I have had my induction to Edinburgh Printmakers so now the stripping and coating of screens is right around the corner. Interesting to see the differences between textile and paper screenprinting, and the possibility is there to learn more about that process. Though the challenges facing me as a textile printer are definitely more pressing.
Length #1 for Cockburn Museum is down, but a secret for now. 
I’ve started on the final prints for the World Book Day exhibition at the Cockburn Geological Museum. The studio is brutally cold.
samples and trials.
colours and clingfilm
Stencils.
It’s been sunny.
I went to the Grant Institute to visit my Dad and also to meet with Gillian McCay who is the curator of the Cockburn Geological Museum. Patterns in rocks are not a new subject matter for me, but I have always worked from other people’s source material- in textbooks or from photographs of old posters (see below)
Lazurite, white horses on waves or gull flocks?
The Grant Institute offers an amazing opportunity for me to be able to do my own first hand research and photography of thin sections. A little of which I did yesterday, playing around with the microscope and camera; using it exactly like I was not in any way a scientist.
I am looking forward to planning more considered research, especially with the new projects for this summer which are in the works. In the works, to be confirmed – end of Febuary. Luckily I’m off to Marrakech on Thursday, two more shifts at work and then go. No time to worry, just enjoy.
Having a studio has its perks.
Sunny Sunday, 4 days til Marrakech.
Sometimes its nice to just do.
New colours, playing around with my screens, different combinations and overlaying prints.
These colour samples will become some stuff, I enjoy it and exercising my self in the studio makes me ridiculously happy. I’m still working on more important things in the background but this feels pretty important right now.
Must get kettle for studio or my hands may fall off.
The ceiling installation is up! Not without its difficulties, throughout the whole process I have learnt so many things. Many of them I will go on to use time and again so I would like to thank everyone involved in my making of this thing. Go to the Forest Cafe, have tea and see what’s on – you’ll see the installation in the process.
thanks to Gordon’s help drilling into the concrete ceiling for me mainly involved sympathetic vertigo
More soon, things are happening I can feel it!
Jill Kirkham and I put together a proposal for Shangri-La at Glastonbury last week with much gesticulation, laughter, talk of festies and scribbles on many, many pieces of paper.
More than just a meeting, it was a brilliant creative exchange where the finished work was more than the sum of its initial parts. With our separate research and methods coming together to make up something which is really exciting. (more gesticulation and scribbling)
Now we just have everything crossed, but regardless it was a sharp reminder that creation is something best shared.
Image on a screen, the soul trap is an infinity loop
Finished is a difficult term as an artist- when is something truly, completely finished? Right now if I were to give it a meaning it would be: as close to done as I can get the work on my own and with one final mundane (but essential) stage left incomplete.
Such is the case with the Forest Installation. It’s done. It’s in their basement (through which you pass if you are heading to use their loos- so go and have a look if you’re nearby, their loo is nice too). It needs to be installed, something which will hopefully happen this coming week, but still – its finished. Finished but not complete.
Here are the photos of the final stages, my vague feeling that I wanted to keep it under wraps until it was finished turned into December – the month that I have to squint to remember it was so rammed– so I am posting them all now. In sequence, they have a certain something.
A few notes on the frame:
the construction I did all by myself, a feat made possible by the knowledge I learned making the print table in my studio. I am quite proud of this as before I would most definitely have needed someone to help me. Progress.
And on everything else:
Hand sewing the pieces together took up the majority of the time that went into this work, now I wonder if I could have glued it together after all. In hindsight this seems like a better option, but I still believe that the structural strength and durability that the stitches provide will mean that it will last. Thanks must go to my flatmates who let me do the majority of the work in our kitchen, including a fair bit of sawing.
With the installation date still to be settled I’m leaving it there, photos and thoughts when it is complete.
As for everything else I’m trying to gather myself, tie up bits and pieces and formalise plans for the coming year. Hello 2013!
Shuffling things around to make things make more sense has taken up quite a lot of space this last week or so.
The Forest pieces are getting sewn together, painstakingly time consuming. Here are the final colours in gradient (of sorts) from centre to edge (right to left).
I have been trying out new methods of printing using alternatives to standard coating and exposure of screens. So far there have been mixed results, but I’ll get there – there’s something to these at least.
For now that’s it, I’m keeping the last stages of the installation to my chest until its done.
With the right tools I’ve made good process with the pieces for the Forest installation; tailors shears mean that the cuts are sharp, straight lines and having exposed 4 artworks onto newly stretched screens I am able to finalise everything, finally. Here’s some photos.
measured cutting
mountain range of turned up edges
pile of pieces, ready to print
shards of colour and pattern trials
I mocked up one round of the smaller pieces, for ease and idea of what I’ll be looking at
new exposed screens, red pigment on old sheets
Life post university is weird, but working in my own space with my own tools and equipment has a certain something. Practice makes progress and I’m moving forward, every accident is a new idea or technique to be worked on further. It’s even not too cold in my wee corner of the basement, fan heaters are wonderful things and hooray for 6music.
More soon, I’ve also been printing wee bits of fabric and some album covers for a certain trio named ABNQ…..
