Recent exhibitions and visits

In March I too went to the David Hockney exhibition at the RA and actually took 2 photos before I was told they weren't allowed, but now I can't find them - an inspiring show; so on to the London Print Fair which I decided to go to last Friday at the last minute. I'm so glad I went, a real feast for the eyes. It was easy to walk round (unlike the Hockney) so you could spend time having a close look at prints and the people manning the stands were friendly and approachable; even though I wasn't spending £42,000 on a beautiful Sybil Andrews print!!!! I've liked her work for a few years, I had no idea how 'in' work by the artists of the Grosvenor school is.

A selection of work by Sybil Andrews and Cyril Powers.

I loved these buildings  by Kristian Krokfors.

 

Exciting work by Paula Rego.

What fun!! I haven't finished yet by Phil Shaw, £1,650 and some more of his work....



This dog is obviously a character, I don't remember the artist.

This porcelain piece was so clever.

This alphabet of London by Tobias Till was outstanding; imagine the hours these prints took!

I coveted the china with  Eric Ravilious designs, the boat race bowl was £4,200 (just in case you see one in a junk shop!), a guy had just bought it. The Coronation mug was only £1,000.

Altogether a great day, even if it was raining when I left. On the way to King's Cross (quite glamourous now) I bought sushi for supper and relaxed with a coffee on the train. I do love my retirement!!! By the way, welcome to my new 'followers'! Do please mention my blog to your fellow artists/ friends.

This and that....

When I collected my book binding press late last year I was given this lovely embosser by Les Baynam, who runs Homeward Bound, a company specialising in book binding and printing presses.

 A friend kindly cleaned it up for me and I intend to get my own stamp made for it;I don't want to be known as Dover Corporation Electricity Department! It's a fine piece of Victoriana which looks lovely in my studio.

I recently submitted work to The Cambridge Drawing Society - http://www.cambridgedrawingsociety/ - and was elected as a member. One of my lino cuts was selected for the exhibition at the Guildhall in Cambridge which ended last Saturday. It was an interesting exhibition which made the news due a painting being stolen at the private view!! Luckily the police recovered it! My print wasn't sold but lots were, which seems to be unusual at the moment. Being a member means that next year I can enter 4 works and they run another exhibition in the Autumn.



Print day at the Curwen

It's over a month since I wrote a post; I've had a really uncreative period and am hoping with Spring blossoming all around me my creativity will too! My March print day with my group at the Curwen was fun as usual, here are the rest of the group; there are 6 of us.

Maria and Kate, both screen printing Queens......

I only managed to get a photo of Jacque as she was packing up.....

Mike talking to Sue Jones, our tutor, and Jenny in the background....

and Jenny working out on the etching press!

I played around with some mono prints using fabrics and stencils of cups and jugs. Basically you ink up your metal plate and plonk/carefully place bits of fabric/stencilson before putting though the etching press using slightly damp paper; you can over print, take a pale 'ghost' print etc. and of course anything you end up with is unique.

    I chose a pinky red and grey inks.......

just before lifting the stencils off a print.... 

and a print using the inky stencils and scrim, shame the jug isn't clearer but it was fun playing around.

I ended up with 2 or 3 prints I will mount and/or frame.....



A jug and cups series I think, and a few prints to work on next time....like this one...

and I ended up with some scrim and stencils that I can use for a collage maybe?......

all good fun!