inbetween dreams .....

I have been quiet on my blog but busy in the studio.  Never as busy as one would want, but I have found many times to head down here and explore some work.

These images are worked over engravings with ink and other media.  The painterly effect rather than the graphic is what I am aiming to achieve.  I have been working in a similar vein for a while but have made larger works now, and hope to get even larger soon - up to 60cms x 30cms  or thereabouts.  I usually work quite large with my drawings/etchings but this square size of 300cm square is a far more reasonable size to frame and house I think.  I will produce a whole body of this work - trying to simplify the design, not so many fragments though this is fairly typical of the way I work at times.  Fragments emerging from the gloom.

Don't for a moment think I am in a dark place - life is grand and I am blessed.  I am somehow drawn to these deep dark secret places.

I must post on one of my earlier etchings 'Deep Secrets Revealed'.  Probably one of my favourite etchings though because of its emotional context, hardly ever shown.  How often do artists do this I wonder?

more thoughts .....

I have been finding time in the studio which is wonderful.  Yesterday I had to hide inside all day as we were burning off an abundance of trees which we had felled on Monday.  This meant I couldn't open any windows and yet I had planned to do some experimental work with printing/engraving.  With this in mind I decided to use the less toxic option of Charbonnel etching inks - WATER based.  My first experience with this aqua wash and I am now hooked.  Easy to wipe the plates and ever so easy to clean up all the mess.

For those of you who are printmakers, the toxic environment with oil based inks and turps cleaners is a reality.  Same for those of us who also paint with oils.  Not wonderful for the lungs.  This was only my first play but I am investigating a technique I have used successfully with small work, and am hoping to produce in a much larger working format.  You can see some of the details in these images below.  More to come once I have worked out the best way to produce the work I want and then bring images to fruition.