It may be officially Spring in the UK but no signs of it here in the South Pennines. I can't wait any longer and have created this Spring themed display in the studio to cheer myself up.
Shadows
Shadows - intangible, ephemeral and frequently overlooked yet so powerfully present and intriguing.
These ones are cast on beach sand, canal ice and puddle water.
Watershed Revisited
A final exhibition of selected work by all the resident artists and writers who participated in the Watershed - Inspired By Landscape Project over the past 3 years will be on show at The Studio, Bradford 1 gallery in Centenary Square, Bradford Saturday 22 June to 24 August 2013.
I am hoping to give my huge charcoal drawings of reservoir valve towers another 'airing' but in a slightly different form. The space is a lot smaller than the giant room I had with writer Char March at Cliffe Castle, Keighley, and there will be work from the two other artists - Sally Barker and Simon Warner and two more writers, Andrew Mcmillan and Anna Turner. The exhibition is being curated by Lara Goodband and should be an exciting culmination of this award winning project.
This photo is one of my personal favourites, taken in the basement of Machpelah Mill in Hebden Bridge (my temporary studio courtesy of Trevor Smith). The sunlight reflected off the canal water and through the window somehow, echoing the window in the valve tower and contrasting with the blue light of the projected video of Upper Gorple Reservoir water.
Rowena Beaty's beautiful sculptures
It was a privilege to see Rowena's work in progress in her sun filled studio at Slack Top above Hardcastle Crags, where we discussed aspects of the creative process surrounded by trees and the song of numerous birds.
How I would love to own one of Rowena's figures to look at every day and feel inspired.
Rowena's sculptures will be exhibited at Halifax Minster over the summer, opening in July and I will post the actual opening date and details when these have been confirmed.
Wren Collages
There are a lot of wrens around here at the moment I'm glad to say. Its always a worry that the freezing nights might have done for many of them. How amazing that such a small bird can survive all winter.
They do huddle together in hollow trees and bird boxes which explains their Latin name - Troglodytes - meaning hole dweller. The record number of Wrens seen roosting together in one box is 63!
Spring, please come soon
The birds are tuning up loudly and even flying around with nest building twigs. Can't wait for Spring.
Paper and Light
This time last year I was rapidly being taken over by the 28 Drawings later project. It was a great challenge and I'm glad I did it but also very tiring and I'd already decided not to repeat the process in 2013 before organiser Victoria Evans decided not to run it this year as she is busy with other work.
I did have a good review of all the work I did for the project (now residing in a large cardboard box) and feel it would be worthwhile revisiting some of the ideas during this February.
But in the meantime I've been playing around with an older scrappy little piece of work that's been lurking and gathering dust in my studio for the past 4 or more years - a simple little paper cut of brambles and weeds along the reservoir bank - I've enjoyed experimenting with placing white on white and seeing what can be done with a completely basic lighting set up and a few sheets of coloured acetate.
I did have a good review of all the work I did for the project (now residing in a large cardboard box) and feel it would be worthwhile revisiting some of the ideas during this February.
Another look at the woodcut process
Here's a roughly photographed sequence showing the process of cutting, inking and printing the Brownhill woodblock.
If you're interested in this kind of thing I've just seen a good one on Tugboat Printshop's blog showing the printing of their wonderful woodcut 'The Moon'.
Woodcut sign at Brownhill Countryside Centre and the colour purple
Last Autumn I was commissioned by Pennine Prospects - a regeneration company - to create a woodcut for use on new outdoor signage at Brownhill Countryside centre near Oldham. The brief was very specific and the image had to include the viaduct, the uplands, a working narrow boat, a peacock butterfly and appropriate wild flowers.
I'm not used to such a prescriptive remit and tight deadline of just a couple of weeks so was a bit flustered to start with but it proved helpful really as I just had to get on with it and not experiment too much. I did have to research the different varieties of narrow boat sterns, tillers and fenders. More weird knowledge to clutter up my memory banks.
The revamped centre has officially opened now and I've just received these photos of the signs in place.
My initial response was WTF! as I wasn't expecting this bright purple. I think it would look better in black or even a darker more subtle shade of violet. I'd love to hear what others think. Here's my original print from the block. The classic black and white is more weighty somehow.
I like purple as a colour, but it has to be in the right context. There's something about shiny purple plastic thats shuddery. One of the most familiar uses of purple is the packaging of Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate which originated at Bournville in my home city Birmingham. I studied art for a year at Bournville College of Art seemingly about a hundred years ago.
I'm not used to such a prescriptive remit and tight deadline of just a couple of weeks so was a bit flustered to start with but it proved helpful really as I just had to get on with it and not experiment too much. I did have to research the different varieties of narrow boat sterns, tillers and fenders. More weird knowledge to clutter up my memory banks.
The revamped centre has officially opened now and I've just received these photos of the signs in place.
My initial response was WTF! as I wasn't expecting this bright purple. I think it would look better in black or even a darker more subtle shade of violet. I'd love to hear what others think. Here's my original print from the block. The classic black and white is more weighty somehow.
I like purple as a colour, but it has to be in the right context. There's something about shiny purple plastic thats shuddery. One of the most familiar uses of purple is the packaging of Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate which originated at Bournville in my home city Birmingham. I studied art for a year at Bournville College of Art seemingly about a hundred years ago.
Dairy Milk wrapper from 1915, before the signature Cadbury script logo had been created.
Interestingly in a high-court ruling last October, Cadbury was allowed to trademark Pantone 2685C.
This has resulted in a lot of debate about 'who owns the colour purple' and should you be able to trademark a colour? Read the full story here and have a look at the comments as they demonstrate how passionate people can feel about the ownership of colours.
Anyway, to get back to the signs, I guess Pennine Prospects are trying to get away from traditional black and white in favour of more fashionable hues, and one of their brand colours for the Watershed Landscape Project is purple. It was an enjoyable project to work on and I'm pleased to have my image out there whatever the colour.
Why we go mad when it snows
Photos taken through the dirty windows of the cross Pennine train between Manchester and Hebden Bridge on my way back home from Brittany. When you live in a country where the default weather colour for at least 6 months of the year seems to be mid grey, its no wonder we go ape-shit when it suddenly looks like this.
Seasalt and shingle
Beautiful soft colours this January around the Gulf of Morbihan, the Vilaine estuary and the Rhuys peninsula.
A quiet beginning
No resolutions for me this new year and no committing to any kind of daily art challenges. I'll just see where things take me, at my own pace and in my own time.
So its off to Brittany this week for some sea salt and shingle. See you in a while...
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