It feels a bit like pulling teeth but I am getting there. I think that one of the reasons I am having such trouble with this book is that for a very long time, I have been way more interested in mark making, suggesting traces of images, a sense of narrative rather than revealing a whole story and so forth. With this book, the story will seem more succinct - more readable and apparent. This has been a problem for me in working within a more realistic manner and finding a balance between the 'drawn' image and the slightly more abstract.
I am happy with where this imagery is leading though each page I print seems like an enormous effort. Truth be told, I will be glad when the book is done and I feel quite confident that I will be far more in touch with my printmaking skills at its conclusion. At the moment it is a struggle!
This work is so wonderful. So much texture! I can't wait to see it to it's conclusion!
ReplyDeleteThanks Roberta .... I too am LONGING for its conclusion! Possibly for a different reason :-)
DeleteSomething as beautiful as this must be worth the effort!
ReplyDeleteThank you Olga - these comments are really helping me push forward.
DeleteI can't begin to tell you how in awe I am of this work - your efforts are totally worth every minute. I love how there is so much life and character in there, fabulous drawing and just those expressive marks as well. Big sigh.
ReplyDeleteThanks my friend - you have no idea what this comment means to me - it is giving me the courage to keep going. Many thanks x
DeleteWhat Fiona said. I'm too in awe to construct an intelligent comment so I'll second what Fiona said if you don't mind. Simply exquisite.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jennifer - all these encouraging comments are certainly welcome and I will proceed. Think I will jsut have to keep doing the artistic work and then worry about how the book will come together! x
DeleteYour magpie is spectacular. So worth pulling teeth! The colours are beautiful and the fine feathers around the beak tug at my heart. Love the egg page too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Robyn. I am thrilled that the little feathers around the beak caught your attention! My background is in drawing and design and so I am comfortable drawing jsut about anything .... as an artist though I have been choosing to make marks which give the sense of things rather than drawing all the details. Hence my frustration with this project methinks!
DeleteWow Susan, you have taken mark making and added it to readable imagery and done a spectacular job of keeping the mystery while telling the story. You are an inspiration!
ReplyDeleteLeslie, you always find a wonderful way to say things .... thank you. I am glad that my 'readable' image is not a boring one and still retains a sense of mystery. At this stage I am still struggling to find a story to tie the book togehter but as it is a collaborative book, will be able to passit on to Fiona who will no doubt find a way with words to weave it all together. I can't seem to find my own ...
Deletethese prints are beautiful, colours and markmaking work so well together
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Jac. I am pleased the colours are working - I was am trying not to just make a black and white magpie book seeing that is my comfort zone!
DeleteAll I can say is - wow! Your struggle is not evident - only absolute, exquisite beauty...I loved seeing closer and closer details of the bird, and the eggs & backgrounds of those pages are equally lovely. I wonder if the memory of the difficulties will recede (or even disappear?) once you hold the finished book in your hands? I hope the process begins to feel a bit more "comfortable" at some point - it's difficult when you feel as though you're practically holding your breath with the effort it sometimes takes to create something (no matter how beautiful/rewarding)...
ReplyDeleteI hope you are right Lisa - and that once I am toothless, at least I will be happy with the book! I have decided just to keep going with the imagery and trust that Fiona will find the words to pull it all together and then finally, I will be pleased.
DeleteA struggle maybe - but what beautiful results! I'm sure the final result will be a joy to see.
ReplyDeleteThanks Charlton - Fiona and I usually find that when our two books meet, which this time is on April 23rd which is World Book Day, we are delighted with the end result of both books.
DeleteFascinating and beautiful! Just lovely to see and think about the detail.
ReplyDeleteThank you for following the progress of this story and enjoying.
Deletelooks very very rich.
ReplyDelete