Not pretty but it works

To mis-quote Neil Young. When I get big I'm gonna get me a Hon Baren. Until such time as I get big, or more appropriately can afford one. I thought I'd have a go at making one.

First step was to make the coil, that in a genuine baren is covered by the bamboo sheath. This should be a coil of plaited bamboo fibres. I made a string coil which I twisted together and then twisted back on itself to make a four strand length which I then coiled up.

To make it stiffer I painted it with acrylic primer.

I then cut 3 circles from mountboard each slightly smaller than the other and stuck them together before placing my string coil on them. The three card circles under the string help to give the convex surface of a true baren. For the cover I used a sheet of teflon that I got from the baking shelves of the local Home Bargains shop, which I cut to size and tied in an approximation of the proper manner. This last bit was a bit fiddly, an extra couple of hands would have been useful.

I used it to print a small and simple single colour print. Now to use it on something bigger.

Happy New Year.

Christmas Greetings

Merry Christmas to all readers. 

This year has been one of exciting opportunities, making new friends, seeing others that I hadn't seen for ages and developing my work.

Already next year is promising to be just as fulfilling. After a short Christmas break first job will be to deliver the work to Doncaster Art Gallery for my solo show opening on 11th January 2014. In April, on 12th and 13th, I will be at The Same But Different Art Fair in the walled garden at Temple Newsam House in Leeds. A new show which promises to have an eclectic mix of artworks. In June I have been invited to show my work in the Biscuit Factory Summer Exhibition in Newcastle and at the end of the month on the 28th and 29th, I will probably be taking part in Art in the Pen at the Borderlands Exhibition Centre in Carlise. This event, again a new one, is being organised by the same team who organise Art in the Pen at The Craven Auction Mart in Skipton, which I will also probably be taking part in on 16th -17th August.

Once again Merry Christmas and thank you for reading.

Tom Pudding Hoist

No 5 Compartment Boat Hoist - Goole
10 colour reduction linocut
290mm x 190mm
Edition of 9.

Finally finished the print of the old boat hoist at Goole docks. This was used for emptying coal barges (the Tom Puddings of the title, think a boat shaped floating skip) into bigger sea going freighters.

Colour 9

Colour 9, printed across the lower half of the block, and combined on the print below.

only a final dark to go now after a little more cutting.

Next colours

Colour 7, printed on its own, and then onto the print.

Next is another, darker grey, Colour 8

on its own and then combined on the print

Onlt two morw colours to go, a darker green and then the final black.