More Laser-Cutting

I'm getting the hang of the laser-cutter now and had my first session using it on my own. As well as the Hebden Bridge fold-up townscape, I'm trying something more intricate - its a concertina format book called Tree House.  Its taking me quite some time to draw up the cutting template in Illustrator so I've only tested the first 4 pages.  It looks like this:

I like the idea of it being a kind of skeleton book structure and the resulting shadow casting. This book is a development from the paper-cut carrier bag I was working on a while ago.  I'm still using the 300 gsm Manila cover paper I got from John Purcell Paper ages ago, with its lovely colour and smooth surface.

AA2A and Laser-cutting

Last year I applied for a place on the AA2A Scheme at Huddersfield University.  For those that don't know, AA2A stands for Artists Access To Art Colleges, and the project provides placements for visual artists and designer makers to Higher and Further Education institutions across England to undertake a period of research or realise a project, using the workshops and supporting facilities available.
Here's a link to the website AA2A

This is a really great scheme to share resources with artists who don't have access to specialist equipment but a successful placement does depend on the goodwill and commitment of the art department involved.  I got accepted on the scheme in September last year but for reasons that have never been made clear, I wasn't allowed to make a start until this January.  Also some of the advertised facilities that lured me in, such as screenprinting, are not actually available!

It has been quite a frustrating experience up to recently but now I've decided to put all that behind me (hopefully) and concentrate on making the most of the amazing laser-cutter that is available for AA2As to use.  A couple of weeks ago myself and Beka Haigh another AA2A artist, had a very thorough induction from technician David Bentley with excellent, clear instructions.  So last Thursday Beka and I were able to do some autonomous cutting.  I was a little bit scared at first, being responsible for a very expensive piece of equipment with a white-hot cutting point, and lots of things that are easy to forget, like putting on the extractor so we weren't poisoned.   But its all very straightforward really.

Here's some pictures of my first attempts.  I'm revisiting a project I started a few years ago but gave up because the cutting put too much of a strain on the tendons in my hands.  The idea is of a pop-up paper Hebden Bridge sculpture that folds flat for portability.  You can see a black and white version over on the right, below my Profile.

If things work out well with the laser-cutter, I plan to make a more complex environment for the townscape and produce a saleable edition.

Shadows and Reflections

A different take on trees this time, shadows on sun-warmed rock and reflections on cold, still water. Even when seen indirectly like this the trees have a powerful presence in the landscape.

January Leaves

I'm noticing that despite harsh frosts and whipping winds, a few leaves are clinging on to their parent trees along the banks of Hebden Water. A far cry from the vigour of summer and the glory of Autumn these tortured survivors are a pierced and twisted remnant of last year. I've enjoyed observing them closely and taking their photographs.  They have an insectoid quality that I like and I imagine could lead to some interesting drawings. And of course they bring to mind Shakespeare's sonnet 73 with its lines...

When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang

Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,

Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.

More Graphite

Been spending some time down by my local river - Hebden Water, alongside Salem Field, making a series of drawings, playing around with different kinds of mark making.  The winter weed skeletons are complex and beautiful.  They held my attention for many an hour, as my drawings moved towards abstraction.  The mild Graphite Days have been replaced by diamond bright ice and sun, but the softer form of Carbon still suits my mood for now.

Graphite Days

These dim days of January could easily bring on a bout of melancholia and unrealistic longings for warmer climes.

But instead I've decided to adopt an attitude of acceptance and even celebration of what I call the Graphite Days of late Winter.

Whether focussing on my sketchbook or staring at the land, its the same muted silvery greys of a 2B pencil on soft white and pale buff papers.

Turning towards the light

And so the year turns, away from darkness, revolving into light, our blue planet tumbling through the mystery of time and space...

A patch of blue sky

Dazzlingly bright and sunny yesterday, and still able to see my lovely Nutclough Mill through the gap.

The long thin format of the view is growing ever more like my woodcut print of Nutclough though the view for the woodcut is from a high vantage point looking down from Moss Lane , whereas the view from Brooklyn studios is looking upwards.

What I like in the photograph is the glowing orange of the brick side wall complementing the cold blue sky.

Changing Light

Two views from my studio space taken on Friday with a gap of a few hours between shots.  The murky morning turned into a more pleasant if very cold afternoon.

Feeling a little bit sad that the view has been curtailed since then by the installation of our new studio stairs, but on the other hand I've gained a new wall to hang work on and there's still plenty of light coming in from the high window.

Fortunately I can still see Nutclough Mill from my space, I just have to move to a more specific spot to get the angle right.  For 14 years I had a view of Nutclough from the other side, from my rented house, actually one of the original mill workers dwellings.

During that time I took loads of photos of the mill from my kitchen window, in all kinds of weathers and at different times of the day.  I'd like to put together a selection for this blog, but will have to digitise them first as they were all taken on film.  A project for the new year I think.

Its strange how certain buildings seem to follow you around - even though they're totally anchored of course. When I moved from Nutclough City Limits (as we used to call it) I thought thats it I'll never gaze on the mill in the same way, but here I am a few years later still staring.

Festive Open Studios

Yes its that time of year again, when we open up our gallery and studio spaces to our friends. acquaintances and the general public.  I designed this poster over a year ago but it never got used except by me for a few invitations.  So this year its getting a proper airing, or should that be snowing? The lace elephant is from a treasured remnant  I had from my grandmother many moons ago.

It looks as though the heavy snow will put off many of our visitors from further afield, but if any of you are in the Hebden area over the weekend, you're very welcome to visit us and join in our festivities.  I shall be making mulled cider again since it proved so popular last year.  Hope to see you.

November Snow

Oh the irony - my post dated 13th October mentioned about a forthcoming book making workshop at Cartwright Hall on 1st December. The post ended 'I doubt if it will actually be snowing at the start of December but you never know...'

Well not only have we got snow but its quite bad, especially in North Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Dales where most of the workshop participants were coming from.  Anyway, the long and the short of it is that the session is cancelled, due to the weather, and thus highlighting one of the down sides of being self-employed - no work, no pay. Its very frustrating after I've done all the prep work, created a demonstration model and purchased some paper.  There really ought to be a cancellation fee, but of course artists are always treated shabbily in these situations.

Whilst the snow surely makes a big problem for getting around, it does compensate in the beauty stakes. So to cheer myself up, here's a very recent photo of The National Trust's Gibson Mill at Hardcastle Crags just up the road .

Winter Calligraphy in Window

A bit disappointed that the large-scale version of my Winter Calligraphy book wasn't able to go in the Scandinavian themed window at Spirals, as the space was too busy.  Its in the other widow and has a prominent position facing out onto the main drag of Hebden.  So I'm still hopeful it may create some interest and sales - I've had a few texts from friends who've seen it and recognised it as my work.

I've tried to take a decent photo quite a few times now but its impossible to get a good angle without getting run over and its always dark by the time I get down there so this is the best I can do.

Long-tailed Tits

A selection of my bird prints are now available to buy at the Craft and Design Centre at Leeds Art Gallery, including this latest one featuring 3 long-tailed tits feeding on Hawthorn berries.

The low temperatures and snowy conditions have forced the birds to be more daring about getting food and my tiny back garden has seen a much wider range than usual coming in a flurry of urgent wings. This weekend we've seen wrens bullfinches, thrushes, blackbirds, a sparrow, blue tits and coal tits.

The blackbirds have developed a way of launching themselves off a hanging basket towards the frozen remains of the black grapes left on our wall-trained vine.  We felt sorry for them and have put all the grapes on the ground for them now.

Giant version of Winter Calligraphy Book

One of my tasks today was to make a very large (for me!) version of my tiny concertina book called Winter Calligraphy.  Its for my friends Sarah and Helen, to be part of the Christmas window display in their shop Spirals on the main street of Hebden Bridge.  They are having a Scandinavian theme featuring winter trees, reindeer and other lovely festive things.  I'm really pleased to have been asked to contribute.

The photo is taken in my studio this morning, but you can't tell the scale so its hopeless really.
The pages are about 33 cm square, basically the largest size I can print on the old Epson 2100.

I meant to go down to the shop later on to see how it works in the window space, but got involved in a printing session and by the time I'd cleaned a huge slick of black ink and two rollers it was 6.30 pm and too late.

Hand-tinted Twite Woodcut

This is the hand-tinted version of the Twite woodcut fresh from the inking parlour!  (aka the clean corner of my studio space).  I am hoping to have these on sale at the Craft Centre and Design Gallery below Leeds Art Gallery in the very near future, along with some of my other woodcuts featuring song birds.

Cotton Grass

Hurrah! I've finished the fourth woodcut print for the Pennine Prospects commission.  Its not that I didn't enjoy the work but there's a certain satisfaction in getting the job done.  

Carving the block for this image was fast and easy, but just like the Twite, printing was a problem. The same flaw in the wood was apparent - not surprising since I sawed a larger block in half.  This time I had to resort to Makeready and Underlay, technical terms for adding customised paper padding above and below the block to affect the printing pressure in specific areas.  Eventually the patchiness resolved itself into even black printing - much to my relief.

I feel that this image could be enhanced by the use of different coloured ink and tonight I've been playing with Photoshop to get an idea of the colours I might use.