A little bit of this and a little bit of that.

I had a lovely session in the printing room this week with some friends.  I'd forgotten how much I love making monotypes!  I brought my box of pressed leaves, along with my stack of pieces of lace, circles, feathers, letters, etc. and decided to stick to using just one colour -  black.  I really like how powerful the first print looked,

 

 but, as usual, loved the ghost images best.

 I especially love the ones I did using the cotton tree leaves that have been eaten by insects.

 

 Some prints, I wasn't so keen on, but I will use them later with ink or watercolour or collages.  I really must get back to printing on a more regular basis.  It really is a lot of fun, although, in my case it is a brilliant way of getting ink everywhere (see Tip #3 below).   I was also pretty inspired by the etching that was being done by some of the other artists in the studio with us.  So much so that I wanted to buy some pieces right there and then.  Can't wait for their exhibition in a fortnight at the BIA!  And  I can't wait for the etching workshop I have enrolled in at the BIA to come around.

I have gone off on a few tangents with my watercolour.  I am still working with mixed media, and  learning with every piece.

Tip #1:  seal the back and front of cardboard, plywood,  or anything likely to react badly to water. I started with a piece of cardboard for this one, and applied gesso to seal the front, then added modelling paste to give it texture and more dimensional depth.  I applied the first coat of ink and thought disaster had struck as the liquid seeped to the back of the cardboard.  Luckily, it reverted to the original when it dried.  Then,  I remembered that I had to seal the back before I wrecked this piece, which would have devastated me because I really like how it turned out after the wonky beginning.  It reminds me of the tropical  sea.  And, I will be giving it a coat of sealer to just make sure it stays as is.

Tip #2:  glue is sticky, therefore be careful where you put your brush.  I managed to stick my brush  to my brush case by mistake. I got it off, but left a residue of glue on the case. 

Tip #3:  baby wipes are brilliant for cleaning up anything- even ink on skin! ( now I know why some mothers won't use them on their babies!)

I also like this latest piece, which uses pen drawings of hands, pieces of dress patterns and ink. I was thinking at the time about how important our hands are in craft and woodwork, and of the fact that I have a bad habit of sewing my fingers with the machine, cutting myself on the hands with scissors and sticking my hands with needles and pins. This one started with a wash of inks, followed with a drawing of my hands, developed into a bit of cut and pasting of an old dress pattern (See Tip #2), followed with a wash on the hands and finished with a stressing of the outlines in ink. Then, I thought it needed two coats of modge podge for endurance.

I have always been fond of chickens for their eggs, they way they appreciate my food scraps, their great compost, the lovely sound they add to every garden and their odd little ways.  I don't appreciate them digging up the garden, pooing all over the back steps, eating my vegetables, going broody, or drop kicking me like one of my Hamburgs used to, but I still miss having them.  One day, I firmly intend to get some more - preferably fluffy and fat, like Buff Orpingtons or Wyandottes, rather than one of the leggy, raw necked game birds.  In spite of my aversion to their looks, somehow become I have become obsessed with the mad looking chickens I have encountered  when visiting the country shows.  I don't want them: I've decided that I find the ornate combs, wattles and flesh around their eyes rather horrible and reptilian, but I find these characteristics  strangely compelling too.  That is what I was trying to convey in these pictures, using ink.  The first is of a silkie.

The second is a frizzle.

 I think they both look rather mad - just like the real thing.

I also got rid of my yearning for a bit of life drawing, by doing these quick little pieces on 10 by 26 cm paper.  I actually sketched the bodies very quickly using a dark grey Staedler triplus fine liner.  Then, I washed the drawing with water and a watercolour brush.

This lovely Staedler pen runs delightfully to create a watercolour effect.  It doesn't work for all the Staedler colours, but the black and grey are terrific.  Having created all these backs, I'm not sure what to do with them.  One idea is to photocopy them onto fabric and make a quilt of backs.  Another is to make a paper quilt.  We'll see.

Lastly, I reverted to my love of trees for this piece.

This one started with a gesso background.  Then, I added a tree made of PVA glue.  Next came the inks.  At the end, I cut out leaves from the local newspaper, the Courier Mail (the best use I can think of for this newspaper, other than using it for mopping up spare glue and ink) and glued them on with ricepaper glue.  This one will be sealed too.  I think this design would look good as a quilt, too.

As well as painting, I have been making more felt hares and have started knitting another little jumper for one.  They are very cute and easy to make.  No thinking, which makes a change.  Usually, I have to do one of my pieces in stages, and it involves a lot of walking round, thinking, researching,  then applying layer after layer after layer.  I envy those artists who can just jump in and create something straight off, but it is definitely not my modus operandi. I rarely end up doing what I thought I was going to do.  The work usually tells me what to do.  Or, Bob or my teacher tell me it is lacking something, and make suggestions.   Also, memories have a habit of intruding on my work.  I can also see why a lot of people prefer to follow patterns rather than make up their own.  I do too for some things, but often find that I change the pattern.  Must be something about me.  I have trouble following cooking recipes too , as you probably know if you follow my other blog (www.patapanfood.blogspot.com.au)