Talking teacups . . .

When working on a project I like to spend quite a bit of time chewing over ideas and making exploratory works. 

Last week was spent cutting a selection of 'cups'.

And not just cutting. 

In looking for 50's, 60's and 70's pattern and colour schemes, I've acquired one or two new specimens to draw from. This little beauty from the local 'junk' shop, a steal at £2.50 per cup and saucer.

Also, photographing likely looking subjects. This 70's vision in mustard was on the table at the Richard Jefferies House & Museum, Coate Water when I attended a BlueGate Poetry workshop with Carrie Etter

Starting to play with shape and colour . . .

Adding mono-print to linocut,

and keeping colour notes as I work - otherwise I would have no chance of remembering how I mixed my colour of choice.

Left with little parcels of ink at the end of a printmaking session.

Storm in a Teacup

The view from The Shed window reminds me that daylight is running out . . . 

I've spent the day working on a small painting (I prefer daylight when working in mixed media as I find it difficult to judge colour in electric light) and anyway it is time now to put this to one side and leave it to brew for a day or two while I think about the next stage . . .

Stages it's progressed through today

Meanwhile, ideas for print are developing in my sketchbook. I like to keep these images as simple as possible, I don't want the image to be too 'fixed', I'd rather work out the detail when cutting my block.

No matter how hard I try to I just can't keep text out . . . but perhaps that's not surprising as I'm working on a book idea at the same time as exploring linocut ideas.

Making a linocut print

This is a great little video showing artist Bill Fick demonstrating the process of linocut printmaking, from beginning to end.

What I like about it is you get to see the scale of this print, and that electric press, wow!


Anatomy of a Linocut by Bill Fick from Jim Haverkamp on Vimeo.