"The artist...is also a born adventurer. His explorations, unlike those of a tourist, are rewarded by the discovery of beauty spots unmentioned in the guide books, and with tireless curiosity and an exceptional proneness to wonderment, he will come upon objects of remarkable interest overlooked or even shunned by more disciplined observers."

Augustus John, R.A.




Wednesday 29 December 2010

Next Two Colours

The first, a light blue for the sky, water and shadowed areas of the birds white plumage.


The next a blue green for the background hillside and the ripples on the foreground water.




Tuesday 28 December 2010

Last job of this year or first of the new

Putting aside the Trawler print temporarily, I've begun work on my redesigned cover for the Huddersfield Bird Report. Delivery promised for the first week of January. No pressure then!! This needs to go better than my last couple of prints have.


First colour down is a darkish cream for the clouds, followed by a rather garish pink which will only show in three areas of the print; the birds beak, a ring around its eye and its legs and feet.


Monday 20 December 2010

Rosehips in the Snow

We woke up on Saturday to another fall of snow, the second heavy fall in as many weeks. So appropriately enough the garden is looking like a Christmas card scene.

Sunday 12 December 2010

Eyemouth Trawler Colours 4 and 5


Two more colours down, the first a brown grey colour for some areas of the decking and the edge of the harbour wall in the foreground.


Next was a mid blue tone which will be the main tone for the water down the left side of the print.
On Friday we travelled over to Doncaster to collect the unsold pieces from the Open Art Exhibition. Of the three pieces exhibited one of them sold, so a big thank you to the purchaser if you are reading this. And I hope the print brings you as much pleasure as making it gave me. On Friday evening we attended the preview of the Batley Art Gallery Open Exhibition (two pieces hung), which due to the 'bad weather' had been postponed from the previous week. This is a very good exhibition with a very high standard of work selected and well worth visiting if you are in the area.

Tuesday 7 December 2010

Ilkley Arts Market

I will be at Ilkley Arts Market this coming Saturday with a selection of work for sale. Not just linoprints but also a selection of illustrations and packs of ex-libris bookplates. Much of the work is unframed but I will also be taking a few framed paintings and linocuts. Prices range from a few pounds for the bookplates to £140 for a framed acrylic painting. Entry to the market is free so if you are in the area on Saturday please call in for a chat, or even pick up an original art work for a Christmas present.

Sunday 5 December 2010

Eyemouth Trawler, Colours 2 and 3

Printed the second blue colour and then a light brown colour. This colour will not show much on the finished print other than on the timber edge to the harbour wall in the foreground. The blue colour was a complete accident. I had intended mixing a different tone but when this colour appeared on the mixing glass I decided to use it instead. It means adjusting the tones of the other colours to follow so as to maintain the colour harmony. And the print will look different to how I intended but there is nothing new about that!

Looking at this line of prints hanging to dry, I think its about time I invested some time and effort in making a more hi-tech drying rack.

Batley Open Art Exhibition 2010

I have two Linocuts on show at the Batley Art Gallery Open Exhibition. The preview should have been last friday evening. However, this was postponed due to the recent bad weather, and will now be held on Friday 10th December.