Ice and Fire - Happy returns of green

Through ice or fire, the green always finds its way back.

Wren Collages

You might recognise the patterns in these wren woodcut/collages as they've been made entirely from pre-used business envelopes.

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.

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.

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

Not much happening in the Northtown just now, gently dull days and dark peaceful nights.

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...

Valley Of Lights

At the beginning of December a lovely uplifting event - The Valley of Lights Parade - lit up the streets of Hebden Bridge. A celebration of the magic of light in the dark months and an affirmation of the spirit of our little town.

What you can't tell from these pictures is how very cold it was, which made it an effort to take photos as I just wanted to keep snuggled up with my hands in my pockets. I'm pleased with the results though - colourful and a bit surreal especially the second to last one with the building lanterns parked outside the hotel. And the moon and some stars looked on...

Janis Goodman - one printmaker and a boat

Last Saturday my friend and printmaker Janis Goodman who is based in Leeds held an exhibition in an unusual venue - a beautiful converted coal barge moored on the Rochdale canal in Hebden Bridge.

I felt fairly intrepid as I slithered along the frozen tow path and over the canal on a tiny bridge but could not have been made more welcome by Janis and Marion who has made her home in the barge for the past 2 years.

Wasn't sure which to drool over most, Janis's lovely etchings or Marion's gorgeous, warm, light filled barge. I know a lot of Janis's work, so its excellence was only to be expected but I had no idea a converted industrial boat could be that charming and bright.  For a brief moment I had a wild imagining of what it would be like to have it as my studio.

Thank you Janis, Marion and Roger who baked the delicious cheese straws and mulled the wine. My camera steamed up in the warmth so the photos are slightly dreamy. To see Janis's prints in all their glory visit her website - there's a link to it in the column on the right.

December Open Studios 2012 and my 150th Post

My studio group held our annual December Open Studios the other weekend.  I'm not wearing the scarf for religious reasons but to keep my brain warm as it was extremely cold weather and we only have portable heaters to try and warm a giant high-ceilinged space.

I would normally be wearing a huge fleece jacket in the studio but felt the need to look human whilst meeting the public.

I met loads of nice people, had some great conversations and sold quite a lot of my work as well as making a few gallons of the famous Brooklyn Studios mulled cider.

This is the 150th post on Tumbling Hills, I never imagined it would go on for so long. There are many times when I wonder why I do it and think about stopping but here I still am for the time being...

Perry Dip Pens

I love the packaging of these beautiful dip pen nibs I found at my parents house earlier this year.

And how lucky to find nearly a whole box full of shiny gold perfection.  I was especially pleased to note that Perry & Co. had a manufacturing base in Birmingham, my city of birth.  

There is an article about Perry pens on Wikipedia and another about the Birmingham pen trade which was for many years a world centre for steel pen and nib manufacture. As a lover of dip pens I feel sad that I wasn't aware of this previously - a whole fascinating industry that's been and gone largely, like so much else in Brum.

I've always liked drawing with a dip pen - the nib is so much more versatile and responsive than any kind of modern pen I've used, and more reliable and long lasting than a quill or reed pen though they are good to draw with too.  The little sketch book below was drawn entirely with a dip pen, recording impressions of a walk along the Vilaine estuary from Le Moustoir to Penlan.

You win some you lose some

The Watershed Landscape Project I was a resident artist for last year narrowly missed out on winning the National Lottery Award for best environment project. However, Watershed has won the 2012 UK Landscape Award and will now be submitted to the Council of Europe's European Landscape Award for 2013.

Good to know that our lovely uplands in the South Pennines are getting the credit they are due and proud to have been part of such a great project. For more info follow this link to the Watershed Landscape website where incidentally some of my woodcut images of reservoir water, cotton grass and moorland habitats are subtly displayed behind the main text and along the top banner.

Lots of exhibitions

I have a range of different works for sale at local and regional galleries including Terraces and Trees woodcuts at the Calder Gallery in Hebden Bridge. Its the first time I've shown at The Calder Gallery and I'm excited to be sharing wall space with printmakers I know and admire like Hannah Lawson and June Russell.

I have Artist Books at The Water Street Gallery in Todmorden, Bird woodcuts at The Platform Gallery in Clitheroe and Leeds Craft Centre And Design Gallery, Tree paintings at Earth Spirit in Hebden Bridge and Landscape woodcuts at Spirals also in Hebden Bridge. 

Local Shacks in Hebden Bridge

I love the Wikipedia definition  - "A shack is a type of small house , usually in a state of disrepair."

Here are some local shacks I've been working on recently.  I've been experimenting with a more stripped down, linear style of drawing.

You could call them sheds, huts or shanties as there are a lot of different names to describe the same kind of thing, but just now I like the word shack, even though these local buildings are not really what you could call a 'small house'.  

I expect there are subtle differences within the taxonomy of dilapidated buildings - what makes a shed not a hut, for example. I'm too tired to think about this tonight as I've spent all weekend and the previous week completely rebuilding and reorganising my studio space. What was a messy shack-like area is now more of a super organised roofless shed within the larger studio space.