Problem Solving

After giving some thought to the problem of the stream colour. I abandoned the idea of printing the ripples in the final dark, and decided on a darker shade of the blue that I had used for the highlights. This ment printing a slightly paler shade over the dark greys already printed. Not something that I entertained doing lightly, but trusting to the opaqueness of the ink I took a deep breath and pulled the first print. Looking at the print now I think I made the right decision. Once the final two darks are printed on the stream banking, the water should have more definition.

Slight Hiccup

I've printed the 7th colour, a dark grey to the shadow areas on the crag. However, I'm not happy about how the stream in the foreground is working. My original intention was to print the ripples in the water using the final dark colour. But, as the darker tones have been printed I'm not so sure that this is going to work.

Its time for a re-think!

Three more colours down

The next three stages of the Malham Cove linocut are now completed- with apologies for the ropey photography.

The first stage was to print a blue green for the hillside areas below the crags, followed by a darker blue grey to form the base colour of the shadow areas of the cliff. Then a brighter green for the foreground field and trees. Looking at the print at this stage I was worried that this had the effect of pushing the cliff too far back. However, I think that once the final dark tones are introduced to the crag and foreground they should pull the whole image back together. Hopefully!

I think another three colours should see it complete. Which will be two more than the seven I originally planned on.

A little bit more progress

I printed the second colour on the new linocut, a cool grey to define the shadow areas on the sunlight face of the crag. But then I stalled a bit, unsure of what to do next. Do I print the first green or blue for the sky and stream. After some deliberation I decided to go with the blue. Mainly because I wasn't too confident about how the stream was working, so printing the blue at this stage would mean less wasted time if I ended up scrapping the print.

I printed the blue in two bands; one across the top and another across the bottom, leaving the centre area clear. This will have a pale green printed across it which I don't want to have to print over the blue if I can avoid it.

Something Big

I've started work on a new linocut, which if it works will be my submission to this years Leeds Open, to be held at Leeds City Art Gallery in August.

I've been giving some thought as to what I would submit, and decided on working up a linocut from the watercolour below of Malham Cove. I'm also working a on a larger scale than usual, about twice my normal size. Mainly because the subject is a bit fiddly and the carving ought to be easier if I work bigger. Well thats the plan anyway!



Starting from the watercolour, I work up a cartoon to the size of the linoblock. Before simplifying the forms and colours. Based on the drawing I plan on using 7 colours; a warm and then a cool pale grey, blue, light green a darker grey, dark green and then a final dark. This may change as the cliff face might need another colour, and the stream in the foreground may require an extra blue.

Finally I get the first colour printed. So far so good.

Holmfirth Art Week

I will be exhibiting at this years Holmfirth Art Week. The event takes place at Holmfirth Civic Hall from Sunday 4th July until Saturday 10th July. Further details can be found at :

www.holmfirthartweek.net

I will be showing my Malham Cove and Safely Ashore at Hornsea linocuts in the main exhibition and will also have a number of unframed prints and drawings in the Market area.

If you are in the area during the first week of July go along and have a look. There will be a wide variety of work on show; different styles, media and subject matter.

Hornsea

Safely Ashore, Hornsea.
Reduction Linocut (5 Colours).
150mm x 240mm.
Edition of 5.

Finally finished the linocut begun a few weeks ago. A couple of years ago I spent a pleasant afternoon sitting in the sun on the sea wall at Hornsea over on the east coast watching the fishing cobles returning.

Like Filey further up the coast, Hornsea doesn't have a harbour, so the boats have to be floated onto their trailers and then dragged up the beach by tractor.

This isn't my normal choice of subject but I've enjoyed the challenge of this print and with enough drawings to make a couple more prints, I may do a little series of them.

Artists and Illustrators Magazine

Had a nice surprise today. I flicked open my copy of Artists and Illustrators Magazine in the newsagents and found that a copy of my Frenchlands Tower Linocut had been published in it.