Boxing - lino print

One of the ways I employ to try to find balance, mentally and physically!  It's actually an image of boxercise, rather than boxing, in that I wear boxing gloves and make contact with the trainer's pads.   This way I'm not likely to get knocked out cold...!

I tried out various versions of this image, including combining this with a red background with active poses of hooks, uppercuts, jabs etc   (see above)  but feedback from others suggested that the simpler version has more impact.
If you have, let me know if you agree...

Artists/printmakers

There are some great artists and in particular printmakers around and, as I have more time this week, I've been looking in a more leisurely manner at some of the blogs that I regularly check.

If you haven't come across them yet you ought to check out Sue Brown'sbeautiful enamels/prints - as books;  Amanda Colville's intricate lino prints at Mangle Print; Aine Scannell's tradigital/mixed print media pieces are very interesting and she also surveys other tradigital prints too.

Katherine Tyrrell has a number of great blogs - in particular I like the one entitled, 'Making a Mark'.  She is a writer and artist who, 'writes about art for artists and art lovers.
Read about: art, drawing, painting, art news, artists and painters, exhibitions, art competitions, art blogs, the art business, art economy, marketing art, art history; art techniques and tips & making a mark with pastels, coloured pencils and pen & ink.'

Just found some fabulous mixed media prints - Shelley Thorstensen

Joan Hausrath just pointed me in the direction of some great mixed media prints by Shelley Thorstensen. I'd love to actually see them at some point, but meanwhile they do look good on the net. I particularly like 'Je ne sais Quoi'. Worth a look for sure st www.printmakersopenforum.org/shelley_thorstensen

Gum Arabic prints shown at the book launch on 19 Oct

I like the fragile, decaying look that you can get with this printmaking method.

There's quite an eerie light hitting the fern.

The tulips are more abstract and perhaps you would struggle immediately to identify them.

The light just catches the side of the flower stalks as you look into this field of flowers.

Pop up exhibition of iPad drawings at the book launch

These iPad drawings were on show at the book launch on 19th Oct - also a couple of gum arabic prints which I'll post later.    I've included also here an image of just one lone bee so you can see the text more easily.

Successful launch of new book by Offa's Press at Wolverhampton Art Gallery, 19 Oct 2012

Books were flying off the sales table on Friday evening when the new anthology of environmental poetry was launched. It's great success for the editors, Nick Pearson and Jane Seabourne and, of course, for Simon Fletcher as well as the poets.   The entire box of books was sold and orders taken for others.

It's not just because my illustration is on the cover, but this book does look and feel good.  I love reading books on Kindle but this book does remind you of what you can miss if you don't also hold a real book in your hands!

There's a great range of poetry in the book - some with a scientificbotanical feel (Nadia Kingsley), humorous and insightful,(Emma Purshouse), futuristic and entertaining  (Brenda Read Brown), the haunting image of blossom and people you have known who always take their apron off before opening the door by Marion Cocklin, then there was the line by Amanda Attfield that had me nodding in agreement, 'don't give me 50 different kinds of everything, and more...and more...', or Romalyn Ante's unpredictable and striking juxtapositions...and the calm tanka where, '...silver fish flash' by D.A. Lovell.   That's not even half of them...I haven't read them all yet!

Poetry reading in the Gallery

Some of the contributors and one of the editors (Jane Seabourne)

Finding the Balance exhibition Sat 20 April - Sat 18 May 2013

Finding the Balance – exhibition  at Wolverhampton Art Gallery

Saturday 20 April –  Saturday 18 May

An exhibition of lino prints, monotypes, mixed media prints and iPad drawings exploring that elusive balance within your own life and environment

Finding the balance is a life’s project.   On a personal level when dealing with knocks, worries and demands how do you stay calm?  I asked Lilly (aged 4) and she told me that at nursery she does meditation, or as she calls it, ‘Ommm time’.   I like boxercise, working in my garden, stopping to smell the flowers, having an Indian Head massage...

 

Creating work for this exhibition is all part of my attempt at finding my own  balance.  I love printmaking and have used a combination of both traditional methods, that involve using a manual etching press, and digital prints and iPad drawings.