Monday 4 November 2013

maleny printmakers .....

I am back after a few weeks absence.  In the meantime many of you have commented on the wedding book I was making (and which was very well received) and the 'In Between Dreams' series I have been working on.  Thank you so much for watching this space even with me in hiding.

My mum died the night after the wedding, two weeks ago, and it left me bereft, exhausted, frantic etc - all those things we experience when we lose a beloved parent.  My father died last year, so with my mum's passing it means packing up and cleaning out of the home, preparation for sale and so forth.  A time consuming, and energy consuming task.

It is that stage of our lives ..... and life goes on apace. 

Like Fiona, I have been very busy trying to get all our small prints ready for the Maleny Printmaker's Exhibition.  Luckily I had done all the printing of these images (I think I printed about 150 in all) before my mum died and now I am busy with the signing, collating, cataloguing etc.  Artist's Statement and CV to come and then I am almost ready for Thursday when we set up the Exhibition.  Steve and I have all the friends we travelled though the desert with, here for the weekend as well so it will be a busy few days and quite a welcome change from all that has preoccupying me of late. 

The first three of these little pieces required quite a bit of work and are representative of my work of late.  They begin their lives as engravings and then I add black ink, watercolour and graphite layers.  I have worked some in warm, some in cool and some in black and white.



The next two prints follow in the same vein with engraving and ink, but the inspiration came directly from Ann Symes who gave me the idea of producing very small vessels.  I work often with vessel images in my etching, and also many of my larger drawings, and it had not really occurred to me that I could achieve a lovely result with these small images.  I think they actually work very well and will continue with them in a larger format as well.




You may remember these small etchings from the 'play day' a few of us had a Fiona and Barry's home - learning to print on aluminium with copper sulphate.  I added all the embossed marks later.




Friends cannot believe I have sold out my 'soul' with this little heart piece.  I have already given away a number of these and they seem incredibly popular!  Who would have thought. 


These little flower etchings also have a broader market appeal I imagine.  They are printed in many bright and varied colour ways, though for this blogging exercise, I did not want to shock you all with my use of colour .....



The few days we are open promise to be lots of fun .... we have prepared 'shopping lists' for those coming along in the hope that they realise what a wonderful chance this is to stock up their present drawers!

23 comments:

  1. Wondrous prints! Thank you for sharing them. Although I find the embossed ones fascinating, my own preference is for the first three. I hope they all go like hot cakes at the show.
    I empathise with your exhaustion at this difficult time. Somehow I feel we should have a time of peace to come to terms before the so often ghastly tasks of clearing. I wish you lots of compensating fun - and relaxation too.

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    1. Thank you Olga. I too like the first prints best as that is the kind of work that I do regularly. The rest of the prints were really aimed at the market and yes, they all sold like hot cakes! thak you for your kind words.

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    1. thanks Jackie. A huge hole which is hard to fill. Life is precious though and on it goes ....

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  3. I'm very sorry to hear about your mum, Susan. I know from my own experience that it's very difficult to find the right words for such a loss. I hope you are ok, my thoughts are with you.

    Your prints are more than beautiful, I've already gone through them several times. I see something very new in them, they are you but a richer you. A real joy to view. I'm sure they will be a great success. Take care. XXX

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    1. Thank you Ersi. It has been lovely to receive so much support and so many well wishes from friends far and wide.
      The little exhibition went well in Maleny and I managed to sell most of the prints. A good marketing exercise. xsx

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  4. I love them all - the vessels the most I think; and I really do think the heart works!

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    1. Thanks Fiona. Glad a couple of the vessels found their way into your home ;-) x

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  5. Hello Susan, firstly, I am so sorry that you have now lost both your parents - its the finality of it all that I found so hard to accept.
    I am just out of hospital yet again after more surgery.
    How pleasing it was to be able to catch up with the internet again after 7 days.
    I LOVE your work and maybe just maybe there'll be some prints I can maybe buy this time.
    You are so talented and inspirational.
    Love to you.
    Diane.

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    1. thanks for those thoughts and kind words Diane. Yes, losing parents is really tough. I was especially close to my mum who has been the constant in my life. I will miss her dearly.
      Most of my prints sold which was grand .... will certainly be doing more and one of the things at the top of my list is to organise a shop next year. There will be lots of tiny prints and also some of my bigger work.
      I am sorry to hear you have had more surgery. Hope you are on the mend. x

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  6. Sold your soul? ...lovely prints.

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    1. only with my little red heart print Jo! The markings were guinea fowl markings but I couldn't resist adding the little red hear when it seemed to appear right there! Very cutesy which is not at all normal for me :-)

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  7. the prints, especially the first sets, are quite fine. more, though, i want to say how sorry i am for your loss.

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    1. thanks Velma. I will miss my mum dreadfully. Glad you like the prints - certainly the first five are my favourites and they all sold out which was lovely for me.

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  8. SB - brilliant work; and my heart is with you and hugs also. B

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    1. Thanks Barry. Think we all did well with our little prints. And I always welcome those hugs x

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  9. I love all your etchings.. they are wonderful... especially the vessels... so Zen.

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    1. Thanks Donna. I love the vessels too - inspired by Ann's japanese tea cups.

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  10. Beautiful prints Susan, and a couple I particularly like. Please let us know if they are not sold out and you have some leftovers.

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  11. Hello Helen. Glad you like the prints. All the editions of the first five sold out, and most of the Dancing Women and A Splash of Tulip. Some of the blue colour ways are left with the flowers. I will certainly be doing more of the vessels and the dream series next year - and try to get a shop set up too.

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  12. I love the prints and cards - all of them, heart included - and I can well understand why they sold.
    What a hard time you are having and I sympathise. I so remember the sense of loneliness I felt when my parents died. Mine were good and loving people and no one can quite replace the life-long support they gave me.

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I appreciate your comments - thank you!