut for a long time now but couldn't settle on an image to carve. I thought a lino cut could lend itself quite well to my graffiti pages for the International Signature Exchange and for want of a better search term I googled "lino cut grafitti' or something to that effect. Look what I found! The whole website is fantastically inspiring for a graffiti 'wannabe' such as myself! Full of inspiration I seized the moment and spent several hours drawing, carving, printing and collaging. In the end I only stopped because my shoulder blades were insisting! (Standing hunched over a bench isn't as easy as it used to be! lol)  Below is the result of my efforts...an anatomically incorrect inspired linocut heart-nest!

I realised after printing several of these that my heart is not anatomically correct. The valves are back to front! I was going to re cut it and but had a little laugh at myself when I realised that I was worrying about making a heart with a nest in the middle anatomically correct! The existence of the nest made it incorrect  and the rest I am putting down to artistic license:)

This is signature two for the swap. I am enjoying adding collage elements to my grafitti inspired papers. Below is the inside of page two, which will have a blank double-sided page in the middle making these pages 1,2,7 and 8.

Above, my sketches, not included in my signature!

Below, signature one for those who missed it.

Below, a segment of the inside of this spread and the back of the signature, heart-nest added!

Sneaky peaks of the signatures I've collaged but not yet stitched. Anatomically correct or not, I love this heart-nest! 

PSSST> Watch this space to see my contribution to Seth Apter's Style File, coming soon!

Lino carving, dots and cirlces!

I've had an unexpected break from both blogging and art. I got caught up with birthdays, kids and family visiting and haven't created a thing in nearly 10 days! Even though it was really good to see our family I'm definitely ready to get back to my circles and dots!
I did foresee a short break so before it all got busy I spent the day creating a new lino cut.The cut is in part a continuation of the ripple effect concept I started exploring in the 'chain reaction' series for the International Collage Exchange. The resulting lino cut is below.

This is my first version....my daughter asked if I was thinking of fingerprints! It was too 'busy' for me so I removed some of the lines and ended up with....

I  like this version better, I wanted to create a print that reflected a concept I was playing with- that ideas and thoughts are like seeds. We either plant them out and nurture them or we leave them in infertile soil.

The curved lines around the seed illustrate the 'ripple effect' that takes place when we make choices. Every idea, thought or action or inaction creates it's own ripple but it all starts in the middle, with the seed.

This is a 'hat' print. It's the done on a serviette using a wet lino block. (hat = happy accident technique.)

I couldn't leave the print alone...as you can see I turned nearly all the prints into ripped seeds for collage work. I guess I could have saved myself a lot of work if I'd thought of this first! I think most of my prints will end up being 'downsized' in this way. Sometimes I take the long way but better to have gone the long way than to have not made it at all:)

I promised some circle posts from other artists in my last posting and here they are! Mick Mathers and Robyn Gordon are 2 of the artists kind enough to share links to their 'circle' posts with me to repost here.

Mick is a talented digital artist and through his art I've learnt to appreciate the art of digital collage. His daily collages are often part of bigger series, related to each other in their subject likeness but always different in their appearance and techniques. I enjoy the diversity of Mick's work and his ability to make a digital work appear either earthy and mysterious or bold and structural like the image below.

This artwork is part of his series "Reinventing the Wheel." Please take the time to click on over to check out the series as well as the rest of his blog!

Robyn Gordon is an artist who fascinates me! Her carvings are wonderful, earthy, rustic and soulful. Little niches filled with treasure and soft rounded curves that are beautiful to look at...and I imagine even more so to touch! Robyn also has a knack for putting together posts that honour the work of others and the link she has shared is one of those. I recommend you make yourself a coffee and head on over to Africa for a while! Robyn's 'spots and dots' post can be seen here.

Thanks Mick and Robyn! If you have a link of your own you'd like to see here it's not too late. Just let me know in the comments section.

Next posting: Fabulous Mail! I've received my swap items from LaWendula and my collages from the ICE exchange.

Leaf Lino Print

I hope you all like leaves and Autumn as much as I do! I've been playing around with a new lino cut which is a realitivly simple leaf design and I've introduced a 'new' colour to my prints- burgundy! It's a wonderful delicious colour which goes perfectly with coffee and Autumn. I've also been playing around with a few different methods for colouring my prints and taking them. A print straight onto paper still wet with coffee dye for example.  Here's a pic (below)  from my visual diary, the handmade book I made several months ago now. I hadn't used it for a while so it was quite nice flicking through and seeing the old entries. Click on the photo if you want to be able to read the notes below the images.

Below: The linocut itself, I often think these are little works of art in themselves and I think I will make a few 'lino carvings' at some point so that the lino itself is the work of art and the prints a by-product. I love the texture and the way the ink holds in some places but not in others.That fabulous background is the coffee and acrylic paint nude I used for my books cover. I am so inspired by these warm shades!

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Last but not least...it occured to me that the leaf print didn't have to be square just because the lino block was! I love these ripped and sissor cut leaves! The background it sits on just happens to be a sneak peak of the design idea I have for my next lino cut...I'm playing with the idea of seeds and ripples.

These prints, as you may have noticed, arn't perfect. I made the first few prints in black and didn't like the fat 'colouring book' lines that I had so I trimmed them down...and accidently cut off a line I didn't want too! Too late once it's gone! I was quite annoyed with myself but didn't want to throw away the block for the sake of a line and I think I will be able to save myself a little bit with some strategic colouring and water dripping.

I'm planning a new collage for the "Take it and Run" project I mentioned a few posts back.These prints are for it and I am quite excited about the design I can currently see taking shape in my head!  

More next posting!

Library Issue

I have been busy secretly working away on a small set of collages to celebrate/commemorate  the Pulp Redux collaboration!  Being an Altered Book Round Robin I couldn't think of anything more appropriate than a 'library issue card' and a special edition lino cut! All of the background papers are recycled or from the paper stash that I got from Deb.

Collage 2, if you look closely has the words 'tatters patiently rewoven' in green. The poetry was mostly obscured under the layers but it said " All our raveling tatters patiently rewoven, I surrendered pipers cadence for children's moans. Ungazed my mirror was mazed with frosts" thanls Deb for including that cool piece of text!

I've shown them here in the order that I created them and all though I wanted to keep the continutity I didn't want to make them the same! I have my favorite of course but overall I would have to say I am quite pleased with them. I also discovered why thimbles were invented! I havn't done that much sewing in ages!

In true LUCKY DIP style I have wrapped these all up in brown paper with a few other goodies and each player will randomly pick one to keep. It's not a swap, it's a heartfelt thankyou! This swap has already exceeded my hopes and wishes for it and we're still working on our own books!  Mine will be going postal to Alicia of Altered Bits tomorrow or the next day.

I made 5 collages so I could have one too, I even made myself do a little lucky dip so I couldn't be biast...and I got collage number 4. It's actually been added to my book but more on that tomorrow!

 The technique I used for the linocut print was the 'happy accident technique" which will be forever dubbed the h.a.t print (atleast in my mind!) unless someone can tell me if it actually has a name...they're made my wetting the inked lino cut and pressing serviette/tissue paper into them. The serviette's absorb the ink from the low points and wider high points and the water gives it that aged look. I discovered it by accident but that dosn't mean it's original!

ICE 2010 #5 and Art Exchange Piece

ICE 2010 # 05

Series: Chain Reaction

Title: Co-dependant

In this collage I've explored the chain of dependancy that we have on the animals and plant life we co-exist with. I've chosen the stitched feathers to represent not just birds but the cycle of regeneration. Birds not only spread seeds directly but play a role in pollination and pest control. I am in total admiration of birds! The numbers represent both the gradual demise of many species of animals and the gradual destruction of land. It also symbolises time, that clock is ticking and if were not responsible with our resources I believe we will eventually find our planet as that X.  The brownish paper has a list of animal origin foods such as butter, milk, eggs and meat.

Every thing we do on has a effect on another part of the chain and we have the power to make decisions that will make the chain reaction a positive one.

              

                  Stitched feathers using second hand shop thread, recycled paper from school multiplication graphs, lead rubbings , handmade paper scrap.             

This is my artwork for the Art exchange which I have sent on it's way to Jill Zaheer. I called it "Weathered" and it's a nest lino print and a srap weave sewn onto coffee dyed watercolour card. It measures approx 8.5" x 6.5". I am quite pleased with the way this turned out although a little upset I didn't notice the slight fold on the nest! when I photographed it! It's not like that normally so try to picture it without it:)

If you'd like to play in the exchange I am still looking for 4 more people to sign up (so to speak!) It's an easy swap, make one piece of art and recieve many more back! Leave me a comment if you'd like to play!

ICE 2010 #4 On loan

International Collage Exchange 2010
Series: Chain Reaction
Title: On loan

Teasel lino cut on coffee dyed paper,teasel ofcut on painted paper, hand made paper, library issue pocket, paper clips, thread, brads.

'On loan' reflects my belief that this earth is not ours. We are a part of this earth and it is part of us, we do not own it, it is simply ours to enjoy while we are here. In keeping with my chain reaction theme I am making reference to the fact that what we do here set's in place a chain reaction that alters the environment that we leave for future generations.
I have enjoyed making this, I was challenging myself to create something that was different yet not to different from what I usually do. For now what I am doing is really working for me but I don't want to get to comfortable in it! Sometimes when I try to make a change from what I normally do I don't end up liking what I have done, it dosn't reflect me and I find it uncomfortable. Not so this time, I think there is enough of my regular elements and colours for me to still feel like this is...me and that is a good feeling!

ICE 2010 #3 Harmony

International Collage Exchange 2010
Series: Chain Reaction
Title: Harmony
Embossed leaf on handmade paper, coffee dyed paper, leaf lino print on serviette, thread, pencil, recycled papers.

It was layout number 2 that won me over! It was very nearly number 1 but I realised that I nearly always put the darker/bolder image on the left so I decided to do it the opposite way just for a change. I titled this 'Harmony' because while I was creating this piece the words "Harmony sustains life' kept replaying in my head. Given it's relevance to the meaning behind my work I knew the collage had just been named. I've been waiting to use that leaf for some time now, no project seemed right but I can see it belongs here, as it was meant to be.

A paper swap?? Yes it's true! This international paper swap is being hosted by "Woven Letters" so please drop by her blog and sign up if this sounds like you....which it does of course!

Laying out the pieces.

Will it be this one?
Or this one?
Or this one?

Or that one?

Laying out the pieces of a new collage can take me quite a while, even with only 3 main pieces to work into a background! For me this 'laying out' the pieces part is a process to be done slowly and thoughtfully and preferably without interruptions. It's my first chance to see the idea that's been in my head and to start to bond with it. It's the school holidays...I am not doing so good on the 'without interruptions' part so I asked the kids for their opinions too and after that they were quite content to let me and my papers be for a little while at least:)

This collage will be the 3rd in my ICE series "Chain Reaction" and I was playing with the concept of 'connections' again (collage 2 if you missed it) and interaction. Our interactions with each other and nature set in place a chain reaction. I've chosen an embossed leaf, the word tree and of course...my nest print here to represent a cycle of dependency and life. The tree needs the leaf to feed it, the leaf needs the tree to grow it...which in turn provides the leaf the means to do what the tree needs.

The nest needs both the leaf and tree but in turn the tree needs the bird (who needs the nest) to eat the seeds and disperse them elsewhere so that the cycle of natural regeneration can continue. No one part of that cycle is more important than another because with out each other they don't exist. Unfortunately, us humans, sometimes see fit to interfere with that cycle and cause a chain reaction of a different kind yet we have an equal opportunity to purposefully make choices that set in place a postive chain reaction.. and like the leaf and the tree it will also sustain us and our future generations. That's my take on it anyway!

This collage is now well under way so watch this space! If your creating a blog action day post and missed my invitation to play please go here for the details!

Chain Reaction. ICE 2010. #1

Title: Chain Reaction. Collage #1

Kowhai dyed, handmade paper, coffee dyed paper, nest image embossed on a serviette, painted paper scrap, 2nd handshop thread, pencil, indian ink, gesso. Mounted with brads onto A4 watercolour card.

I have just started working with a new theme "Chain Reaction." For every action or inaction there is a chain reaction and this is the legacy we leave. The nest symbolises the environment in this particular collage. What we do on this earth, to this earth, has either a good or bad consequence depending on the original action or inaction. Through out the 13 collages made for ICE 2010 I am sure I will be able to explore the ideas fairly thoroughly!
I have to admit that I am loving this collage! These embossed prints are made from a wet lino cut block, the happy accident is now most definately intentional. I especially love the aged look of this one. I was actually tempted to use only the nest and handmade paper on the background, it looked so simple and clean and reassuringly old all at the same time. It didn't really express what I wanted too though so out came a pencil and collection of lids to draw around. I am learning to do simple, usually I have so many ideas and potential supplies and I really have to struggle to decide which ones don't belong there but this time it all just fell into place. I love it when that happens!

When I sat back and reflected on the finished work I noticed that some how I had tapped into a part of me that is looking for peace and calm right now. Tomorrow is my daughters hip and knee surgery (no cancellation so far!) and there's a part of me desperate not to go...to wish this all away, trade places or something. Anything but what is taking place. The other part of me knows that this is what has to happen and its happening like it or not. It's funny how despite the chaos my artistic self new where to find the peace even if I didn't know I was looking.
So....fingers crossed for us please! I will be away for a few days and will definately be looking forward to seeing what you've all been up too.
Be well!

A new lino cut nest.

I've been having fun with a new print! I cut it and did these first prints today to test it out. I like this print a lot more than the first nest print I did (which I still like...just not as much as this one!) I was trying to achieve finer lines and that weaved look because I don't like the 'colour book' look that some lino cuts have. This one does look at home here in my VD! If it looks a little familiar it's because I used my photo of a nest (that's been copied a lot of times for collages) as the base to draw from.

The yellow is paper is painted paper with indian ink wash, the brown splattered paper is patterned by string soak in coffee then left to dry on the paper. I enjoy these patterned papers more so than the straight black on white ones...however I think this b&w ones will look great photo-copied onto tracing paper. So many opportunities to explore!

I tried to make the most of the lines and ridges that appear in the background of a lino print. This is the first time I have really considered them while cutting the background away from the nest, I think the resulting cut is a little mini work of art in itself!

Today is my graduation day from my art course...I have officially finished 4 years of study and am now at a new point in my life. I will have my diploma soon and now I need to work out what to do with it! I have ideas of course but I must say I feel a bit like a little bird about to fly from the nest for the first time! It's a big wide world out there and this next journey is about finding my place in it and realising some of the dreams and aspirations that I have been holding onto for a while. Watch this space:)