Last month I spent a really brilliant day on a one-to-one online workshop run by Sarah Burns (@patternmakers on Instagram). We started with potato printing - shouldn’t every day should start with this? - and moved onto lino . So many useful tips for exploring the potential of a simple printing block and printing onto fabric. My brain was bursting with pattern possibilities by the end of the day. Many thanks to Sarah for a very inspiring day…
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Wish I was where?
From Eva Hejdstrom
From Cathey Webb
As part of the Collage Colloquium in August (see details in previous post), participants were asked to create a collage postcard to send on the them of ‘Wish I was where?’ I decided to use some of my treasured stash of letrafilm from my friend Eva to create an image of where I’d like to be camping this summer. Actually I’d like to be camping anywhere this summer, but a combination of Corona virus and the practicalities of an increasingly elderly dog have meant that I’ve had to forego the joys of sleeping under canvas this year. But had I been able to go, this would be as good a spot as any. Based loosely on a lovely campsite I once stayed at in Eype in South Devon, on the South West coast path overlooking West Bay. Not sure the sea was ever that blue, and the beach certainly isn’t that sandy, but that’s the beauty of the artistic license of collage. To make the most of the semi-transparent nature of the letrafilm, I punched out a hole for the sun, which then lights up when held up to the real-life sun.
I received two lovely collage postcards as part of this collaborative project - one of Gotland in Sweden from Eva, and also a gorgeous boat from Cathey Webb. Both propped up in my studio to make me think wistfully of alternative places to be spending this stay-at-home summer.
Keep cutting
I really enjoyed the online Collage Colloquium hosted last month by the Centre for Fine Print Research at UWE and the London Centre for Book Arts. There were filmed talks by Jeremy Dixon, Jean McEwan, Daniel Lehan and Jeff Rathermel, followed by two discussion sessions with all the artists. Very inspiring, and the talks and discussions can still be accessed here. I jotted down some quotes from each of the artists during their talks, and then in the time between discussions I made them into a small single-sheet book using collage, letrafilm and typewritten text. I made this as a memento of the event for myself, but then decided to make a small digitally printed edition for the participants and other people I know who work with collage. Quite fun to make a book so quickly and to turn it into an edition without over-thinking it too much.
Ramble chat
I’m thrilled to bits to be part of the online Print and Book Festival organised by the Centre for Fine Print Research at the University of the West of England.
As part of her ‘Print in Conversation’ series, I had a chat with Angie Butler about my love of making books and the low-tech processes I use. We also talked about collaborative projects I’ve worked on during Lockdown, and the challenges of staying creative during this weird and wobbly time.
You can find my talk on YouTube by searching ‘Corinne Welch CFPR’ or through this link to the festival line-up.
The festival has been an inspiring line-up of talks, demos and print challenges over the past two weeks... and although it’s coming to a close, all the content is archived so you can peruse and view it at your leisure. Many thanks to Angie for inviting me to take part... a definite step outside of my comfort zone but I really enjoyed taking part.
Mini collages
Collage of letrafilm offcuts eft over from my book ‘Dwelling’
A pair of butterflies made from small papers in my collage box - always a treat to see what I can find!
Re-purposed technical drawings from ‘Model Engineer’ magazine, 1957
Abstract colour and pattern from Parade magazine, 1961
A pair of collages from the original miniature art gallery challenge
Following on from my collages made for the #myminiatureartgallery project, I’ve made five submissions to the Open Call from the Doug and Laurie Kanyer Art Collection. Work must be collage, and be presented as a diptych pair, with each collage being less than 2 inches square in size. An interesting challenge (although I always like working small) and perfect ti fit in to my ‘making’ hour before work. It’s worth looking at #findingjoyinthesmallestofthings on Instagram to see other entries - a very inspiring gallery of tininess.
Word binding
Finally found time to create my illustration for the Word Binding book for ABC at UWE to illustrate the poem written by Beth Claverley (@poetrymachine on Instagram) at a zoom workshop back in April. All participants were allocated a few lines to illustrate. I was given:
It’s important, somehow,
that these thoughts aren’t picked
but found, pressed to the ground.
Moments that others might just walk past.
I decided to keep it simple, and incorporate some typewritten words from the poem as a nod to the orginal way it was written… I used rubber stamp, image transfer and typewritten collage. I look forward to seeing all of the other illustrations brought together into a book. The sketch shown above was done during the zoom workshop.
My miniature art gallery
Nine small collages made from the paper scraps
The original pack of paper scraps supplied by Yvonne Foster
The leftovers
Welcome to #myminiatureartgallery - a tiny exhibition of tiny collages made from paper scraps generously provided by @yvonnejfoster ... I really enjoyed making these - working on a small scale and with (my own) limited rules:
1. use only scraps provided
2. they all must be 4cm square
3. each one to include two words (some more random than others)
What I found interesting was that I was more pleased with the final few collages made with dwindling supplies - I think limited resources make choices easier and focus the mind. The bottom picture shows what’s left - tempting to see if I can squeeze one final collage out of them! Many thanks again Yvonne for setting up this project...
Sketchbook stamping
Continuing my rubber stamping of patterns into the lovely coptic bound sketchbook with different size pages that Eva sent me for my birthday last year. I’m enjoying just making patterns for the fun of it, and hopefully I should end up with a book full of useful ideas. I’m starting to think about the possibility of geeting some stamped patterns printed digitally onto fabric. I’ve yet to fully explore the potential of combining print and embroidery, and this sketchbook could be a good starting point. In the meantime, I’ll just keep stamping…
Alpha-set patterns
More pattern printing with the wonderful Alpha-set…
The wonders of Alpha-set
The Alpha-set - a lasercut, hand-finished modular type system designed and made by Will Mower.
Brief one: create a poster with a message and display it (this formed part of my window display for VE Day 75th anniversary celebrations in my street)
Brief two: create an elaborate letterform from the modular stamps
Brief three: use the set to create repeat patterns (work in progress)
Brief three: use the set to create repeat patterns (back in my comfort zone!)
Brief four: create something to send to another Alphaset artist as an exchange
An abstract concertina book of overprinted patterns
I started off including stitching but then realised that I preferred the simplicity of the punched dotted lines
The brief encouraged you to also use the Alpha-set for the packaging
Proof of postage!
Lockdown just got a whole lot more fun with the delivery of an Alpha-set from @will.mower ... it prints an absolute treat - lovely texture, and so many possibilities.
Will set a series of four briefs for those of us who’ve bought an Alpha-set, and my responses are shown above. A really fun way to kickstart using the set and amazing to see so many different responses posted on Instagram (#alpha-set and #alpha-set).
Lockdown – A Pocket Manifesto
I’m pleased to announce that a small edition of my new book ‘Lockdown – A Pocket Manifesto’ is now available in my online shop.
It’s digitally printed (thanks to printed.com) from my original hand-carved rubber stamp illustrations on 150gsm fresco gesso paper. It costs £6 (+p+p) and £5 from each sale will go to Bristol North West Food Bank, who really do need all the help they can get right now. The original book was made for a mail art project for Artists Book Club (ABC) at UWE and was inspired by all the things I identified as being important to focus on at the beginning of the Lockdown...
I got up...
I got up at 5.02am in Coombe Dingle in Bristol. My contribution to the MiniBABE collaborative tribute to On Kawara. People all over the world document the time and place they got up on thursday 7 May. If it wasn’t for Lockdown, this would have been my first morning waking up in Sweden, but it’s still a lovely start to the morning sat on my balcony (before most sensible people wake up). Suffice it to say, I am a lark rather than an owl! More info on the project at arnolfini.org.uk or look on Instagram and Twitter for #igotuparnolfini
A tiny new book
The Artists’ Book Club (ABC) at UWE set a Mail Art challenge to keep members connected during Lockdown. I made a small folded single-sheet book with rubber stamps to send to letterpress artist extraordinaire Gen Harrison up in Scotland. Sneak peeks here, and a shop update with a printed edition of the final book will follow early next week…
Lockdown drawing
One of my newest houseplants drawn in wax crayon
Illustrating the lyrics to a favourite song
A character from a favourite book (‘Accordian Crimes’ by Annie Proulx)
Something I found (an old thermometer dug up in my garden in Oxford)
My pet - the wonderful sleepy senior Vizsla, Otto
At the beginning of Lockdown last month I decided to make an effort to draw something every day. I signed up to the Brooklyn Art Library’s 28-day Challenge and followed their prompts. The challenge veered away from drawing after the first week, but I really enjoyed drawing something different and it was a good injection of enthusiasm to get me working in my sketchbook again…
World Book Night 2020
Tonight is World Book Night... this year’s theme is ‘Should we have stayed at home and thought of here?’ Strangely prescient since it was set last autumn way before anyone had even heard of the dreaded lockdown. 113 postcards from 98 artists across the world have been sent in on this theme and will be exhibited online from 5pm this evening. My entry was a painting of my bookshelves in silhouette, forming an urban landscape of a city break. I also contributed five cards with literary quotes matched to vintage postcards to be sent out to other contributors in a postcard exchange. Big thanks to Sarah Bodman and Linda Parr for organising this, it’s a real pleasure to take part each year.
A cheery new project
Cryptic treehunter
Glaucous macaw
Javan lapwing
The first couple of illustrations (on the left) were a bit patchy, so I re-did them in a simpler style and feel much happier with how they turned out. On the top is a Po’o-uli and on the right is a New Calendonian Lorikeet.
Building up shapes gradually in layers with hand carved stamps
This one has been percolating in the back of my mind for a while now. I read a story in the Guardian over a year ago about a report published by Birdlife International that identified species that were at risk. As part of this report was the news that eight birds have already been declared extinct this century. I’ve done some research into these eight birds and decided I would like to illustrate them as a record of what has been lost. My initial idea was to use collage, but I was distracted back to my favourite medium of rubber stamps. My first attempts were a bit patchy, but then I started to get into my stride using a new technique of building up semi-transparent layers of colour, and wiping the stamps to set a softer, more painterly style. This is very much work in progress, but I’ve enjoyed the process of closely examining the birds to create the illustrations and to work in a slightly different way with stamps.
Picasso and Paper
Really inspired by a recent visit to see the Picasso and Paper exhibition at the Royal Academy. An amazing range of work on display... I particularly enjoyed seeing the paper cuts and collages up close. Really worth a visit if you’re in London... on ‘til 13 April…
How did it get to be March already?!
one simple stamp, two very different patterns
Oh dear, oh dear. This blog has been very neglected so far in 2020… it’s been a very busy start to the year and this has been one of the casualties of a lack of time. I’ll add some posts over the next week with an update of various things I’ve been working on. As a starter here’s some pages from a lovely coptic bound sketchbook with different size pages and papers that was a birthday gift from Eva Hejdstrom last year. I’ve decided to use it to have a play and create various rubber stamp patterns (mostly from hand carved stamps I’ve accumulated from other projects over the past few years). There’s no end result in mind, just the fun of stamping, but I’ll also hopefully be left with a useful pattern resource once the book is full up.
Season's greetings!
A very busy year is finally drawing to a natural conclusion - looking forward to two weeks off with no deadlines to meet. This year’s Christmas card was based on a rubbing of a paper snowflake - all the fun of printmaking without the stress of waiting for the ink to dry! Wishing you a very happy Christmas and all the very best for 2020.
Way out in production-lines-ville
It’s been a bit quiet on the blog front recently… but very busy in my studio, getting ready for the Made in Bristol Christmas Fair this coming weekend at the Colston Hall. Almost a hundred books made in the past month, so I’m all stocked up and ready to go. Come and say helloif you’re around in Bristol this weekend….