No, I said Blog with an 'l' and that's an altogether different kind of puzzler too. Honestly, some people. ;p
There's something of that feeling about writing a blog - being a little island in the middle of the big blue cyber sea. I think part of that feeling comes from not knowing which way to look to get a fix on something and it's very easy to start slowly turning in circles round and around and around. My blog needs a bit of steer to become a boat on the websea again. With this in mind - you know, islands, boats (think rowing or dinghy sailing not ships and yachts), wind direction and are you waving or drowning - I have decided to revamp a little. Am still here for the odd dunk of a good crumbly biscuit with tongue-scaldingly hot cuppas, but I'd also like to set up a few printmaking tutorials. I thought I'd throw in a few 'ouch don't try this at home' moments too - after all, we all make them, so mistakes should be shared to ease the pain!
The Puzzler
Mistakes Made and Lessons to Learn will kick off this weekend with: Got all the Gear. I have chosen this title for a very bizarre reason. Say it out loud to yourself over and over and ask yourself if you're old enough to work out why this title appealed to me - are you brave enough to share it on here or my Facebook page - oh go on?!
Thursday, 14 February 2013
Saturday, 26 January 2013
PRINTS FOR PRESS: JANUARY'S LINOCUT
PRINTS FOR PRESS
Prints for Press: January Facebook Special Price Nights
(AND GIVE-AWAY!!)
TUESDAY 29TH JANUARY : 7 – 10pm
THURSDAY 31ST JANUARY : 7 – 10pm
Every month (for 12 months) I will carve and print a
new linocut exclusively for the Prints for Press Project and these will be
available over 2 advertised nights on my Facebook shop AT
VERY SPECIAL PRICES. After that prints will be available for purchase
through my Folksy and Etsy shops at full price.
Why am I doing this? Well, I am saving up for a larger
press (more details here, with pics! http://inkyprintsintheattic.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/its-question-of-lust.html
) so that I can carve and print more bountiful linocuts and collographs.
There will be a running competition, open to those who
buy on the night – the first customer to guess the overall theme correctly will
receive a give-away linocut print of their choice between: Heart-Strings and
Owl by Moonlight (colours subject to availability). If no-one gets it this
month, then the give-away will carry over to February’s Special Price Nights.
 |
| Sneaky peek, detail from the January linocut |
The first print in the Prints for Press series is a
two colour linocut, limited edition of 10 prints only (with a couple of artist’s
proofs) 15x15cm, printed on Zerkall paper in light blue and teal-black. Normal
full price will be £35. The special price of £20 will
only be available for Facebook users on the night.
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Studio Plumbing Genius!
I posted a pic of a corner of my studio on Facebook and from the responses it was quickly clear that this little bit of genius was worth sharing in more detail.
Years ago when I moved my studio into the attic I had to sort out the lack of plumbing up there. Printmakers need water for obvious reasons, and plenty of it. Ink is a very messy business. So I came up with something fairly rudimentary involving a water carrier with a tap and a bucket underneath....it was all a bit Carry On Camping but without the innuendos.
Nonetheless I carried on this way for a while until my dad came up with a wonderful solution for me....tailored specifically to my needs and the space available for the unit. This design could easily be adjusted for any space.
This little beauty has a stainless steel sink with plug and waste pipe leading to a 20 litre waste container. I think the sink was sold as a salad bowl and he cut a hole in it for the waste pipe fitting. The waste container takes precisely the amount of water which can be stored in the 2 storage tanks ( 10litre rigid water carriers) so needs emptying when they're both empty....be warned, never refill your water tanks without emptying the waste. I haven't made that mistake yet, but I like to stay wary! Yuk.
The shower head is ideal, it is moveable so can be directed. It operates very simply from a foot pump. I thought this might be a pain but in reality I don't even register that I'm doing it - it quickly became second nature.
To house the system and keep it cleanable, my dad adapted a painted steel shelving unit (cut a big hole in it) I have the added benefit of a central shelf to store all my cleaning bits and bobs. Note the scanty descriptions of the engineering side of things - I suspect there is a little bit more to it, but that is what is so magical about someone making something for you that you couldn't possibly make yourself. Am pretty sure that he had to change the height of the shelving unit as well - perhaps a welder was involved here as I don't think my dad still has any welding gear.Though I wouldn't put it past him!
All in all, it is an essential piece of equipment which, together with my etching press and drying racks, has been instrumental in turning the attic from a room into my studio.
Thanks Dad. :)
Years ago when I moved my studio into the attic I had to sort out the lack of plumbing up there. Printmakers need water for obvious reasons, and plenty of it. Ink is a very messy business. So I came up with something fairly rudimentary involving a water carrier with a tap and a bucket underneath....it was all a bit Carry On Camping but without the innuendos.
Nonetheless I carried on this way for a while until my dad came up with a wonderful solution for me....tailored specifically to my needs and the space available for the unit. This design could easily be adjusted for any space.
This little beauty has a stainless steel sink with plug and waste pipe leading to a 20 litre waste container. I think the sink was sold as a salad bowl and he cut a hole in it for the waste pipe fitting. The waste container takes precisely the amount of water which can be stored in the 2 storage tanks ( 10litre rigid water carriers) so needs emptying when they're both empty....be warned, never refill your water tanks without emptying the waste. I haven't made that mistake yet, but I like to stay wary! Yuk.
The shower head is ideal, it is moveable so can be directed. It operates very simply from a foot pump. I thought this might be a pain but in reality I don't even register that I'm doing it - it quickly became second nature.
All in all, it is an essential piece of equipment which, together with my etching press and drying racks, has been instrumental in turning the attic from a room into my studio.
Thanks Dad. :)
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
It's a question of lust
I've been doing a lot of dreaming and longing recently...and the object of my heart's desire is not what you might expect, but is something which means a lot to me. So the time has come and instead of dreaming I have come up with a plan of action...it is my 12 step plan for 2013. Starting now.
'Prints for Press' is the working title for this project which will help me get together with a wonderful, gorgeously large and beautifully engineered fabulously heart-stopping Brand New Etching Press. Just so you know what I'm blithering on about, I'm going to run these little beauties by you.
The first up is this honey-pot press from http://www.ironbridgeframing.co.uk/printing-presses-for-sale . It is a Gunning etching press, the studio #2 which comes in at a hefty A2 (still portable? only if you're stronger than me!!!). I love it. I really do. Sigh.
Now you'd be right thinking that etching presses are pricey petals and even my trusty Polymetaal baby etching press will set you back enough to make you blink. These A2 presses, great for home studios, large enough for substantial work but small enough not to need a new extension, are the most price friendly of the bigger presses. A press this size will serve me well enough, alongside my old faithful, for all the years to come - should I ever need a larger press then I would happily head on into the studios at Birmingham Printmakers. No, the A2 is the size I long for. The Gunning press comes in at £1322, and that's without the stand!
Next up is this one from the Dutch company, Polymetaal - available in the U.K. through intaglioprintmaker.com , coming in at £1,400 - again, without the stand. The stands are desirable, but I think a custom wooden stand might be preferable , built with my own shelf needs etc and that's where my lovely husband starts thinking, ok, so that's your birthday sorted!
There is another option (somewhat cheaper), but to be honest I'm really aiming for one of these two. So I'll leave it at that. Now my dreams are revealed - how am I going to achieve them?
Twelve Steps of Prints for Press
It's simple really - I'm carving a special series of linocuts, in small limited editions, to raise the money. I will offer these once a month (aha! 12 see?!) at a very special price for a limited period through Facebook (one or two nights), then they will go onto my Folksy shop at full price. All the money raised from this series will be set aside for the press. Prints for Press. Simple. I have started carving the first block of a 2 block print and will launch the project fully in a fortnight. Am excited. It feels good to save up for something special doesn't it. :) I will let people know about the print and the forthcoming special price nights a few days beforehand through Facebook. If you see it and share it to help get this little plan off the ground, then a big thank you from me. :)
There is a theme to the prints, a loose one, but a theme nonetheless. I think I might do an extra little give-away to the first person to guess correctly once I've launched the project properly on Facebook. More news soon. Very soon.
Right, am off to finish carving the first one! But not before I've made a large mug of something hot to keep the fingers warm in this cold cold weather. Brrrrr.
'Prints for Press' is the working title for this project which will help me get together with a wonderful, gorgeously large and beautifully engineered fabulously heart-stopping Brand New Etching Press. Just so you know what I'm blithering on about, I'm going to run these little beauties by you.
The first up is this honey-pot press from http://www.ironbridgeframing.co.uk/printing-presses-for-sale . It is a Gunning etching press, the studio #2 which comes in at a hefty A2 (still portable? only if you're stronger than me!!!). I love it. I really do. Sigh.
Now you'd be right thinking that etching presses are pricey petals and even my trusty Polymetaal baby etching press will set you back enough to make you blink. These A2 presses, great for home studios, large enough for substantial work but small enough not to need a new extension, are the most price friendly of the bigger presses. A press this size will serve me well enough, alongside my old faithful, for all the years to come - should I ever need a larger press then I would happily head on into the studios at Birmingham Printmakers. No, the A2 is the size I long for. The Gunning press comes in at £1322, and that's without the stand!
There is another option (somewhat cheaper), but to be honest I'm really aiming for one of these two. So I'll leave it at that. Now my dreams are revealed - how am I going to achieve them?
Twelve Steps of Prints for Press
It's simple really - I'm carving a special series of linocuts, in small limited editions, to raise the money. I will offer these once a month (aha! 12 see?!) at a very special price for a limited period through Facebook (one or two nights), then they will go onto my Folksy shop at full price. All the money raised from this series will be set aside for the press. Prints for Press. Simple. I have started carving the first block of a 2 block print and will launch the project fully in a fortnight. Am excited. It feels good to save up for something special doesn't it. :) I will let people know about the print and the forthcoming special price nights a few days beforehand through Facebook. If you see it and share it to help get this little plan off the ground, then a big thank you from me. :)
There is a theme to the prints, a loose one, but a theme nonetheless. I think I might do an extra little give-away to the first person to guess correctly once I've launched the project properly on Facebook. More news soon. Very soon.
Right, am off to finish carving the first one! But not before I've made a large mug of something hot to keep the fingers warm in this cold cold weather. Brrrrr.
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
New Year's Revisions
That's right, am taking a stand against this whole resolution thing, it always backfires and I don't know about you but my resolutions (shhhhh, not that I have any) are (oops, game up) exactly the same this year as last year!
1) eat less
2) drink more....water ( you thought I'd say wine, but I'm on to you)
3) organise work schedule
4) and stick to it
So far so familiar. So this year I will trot along knowing that this fantastic four will plague my conscience no matter what I do, and I've concentrated on some new revisions:
1) evaluate the year's progress for Inkyprints and make changes accordingly
2) drink up all the pearls of wisdom I can track down - I'm still new to all this, but there are others who can help
3) write coherent business plan
4) and stick to it
So that's me then. Getting everything in order, all lined up and facing the right way.
Everything has been crazy busy already with galleries contacting me about stocking work with them whilst also trying to complete a new set of linocut prints, discussing a new collaborative fine art project, and print more journal covers - urgently. I then came across Handmade Lives by Dixie Nichols who was chatting on Folksy and followed up her offer of a shop appraisal. All very useful and if any of you are in the business of handmade business, please do take a look at her site - fabulous advice with hugely readable tips and quizzes. http://handmadelives.wordpress.com/
It was a fantastic year for me, so thank you to 2012 and all those who supported me at home and online. I am looking forward to this year's journey. Part of the business plan included marketing and networking objectives. One of my revisions (see how I did that, not saying the other word) is to crank up the blog natters from sporadic to weekly. Once a week mind, and you'll have to forgive me if I ramble a lot. Because I do. HAPPY NEW-ISH YEAR TO ONE AND ALL. xxx
1) eat less
2) drink more....water ( you thought I'd say wine, but I'm on to you)
3) organise work schedule
4) and stick to it
So far so familiar. So this year I will trot along knowing that this fantastic four will plague my conscience no matter what I do, and I've concentrated on some new revisions:
1) evaluate the year's progress for Inkyprints and make changes accordingly
2) drink up all the pearls of wisdom I can track down - I'm still new to all this, but there are others who can help
3) write coherent business plan
4) and stick to it
Everything has been crazy busy already with galleries contacting me about stocking work with them whilst also trying to complete a new set of linocut prints, discussing a new collaborative fine art project, and print more journal covers - urgently. I then came across Handmade Lives by Dixie Nichols who was chatting on Folksy and followed up her offer of a shop appraisal. All very useful and if any of you are in the business of handmade business, please do take a look at her site - fabulous advice with hugely readable tips and quizzes. http://handmadelives.wordpress.com/
It was a fantastic year for me, so thank you to 2012 and all those who supported me at home and online. I am looking forward to this year's journey. Part of the business plan included marketing and networking objectives. One of my revisions (see how I did that, not saying the other word) is to crank up the blog natters from sporadic to weekly. Once a week mind, and you'll have to forgive me if I ramble a lot. Because I do. HAPPY NEW-ISH YEAR TO ONE AND ALL. xxx
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Every Picture Tells a Tale
As Christmas approaches I have been kicking back a little - the presents are pretty much sorted. I can get the last couple at the weekend thanks to what is now a family tradition....my husband and I sneak out on our own for a quick Christmas shop and long lunch while the children have a break with the grandparents. In the meantime, I have been having fun cyber browsing book blogs. I could lose hours this way!!
I have always loved illustration as an art form. There are books from my childhood which haunt me still for their beautiful, bold and characterful illustrations. Some of these I have been able to track down and others yet elude me. Gus the friendly ghost is how I remember this one - I was heartbroken to discover that we no longer had it but was delighted to be introduced to the online world of secondhand books in my search for a replacement. It's not quite the same as the real thing and certainly lacks the charm and adventure of a rummage through dusty bookshelves, but I have been reunited with some old friends this way so I'm prepared to go with the flow on this one.
I think I re-found it through AbeBooks but most importantly I have now been lucky enough to share it with my children, along with some others from the same series.
Today's little treasure is this one, 'True Tall Tales of Stormalong: Sailor of the Seven Seas' (by Harold Fenton). Best of all, I was able to order it straight-away and now I can hardly wait to snuggle down under blankets with the children for an adventure on the high seas with these beautiful illustrations, all by Joan Sandin:
Now if anyone can remember/locate a book of children's poems which I think was called 'Happenings' that would be fantastic. There was a poem in it about someone becoming/being a crow, I can't remember it clearly. I do know this, it was an oddly chilling poem which left me anxious every time I read it but I would love to re-read it now to see how I respond as an adult.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. See you on the other side. XXX
I have always loved illustration as an art form. There are books from my childhood which haunt me still for their beautiful, bold and characterful illustrations. Some of these I have been able to track down and others yet elude me. Gus the friendly ghost is how I remember this one - I was heartbroken to discover that we no longer had it but was delighted to be introduced to the online world of secondhand books in my search for a replacement. It's not quite the same as the real thing and certainly lacks the charm and adventure of a rummage through dusty bookshelves, but I have been reunited with some old friends this way so I'm prepared to go with the flow on this one.
 | ||
| by Jane Thayer, illustrated by Seymour Fleishman |
Today's little treasure is this one, 'True Tall Tales of Stormalong: Sailor of the Seven Seas' (by Harold Fenton). Best of all, I was able to order it straight-away and now I can hardly wait to snuggle down under blankets with the children for an adventure on the high seas with these beautiful illustrations, all by Joan Sandin:
Now if anyone can remember/locate a book of children's poems which I think was called 'Happenings' that would be fantastic. There was a poem in it about someone becoming/being a crow, I can't remember it clearly. I do know this, it was an oddly chilling poem which left me anxious every time I read it but I would love to re-read it now to see how I respond as an adult.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. See you on the other side. XXX
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Feature in the Folksy Blog!
I was delighted to be amongst those acting as Folksy Ambassadors at their Christmas Fairs this year and here is the feature giving the highlights of my day in Gloucester with theMADEproject http://frankly.folksy.com/2012/12/05/the-big-christmas-made-market
Feel very shy about it now - life doesn't stop throwing up new challenges does it!? Thank you for reading. :)
Feel very shy about it now - life doesn't stop throwing up new challenges does it!? Thank you for reading. :)
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