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29 April 2020

Woodblock Wednesday - layer 2 of Waders

10am. Ready to roll - paper damp, paint mixed, nori at the ready - and block reduced somewhat to get the second layer overprinted -
Three hours later, layer 2 (payne's grey) lies on top of the davy's grey of layer 1 - in some prints, the layers lie beside each other. Bad registration -

Nor does the wateriness of the reflection come through - perhaps the area, thumbnail size for the small birds. In the original photo it was more like thumb-size -
the original photo (detail)
Here's what I printed this time -
the prints

the postcards
The postcards are some pages from a Pink Pig sketchbook (white) and heavy cartridge (135 gsm; cream) from a large sketchpad. There is show-through on the pink-pig pages but very little on the cartridge -
I'm not sure either are thick enough to function as a postcard.

The group's whatsapp discussion during the session included the matter of colour gradation and "which sumi ink", solid block or liquid?
Katsutoshi Yuasa used those gradations of colour from sumi ink to print this -
It's a metre square; here he shows how to register and print large work.

Once my little birds are done, what will be the next project? Either the bigger birds, which are drawn out ready to cut
24 x 16 cm

or some travel lines, like these, which were drawn on a smooth train journey and a bumpy bus journey -
screenprints, 2011
with a view to using them with stencils ... just a hazy project at the moment, but based on my daily walks.

28 April 2020

Drawing Tuesday - View from below

After thinking about this challenging topic all week, and taking photos looking upwards under trees, I found it hard to get started - too much to choose from! This is the shortlist - 
I used two of the photos and an A3 pad of tracing paper, but instead of  putting the photo underneath and tracing onto the paper I transferred the shapes from above via carbon paper, which means you can't see what's happening with the drawing below! The tracing, and the choices involved, took quite a while and I got rather bored outlining shapes on the photo with lines I couldn't see until ... the pencil (8H, long story with that) took on a life of its own and wanted to make interesting and lively marks. Once I figured out what it was trying to say, what choice was there but to obey? 
IMG_20200421_125532.jpg
Eventually the tracing was done
I'd chosen to use tracing paper because of wanting to layer the lines. Although using carbon paper ensured there would be no smearing, the way a pencil does, opacity of the carbon paper meant there would be no control of where the layers would lie. Probably it wouldn't matter, but I knew of another way to get overlaid layers: a few folds and a slash and a "secret book" was made -
IMG_20200421_130723.jpg
When the light comes from behind, the layers appear
The book is brought to life by the movement of the pages, and the traces of leaves showing through from other pages.


Holding the book and turning the (few) pages is like having the chestnut leaves move around you, whereas the sumac is more rigid and quite lofty, and altogether denser, keeping the floppy chestnut leaves in place.


From Janet K: If you at first don't succeed... I felt so discouraged (and grumpy) about my drawing on Tuesday that I had to try again this morning with a slightly different view.


From Carol: This is traced from a photo I’m afraid after several attempts at drawing lying down but it was a good learning opportunity. I’m not sure though why today of all days after 2 years my husband decided to finish painting the stairwell and was puzzled as to why I was lying about in the way.


From Sue and Richard:  Here are our sketches for today’s - mine is of handrail & banister to 2nd floor with a peep of the top landing. Richard’s is a view of the last flight to top floor



From Janet B:  Well that was a struggle. I had lots of false starts. Why I had I forgotten that I cannot draw cats? Miss Molloy was looking particularly winsome at the top of the stairs but I gave up after five minutes. So my view from below is drawn from a photo of the back of our house taken from under the palm. The top right window is the one I “drew” from last week.


From Judith:  Three efforts today, below the table was from sitting on the floor but for the tree I put my iPhone at the base of the trunk and the bookcase is using Procreate



From Joyce:   Looking up at the smokebush with the light streaming through the leaves. The colours are stunning.


From Mags:   Started drawing these latticino dishes ' from life' perched awkwardly on a very low stool until I slid off bashing head and back. Drawing resumed in kitchen from photos after lunch and half a chocolate squirrel. Still feeling a bit wobbly, how we suffer for our art!


From Jo, on postcards:
I collect pebbles with faces...
Fine lead propelling pencil, ivory black pencil, brown
water-soluble pencil

Monkey glove-puppet, mine since 1950s. Two small holes in left ear,
so may have had a Steiff tag.
Oil pastels, wax crayons, fine propellign pencil

View from my bedroom window - Cassiopeia (hold up to light)
Indian ink + wash

From guest artist Gillian: I'm trying to use chinese ink.


From guest artist Jackie:  
Tomatoes banana papaya pineapple mango views from below ... the idea was a challenge!!!
Not sure it was truly according to the brief

Seen from below the tele!!

From guest artist Hazel - "This is my drawing of a glass vase of hellebores viewed from under a glass table. I enjoyed using the grid of the conservatory roof as a guide to where shapes and lines fell within the picture plane "

From guest artist Sylvia - I'm still Looking Up ... bit behind the curve!


26 April 2020

Lockdown menus - last week's meals

Monday
Breakfast - cottage cheese on bagel, with radish and spring onion; grapes and orange

Lunch - white bean soup with carrot, onion, spinach; mixed grain toast with muhumara

Dinner - not recorded, something lovely that Tom whipped up

Tuesday
Breakfast - two-egg omelette, sourdough toast with marmalade, yogurt with blueberries


Lunch - lentil salad with celery, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, grapes, on a bed of spinach

Dinner - smoked mackerel, radish, spring onion on sourdough toast, tomato garnish; sauvignon blanc

Wednesday
Breakfast - avocado, bacon, tomato on sourdough toast; orange, cheese

Lunch - spinach, mushroom, red onion, tomato, hard-boiled egg salad; choc bikky

Dinner - middle eastern deliciousness from Persiana cookbook

Thursday
Breakfast - bagels with cream cheese, marmalade; greek yogurt with blueberries

New type of coffee, Ethiopian, bought online; it's supposed to be roast 4 but seems mild to me

Lunch - curried lentils with carrot, onion, yogurt on the side; orange and square of chocolate; lemonade

Dinner - white bean soup with onion, carrot, spinach; small quesadilla; sauvignon blanc

Friday
Breakfast - mixed grain bread with cream cheese and marmalade; greek yogurt with blueberries

Lunch - pasta with home-made pesto (made by Tom)

Dinner - Friday night pizza from T&G's local, La Gioconda ("the one with the car outside"); rioja

Saturday
Breakfast - avocado on sourdough toast, greek yogurt and blueberries, orange

Lunch -  shallots and tomatoes fried and lentils with veg added; lemonade

Dinner - mushroom risotto made with chicken stock from the freezer; sauvignon blanc

Sunday
Breakfast - two fried eggs, sourdough toast, zworek (to use the cottage cheese)

Lunch - meze made by Tom, including aubergine with yogurt sauce, bean salad, tomato salad

Choux pastry with sultanas, lemon glaze (and Tom had made banana bread)

Dinner - English asparagus with butter; apple and taleggio; sauvignon blanc (end of bottle)