Sketch Book Project

I decided to take part in the Sketch Book Project for the first time this year. I love the concept of this project! If you're not familiar with it please go here to find out.My favorite part of the project is the fact that these books will eventually belong to a library and be issued by the public like a regular library book.

 How cool is that?

I've had a brilliant weekend and have managed to make these 3 pages plus get a graffiti page 90% complete! Wahoo! The theme I chose to work in is 'Nothing New' which seemed like a logical choice for me seeing as though I love to recycle and reuse! I decided to take it a step further and use old papers from projects past. When I start a new project I like to use a new method, colour or idea to glue the project together and to provide inspiration. At the end of each project I usually have bits left over and if it looks usable I can't bear to part with it! It ends up in a stash...but then I don't use it because in my heart/mind it belongs to particular project (any one else do that?) eventually I end up with all these papers that I love but don't use!

To be honest I think I form an attachment to them because they symbolise not only a particular project but also a cycle of growth and discovery. I've realised I have a lot of emotion invested in that time and these bits of paper become like photographs to me.

Below are the first 3 pages in my book, Paper Trail.

Paper Trail #1

Remnants of Four weeks in a Season, Take it and Run, Pulp Redux, ICE 2010 and 2011

Paper Trail #2

Remnants of ICE 2010 and 2011, Four Weeks in a Season,

Paper Trail #3

Remnants of ICE 2011, Four Weeks in a Season

These pages aren't glued into the book yet and when I put them in they'll be divided up by journal notes and a sketch or two, it is a sketch book after all!

PS: I'm having trouble visiting some of your blogs! In particular blogs that ask me to select my account, which for some reason I can't although I clearly have one!

Four Weeks in Autumn Collage Series

Four Weeks in Autumn Series

Collage # 5 Week 1 March 28-April 4

In my last posting I mentioned that I had started a new collage series called "Four Weeks in Autumn" and here it is! Well, one of the collages anyway:) I have created 7 small collages celebrating Autummn and each collage measure approx 10cm x10cm and is matted on a piece of watercolour card 12cm x 12cm. You can see the complete series here. This is the only collage to feature seeds instead of circlular shapes and I can see myself exploring these a little more in week 2! As you can see me usual ingrediants are all there...lino prints, coffee dye, stitching, handmade paper and other recycled bits. This is the first time I have created collages this size and with the intention of selling them. I hope! I am not sure if Trade Me is the correct place to list my art but as I don't have or want a credit card a lot of there venues arn't options for me. I will give it a go and see where it leads.

No doubt you can see how the collage 'Autumn Too" has influenced this series! Richard Watkins has quite a few artists participating in his 'Take it and Run' project and as a result he has set up a blog dedicated to the project. You can see it here if you wish to follow the progess. There will be a live exhibition held in London at some stage so that will be exciting for all involved. Thanks Richard!

Take it and Run

I stumbled across Richard  Watkins one day while I was commenting on another bloggers post. His blog name "Pen Paper Pause" looked interesting so I dropped by...and stayed! Richard does "Thought Sketches" candid sketches accompanied by only a few words- observations of the world around him, reflections on events or people and short poems. The blog has a kind of "post secret" quality in that you feel like you are glimpsing inside his mind and sharing in his thoughts. His sketches are simple, honest and real. I  recommend you click on over to his blog or his flicker page and check it out. Richard also has lots of good ideas... a physical blog space in a book store was one that caught my attention. Instead of logging on to see a new post you simply walked in and saw the latest entry on a wall. Good idea!

Anyway...I was really enthusatic when I commented and one sketch in particular really clicked with me, a simple piece called Autumn.  When Richard emailed and asked if I'd like to take part in "Take it and Run" I could hardly believe my luck! I felt even luckier when I realised  the piece 'Autumn' was available for me to play with too! This is what he said...The idea is simple. People like you take one of my pen paper pause sketches, and run with it. Using your own individual style, create an entirely different visual execution that still uses the words of the original. The totally new from the old.

Below is my contribution to his project. Thanks Richard!

Lino print leaf coloured with water colour paints and lead pencil.

I adore the bright colours of the leaf but I think the decayed leaf which is just lead pencil and the ink from the print is kinda special too!

Below my finished collage which I have titled "Autumn Too."

Leaf prints, ripped circle, coffee dyed paper, old bridge pad paper, thread, recycled paper. The top piece with all the numbers was found inside a book I got at the second hand shop. I love finding ephemera from the previous owner!

The text is from Richard's thought sketch and it says...

There is a certain nonchalance

to how Autumn leaves fall

as if they are fully aware

of their beauty

as if they are fully at ease

with their death.

                                                                               

Thanks to everyone who popped by yesterday and shared the warmth with me. I love hearing how you've enjoyed  my imperfect leaves...and I love visiting your blogs too!

Coming soon: A pulpy post! My fingers havn't just been sewing paper collages ya know!

The ICE exhibition will be online April 1st (our April 1st) collages sell fast so if you want to grab a great piece of art from any of the 120+ artists participating you better mark your calenders now!

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!

I

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!