Cocksfoot, Meadow foxtail, Yorkshire fog.

August 22nd

'Cocksfoot, meadow foxtail, yorkshire fog'. Some names of the hayfield grasses relate to their visual appearance - and some to what they do, 'quaking grass,creeping bent, wavy hairgrass'. Some sound shakespearean - 'sweet vernal grass', and some a puzzle - where does 'Timothy' come from?
At this time of the summer they change from green to tawny to ochres, their seed heads waving at the margins of the fields against the dark brambles and hedges.
I make monotypes using a roller to simplify the shapes of field, dark clumps of trees, and sky. Its possible to scratch into the ink to create texture, to use oil pastel,collage and overprint- all these methods I want to experiment with.
For now I paint the simple shape of cocksfoot in gouache in the foreground -

A new moth has appeared! Against the backgrounds of some monoprints of the streambed I printed a moth from an old collograph, its dark wings set against the grainy textures in semi camouflage-
A collograph is a print made from a low relief surface with various textured objects glued on- found objects,sand, wallpaper, string etc-

The original moth collograph was based on a real one but has now transformed into a moth symbol -

A lament- where are they all?

Just three weeks away from the start of Open studios so framing and planning preparations are in progress. Come and visit me in the wagon ! Prints, paintings, cards will all be available to buy...

Somerset Arts Week 2016. Open Studio at HootingAsh Farm.

 

     July 14th

The grey shape of the old ash tree frames the gate. A sparrowhawk shoots out of the oak tree and swoops along the hedge. The silver branches of my birthday walnut tree are framed against the red ochre earth of the maize field. Each are moments of experience on our land, and recorded in the six small oil paintings that will be on show in the wagon studio for Somerset Art Weeks Open studios.

Nearly every day I go down the hill to the orchard to check the sheep. The colours of the landscape change with the seasons - in days - I note whats around - birds, insects and flowers. The mood alters as I descend to the lower meadows -  damper, darker- the Redlake stream trickles unseen and secret. In autumn I try to recreate the textures of dead leaves, stone and twigs collected in the stream by using the mono print and the dry point processes of printmaking-

Mono prints are one- off images. Thinned oil-based inks are applied onto a sheet of glass or plastic by brush, rollers or cloth. Sections of ink can be wiped away using cloth, cotton wool buds or brush. Texture can be applied and ink scratched out.

Dry point is an intaglio process. Lines are scratched directly onto the plate. As the plate and paper are run through the press the ink is transferred from the plate to the paper to make an image.While we re in the sheep field here's an example of dry point....!

   
Its been exciting combining these two techniques - there are so many possibilities to experiment with texture and line....

On the post next month - Hay meadows and birch trees- and more about the techniques of printmaking that I use.