It’s been a while since I last posted, during which time I’ve contributed work to a number of group shows and a fair number of different galleries.
My reason for not blogging has been simple, up until now I have found it quite difficult to blog using my iPad and working on my wife’s laptop has become problematic too as it has become almost as temperamental as me !
So returning to exhibitions – the first of the year was Le Reve, then came La Mer, now also at the Atelier Art Gallery, in Southsea we currently have an exhibition called Poem which is 15 artists inspired by 15 poets. The beautifully curated shows are in 86 Castle Road Southsea which doubles as a studio for artist, Pete Codling. My contribution is a lino cut called “Corvid” which was inspired by Gareth Toms poem about birds, a subject very close to my heart and one that I have returned to time and time again since I was a teenager with plans to become an illustrator of books on ornithology. Somehow I got it out of my system and boats took precedence !
I was fortunate to have one of my boat portraits selected for a prestigious show at Mottisfont Abbey – but more of that later.
I must just mention the print that’s featured on the post. Over a year ago I had a conversation with a fellow artist when I was complaining that the good old fashioned lino that we used to use at school was no longer available and how I much preferred it to the new grey variety which lacks the strength of the old brown lino. Well to cut a long story short my friend, the artist Jeanie Driver was on holiday in Barcelona and spotted some Spanish lino which was not unlike the old fashioned stuff that we spoke about 12 months earlier. Facebook came to the rescue and she messaged me a few times and we agreed that she would buy up a number of sheets of this wonderful find ! The print that is featured here is my first trial run on Spanish lino, which is maroon in colour, it has a gritty texture and it’s consequently stronger and better for carving more detailed images. Since I started wood engraving my lino cuts have become more detailed – hence the need for a surface that doesn’t disintegrate when you make tiny incised lines and marks that are close together. My verdict is that the Spanish lino is great and I’ll be suggesting to all my friends who visit the City to bring some more back to Blighty ! Sadly the shop doesn’t mail order lino but I will push the point when I run out of stock !
More news of exhibitions and studios later ! Cheers 4 Now
