Artichokes

A few snaps of my finished artichoke print, available here and here

Artichokes - work in progress

 I thought I'd share the progress of my artichokes lino print...

First plate cut

Plate for second colour being cut

First and second colour plates inked up for a test print

test print - not sure about the colours

I've run off a test print from these first two plates just to check the overall balance and registration. The only requirement was that one was a darker shade than the other and the colours I've used here this test  were just what I happened to have on the ink slab at the time. These greens are a little more muted than I had planned for this piece (see the original sketch in previous post) but now this slightly seventies palette feels just right. I'll have to lighten it up a bit though because there is a nice splash of purple to come too,  what do you think?   

print or paint

preparation for lino print  - colour pencil on tracing paper over initial pencil sketch

I've been tempted to move away from the rather pared-back style I've had of late (see Morston Quay, Pied Wagtail and Oystercatchers) by the verdant lushness of the garden. Encouraged by much of the falling-from-the-sky-wet-stuff and my lassaiz faire attitude to weeding, most parts of the garden are looking pretty crowded, and I do like it that way. I was quite put out the other day when a bloke knocked on the door and offered to cut back my weeds sweeping his point through the cow parsley, self-seeded aquilegia heads and ox eye daisies poking through the tall grasses.

Miraculously in one corner of this chaos I have managed to sustain a small group of artichokes from last year and one has a pretty good choke on it already. This little group have provided the perfect subject for a more complex piece of work. I've photographed and sketched and now have a colour-coded plan (see above) as the basis for a 3-colour print, but I am wondering if I shouldn't tried it in watercolours instead...

belated welsh post

This blog post is so tardy I might as well have sent it on the post card ... second class ... from a remote postbox ... on a bank holiday. Well better late than never so here goes...

This little pied wagtail arises from a recent break in Wales, where we learnt that rain sounds a lot heavier when you are inside a caravan and that it is possible to barbecue in light drizzle, but only if you are prepared to be the starter course for the midges.

As always I carefully packed watercolours, sheets of lovely paper and even remembered the brushes this time but some how the chance to paint just didn't arise. I did however get around to a little embroidery doodling ...

The  rhododendrons at Beddgelert were in full bloom so with this unplanned palette of slate grey, deep pink and found wool (with the "bits" washed off!) I felt quite at one with the landscape.

This is how far we reached up Snowdon...

We poked around in search of gold but this find was treasure enough.

And we built a rather spendid castle...

[Pied Wagtail is available in my Folksy and Etsy shops]

corners

there are corners of my garden that i really quite like

the rest is rather dull

grow

and they did

anybody else pleased to see some shadows today?

Barra Bunting

I was initially rather sceptical about Twitter but I am gradually coming around to its good points, one of which was to bring the Barra Bunting project under my nose (I think via #cbuk). This is a lovely idea that invites anyone who has set foot on the island(s) of Barra and Vatersay (I use that plural ‘s’ with caution!) to contribute a flag to an ever-growing string of bunting. The first contributions are due to be displayed at the Barra and Vatersay Island Produce Show on 1 September 2012.

We visited Barra last year and it was the inspiration for a number of prints, including Oystercatchers, which I used as the basis for my bunting contribution.

Thinking back to this holiday reminded me of some favourite moments.

Cycling past the beautiful machair wild flowers on the way down to Vatersay

Watching the seals in Bagh Thiarabhage from our cottage

Watching small planes land on the beach at Barra Airport &

Eating spicy scallops in the Cafe Kisimul

You can find the details for the Barra Bunting project at http://www.barrabunting.net/ and follow the project on twitter @barrabunting.