Time out for play

So often do I find myself getting distracted when i'm working on a large and intense project.  Eyes start burning, and the mental energy to continue working at such intensity is on the verge of doing me in!  Well, not literally.

Anyways, I've found that the absolute best way for me to keep focused and get shit done is really just to do more stuff... but different.  Keeping a lot of different projects on my plate really helps me to dig deep on the big ones and get them done without breaking down and throwing in the towel.

I think there is nothing better than picking up a few scraps from around the studio (wherever that may be) and just making something from it. This week i saw a few pieces of rogue metal lying around at school and couldn't resist taking them on as 2-3 hour projects... enough time for me to prepare the plates, conjure up some random shit to put on them, throw 'em in acid and see what comes out on the paper.  Albeit, these are certainly not great works of art, but I think they are fun to put up on here in keeping with the daily ins and outs of working on art.

Big Shit

So in the mix, i think this particular print i have been working on has had little or no attention up on here,... and rightfully so as it is the project i go to when i need a break from doing more intensive projects.

Originally I started this plate because i had a huge piece of zinc and i just wanted to try out different techniques on it.  With that as the basis for starting it developed slowly over a couple months with about 7 different kinds of printmaking technique involved... many of which were just a first crash course attempt at learning.  I had not image pre conceived, and nor did i start with a sketch prior to touching the metal... most definitely a step in a new direction for me, particularly since I generally work with all my ducks lined up or atleast assembled before hitting the metal.

That said, it's funny how something so spontaneous, and almost stupid can turn out much better than expected. I refer to it as "my big shit"... simply something large and for lack of better words "shitty" that i work on to keep making, but to not feel overwhelmed in working on..... a place to freely make mistakes and a place where those mistakes can potentially become great points of learning!

Here's where it stands now... with hopefully more to go into it.

Major work done!

I've done some major work on my Hortoise mezzotint since I last wrote about it.  It's still not looking great as a print, but as a plate i'd say it's getting there. Have a peek at the progress....

September 19th through 25th

Quite the break. Returning to the canvas feels really good. I have not felt the much expected self doubt having taken such an indulgent rest from my paints. Perhaps this is because I explored very lovely things whilst being away. In Dublin, we visited the Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane.

We went to see Francis Bacon's studio which had been transported from his home in London after his death. From the walls, to the dust on the floor, one was able to be a Bacon Voyeur. The exhibit was more than just the studio, it was rife with personal effects and a looping video of an interview filmed in his studio years back.

We strolled through the permanent gallery, through rooms of Corot landscapes, and past large winterscapes made by Courbet. Just as we were leaving, my eyes found themselves pinned to Manet's Music in the Tuileries. I guess I did learn that this painting sat in Dublin somewhere along the way, but I did not remember this fact! Indeed, this painting is one of the first to mark the Impressionist movement but despite its lofty history, I was focussed on something more simple than that. Manet and his black line - will get me every time!

A sneak peek behind the scenes in the Apothecary

It's about that time for another release in the Apothecary.  I have been toiling away over the weekend to come up with my latest creation to give you all a little peak at what's to come once I complete my ongoing work on the 'Hortise'.  Like all other images from this series, this one will also be rendered as a mezzotint. Enjoy!

As Promised

As Promised, here is the print from the litho stone I wrote about in the last post.  I also added a layer of fondino colour for the glasses.

A bit of a break to make something different

After a bit of time away from working... and especially after such intense work on my mezzotint plate I was back at it this week with a few smaller side projects and a lithography workshop at school.  I thought it was a perfect opportunity to just do something totally different and work in a much less controlled way. With a fully prepped stone just begging to be tainted with ink and pastel I came up with this....  a great memory from a great night on our summer vacation in Ireland,

I have since printed the stone with some additional work that I'll post in the near future.  In the mean time enjoy the fruits of my labour this past monday morning!