Botanical IllustrationsI draw inspiration from plants in their infinite variation. They are a source of great fascination and starting at a very early age, have been companions throughout my life. Observing them and getting to know them enable me to draw them. In drawing them gain intimate knowledge of their characteristics and habits.
They offer pattern, form, colour and texture that inspire creative activity regardless of form of expression. As an art and a discipline, drawing plants teaches you the difference between what you see and what you think you see. An essential and valuable skill in drawing & painting, regardless of subject matter. It also assist in design as it hones your skill of observation. |
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Etchings
During my teens I started collecting botanical monographs filled with illustrations, many of them being hand coloured etchings.
It is through these publications that etching, or more correctly intaglio imprinted on me as a form of art. This fascination with intaglio was cemented by the discovery of the work of Valentin Kovatchev during a holiday in Malaga in 2000. No longer was etching confined to the realms of illustration. Here I discovered the inspirational union of fine art and print making. I am in awe of his etching work now as much as I have been then. I have since added inspirational "gurus" to my list - but his work remain the single most important inspirational influence to me. |
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Silk Screen Prints I have a set of collages which every person seeing it commented on. Unfortunately these 4 images was created using Sugar Paper and in my experience they are by no means colour fast and as a result did not feel that I could sell them. However, they have been a great source of inspiration. My aquatint etching "Flight" (1/30 Variable edition (VP)) was developed with the first of the four works as a springboard for what followed
As more and more people commented on the collages and as I thought them particularly well suited for silk screen printing, I set out to learn the skill. The set was been completed over the winter of 2014/15 resulting in an Edition of 15. It comprises 24 separate colours over Prints. Many more stencils being involved than there are colours... This was an exercise in discipline and had me vacillating between elation and despair. Elation when all went well and utter despair when I missed achieving the required standard, or when mucking up a print because I lost concentration for a moment. The isolation of printing being both necessary and welcome, Yet at times it resulted in uncomfortable depths of creative lows. I learned through this the importance of registration, micro-registration and also the importance of changing the direction of the weave of the screen so as not to coincide with a line. There is no better master of learning than experience! |
This is the first of the 4 works making up the "Elements" series. It is a limited edition of 15 silk screens. Printed on 300gms "Heritage Book White" Paper (100% Cotton rag, Acid free and Buffered).
   As these works are sequential and the one flow into the other in a "complete circle" I also plan 3 versions of complete sets of the 4 works as shown above.
Paper size for each of these will be 1027 x 510mm. |
CeramicsI have a great love of working with clay. This most malleable of natural material offers a connection with early man throughout the ages. It marks time as skill, knowledge and technology improves. It is personal to the craftsmanship of the maker while being inextricably linked to a time frame and cultural imprinting.
These ceramics (All stoneware or in a rare instance - Porcelain) date back to the early 1990's. It has been some time since I have done any work in clay, but I certainly plan to return to it in the not too distant future. |
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