Small

I’m enjoying the monthly PAS themes that we are working on and sharing on Zoom. I’m enjoying the relatively quick turnover with deadlines and a set subject but unlike creating for an exhibition there’s no pressure to get it right so I can explore and experiment more.

The theme for this month is ‘Small’.

Inspired by Angela’s response last month, when she decided to work outside her comfort zone, I decided that I hadn’t made any painting based on observational work for ages and it was time to try again.

I dug out the shells (definitely small). I had decided to go one step at a time and make a sheet of studies first. So I purposely spoiled the white paper with collage and emulsion and off I went.

But it sort of grew to include text (this is part way through before I added a bit more colour and highlights to the shells)...

And decided it wanted to be a book.

 So I let it.

The storm is over

I’ve finally done with ‘storm in a teacup’.

Colour separation monoprint (a different, better palette but I’m still not happy with it) and collagraph overprinting. Oops I misregistered the collagraph on this one

 And as a ghost, with better registration. 

 And as a watercolour wash with the collagraph print.

I’m still getting halos round some of the stepped areas of the block and I’m not sure whether it’s due to press pressure or too thin paper. When I can go back to Hot Bed I’ll experiment with the heavier press I that usually use for collagraph

Still raining

I decided that I wanted to try a coloured collagraph version of 'Storm in a teacup'.

The first step is the collagraph plate. I made it quite light on texture because I want the colour to show through.

I've printed several to use with washes of watercolour.

 I'm also going to print some colour separation monoprints and then print the collagraph on top. But that will need a decent amount of time setting aside and while the weather holds there's lots of allotmenting that needs doing.

And in between I've been making some small monoprints on fabric to go in ''An inch a day'.