Written in stone

I'm unexpectedly pleased to have been given a copy of "The Stone Age of Northern Africa" -  a seemingly specialist title published in 1960. But Pelican books were "an informal university for generations of Britons" - and cost no more than a packet of cigarettes.

Those old Pelicans had some amazing titles - "Techniques of Persuasion" and "Derelict Britain" among them. In the 1960s the covers diverged from the classic format - see the new look here.

Inside are, as you might expect, many drawings of stone tools. My brush with archaeology at university consisted of a course that seemed to be entirely and disappointly about stone tools, with the highlight of watching Prof Carlson demonstrate stone chipping techniques - but using the thick bottom of a green glass bottle. 

 My current interest is not in the types of blades or the debate about whether what looks like a tool has the right sort of bulb of percussion to prove it to be of human origin. It's the technique of drawing, which will be very useful next time the Tuesday group visits the Petrie museum, especially in regard to pottery -

Patience and a fine pen seem to be required....

The book also has a section of photos, including rock art -

Lovely old stuff - both the artifacts and the "vintage" book. 

Printing "Mind Monsters 2"

Enough colours (watercolour and gouache) are on hand ... what to choose?

 The workbench has been cleared and is ready to use - first task, wet and wrap the woodblock, the cut and dampen the paper -

 That took just ages in the home environment. And what a muddle when i came to printing!

 At the end of the day, it all gets cleared away. I found that very satisfying, for some reason.

A record of results, showing that I should stick with simple things for a while! My big, bad idea is to leap into making a sort of diptych, in book form. In some artist's memorable words, "I know what it will be but I don't know what it will look like" - and this experimentation is part of getting towards that "what it will look like" component.

 On the left, a tracing of the original drawing, for reversing onto the woodblock, and below it, a rubbing of the juxtaposed blocks.

Second column, trying out colours - on paper that turns out, despite thinking and measuring, not to be the right size after all - and below that, making a balls-up of getting the other block in the right position. Duh.

Third column the other block is in the right position at last! And for the final print, I remembered that my plan was to print on one of the "pages" only. (The paper is thin and there is show-through.)

Being able to see "the diptych" gives rise to all sorts of thoughts about changes in the next version. And I'd like to get a really good, even print - that will take practice of course -

Having set up the work area and spent most of the day concentrating on the printing process, I'm ready to do it again - it will be easier next time and hopefully I can start thinking about the aesthetics rather than the process.

Printing the "japanese" woodblock

Last week, I was finally ready to print. The woodblock has been dampened and left to steep for an hour; the packet of paper has been getting damp for half an hour, and the colours have been chosen -

 Nori applied, and the first colours on. I was surprised how closely different colours could be put -

 Rubbing with the baren - oops, I forgot to use a sheet of baking parchment, to protect the paper! -

This use of many colours on the same block is not, of course, the traditional way ... but I just had to do it, to see what happens ...

First print

Slight change in colours for the second

Further colour change

The block after three prints

I have some ideas for making a block or two to layer up with this one. This week is half term at the college, which gives me all day today to work on it, and/or to print the block I cut at home last week.

At clean-up time, this pleasant arrangement evolved ....

Drawing Tuesday - RAF Museum

The "quilted" look of the planes, seen close up, really appeals to me - metal fabric, and rivets as stitches - 

 Those are all part of this plane, the Lancaster bomber -

Taking a photo helps with fitting it onto the page -

Particularly at this large (and strangely lit) museum, finding a convenient seat can determine what you draw. Janet K sat in the cafe area, next to the red helicopter -

 Judith was in the WW1 area -

 Janet B filled the usual half dozen or so pages, this time including a statue commemorating Scott's polar expedition, and a car from the WW2 era -

 Sue couldn't resist the sharp teeth -

 Jo's medical vehicle -

 "Exit via the gift shop" - some of these came home with me -

 The posters invite a game of "spot the difference" but must have been useful at the time 0

Park & walk

To get a few extra steps in yesterday, I took the long way home from the tube station, through Finsbury Park and then along Parkland Walk. The park had low-slanting sunlight on the breezy trees, against a changing grey sky -

 and along the Parkland Walk, a mother and daughter(?) were sat on the bank, doing something interesting -

 The leaves are folded in half widthways, then gathered, and tied ... and you get a yellow rose!

An ivy leaf completes the corsage. I was given one to take home -

Underfoot, N8 and N19

Showing signs of wear & tear

'Tis the season...

Sudden showers; there's a storm on the loose

...the aftermath makes the pavements into silver

Art I like - jewellery by Jane Sedgwick

(via)

Jane Sedgwick makes bold, playful wooden jewellery which she hand turns and hand paints in her studio near the North Norfolk Coast. Working with geometric forms, repetition, and colour, her inspiration comes from a variety of sources especially wooden toys and nautical imagery. Jane uses traditional woodworking techniques and manages a small woodland which supplies the timber for her work.

WEBSITE: www.janesedgwick.co.uk

Jane is part of the "Made London" design and craft fair this weekend. See other exhibitors here.

Photos round the 'hood

Children from the Reception class of Stroud Green Primary School have been out with cameras, photographing their neighbourhood. Their photos appeared at appropriate spots along Stroud Green Road, many with captions taken from their own words. 

Great project - well done, teachers and kids.

"Bus Seven W"

"Adam"

"A house and clouds"

"A half truck"

"That's the truck, that's the road we was crossing"

"That's my house"

"This is a sparkly dress"

(my favourite) "Where something broke off"