Hello and welcome to the quartley newsletter of Bella Bee. Including an update of what's been happening as well as other artists I've met along the way. |
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You know how sometimes a passing comment can resonate? A printmaking friend recently mentioned how limited a colour pallette appears in my work. Reviewing the last year, it is true. Later when listening to some music, I came across artist Neil Fujita, a graphic designer whose popular work illustrated many a publication in the 1950's such as Fortune magazine as well as Dave Brubeck's 1959 'Time Out' jazz album. |
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Enjoying the bold colour it seemed a good start to make on the brightening up venture, so have taken the same look with my twist on it. Using monotype, collagraph and chine-collé (a tried and tested combination which seems to suit my work), that quiet limbo time between Christmas and new year was spent creating the raw ingredients for the next project. The hand-made pattern for the chine-collé was made using seaweed extract blended with water which results in a glutinous layer over which inks and paint can be 'floated'. It makes for a busy, close design which lends well to the overall design. |
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The 'Karagen' purchased had Polish instructions so an online search showed how to mix it; Karagen >>> in English ... a colloidal extract from carrageen seaweed and other red algae. As the photos show, it took a few tries to get the desired result. |
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I think it's fair to say this project was a bit of a disaster, but it's not always a bad thing to step away from the norm and see how things are elsewhere. :) Going back to the greys and blacks now. |
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I had the pleasure of meeting Viv Styles when taking part in Jo and Paul Mortimer's Trios exhibitions. A fellow West Country artist and printmaker, Viv is celebrating her 60th birthday this year (she doesn't look it). A lover of trees, she had the idea of inviting artists, be they poets, printmakers, or painters, to submit work for a show in May. As it is a special occasion something a bit more interactive than my usual 2D efforts was called for. A simple origami square folded to reveal was printed with an oak leaf design before adding more 3D pop-up leaves and acorns. |
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The thing about using folded paper is that it's not just about making things look pretty. Sections have to tesselate and work together in a mechanical way. |
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Little Acorns was a diversion. The main thing was to make some framed artwork. |
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For the framed collagrahs I made some chine colle panels using rust printing. Using the rust printing panels was partly because the resulting colour was just right, but also to make reference to oxidisation and how it is the trees' respiration which contribute to making it. |
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‘60 Trees’ will be at Ullacombe Farm Barn from 28th May – 2nd June 2018. |
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Driving home in the dark. Headlights have stayed on all day as roads become tunnels of light under hoooded skies, the verges muddy and windcreen wipers never off. Starting with an abstract sketch, this image has been scaled down from A5 to a 6X6 centimetre square. |
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My much discarded online shop with Etsy has been started again to see if these hearts prove popular. |
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There were supposed to be two varied limited edition hearts, but I managed to destroy one of the plates at number five. School-girl error. Click on the button below to see them on Artfinder. | | |
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Then after scaling the plates down, the only way to go was to make them bigger. |
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A visit to Frome is a good excuse to drop by at The Enigma Shool of Pottery and see an old friend, Jenny who owns and runs it. She is the busiest woman I know, always taking a class,doing throwing tuition, fulfilling commissions and online sales. It all makes for little time in the day for much else. Just as well she'd not had time for lunch on my visit as the local pastisse cakes were a welcome excuse to stop for a chat over tea, all served on Jenny's home-made ceramics, of course. |
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It wasn't long before she had to get back to work, so we talked as she cleared boards, updated her website and sorted the studio. Jenny's new web site showcases her beautiful tableware and gifts among other things, my favourite being the blue vine leaf design. The leaves grow in the studio garden, right next to the workshop. :) |
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You know how it is when you haven't seen someone in a while. There was a lot to catch up on. Teddy, the pottery dog had such a waggy tail it is a blur in the photograph (above), and every time I visit. If you are interested in trying out pottery, or want to find out more about Jenny's tableware collections, take a look at her web site. |
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Frome Art Society at the Black Swan- Long Gallery |
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Starting with a private view and award, Frome Art Society's biannual exhibition kicked off on the 23rd February. Good friend and fellow artist, Sarah Ball won the main award, the Vera Skinner prize with her wonderfully flowery piece. Here she is pictured, left. Congratulations to her. |
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The next day another good friend in the show, Hayley Cove, was awarded with a 'highly commended' for her printmaking work. There were also two of my oil paintings included in the exhibition (pictured below). |
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February's warming fields saw little sprouts of green fringe the plough lines. It looked as if winter was behind us and then boosh, all went white as snows blew in from the east. It highlighted the wonderful lines in all their glory, and has led to the start of some smaller drypoint printmaking. |
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Heat Bed Press Printmaking at Jane's |
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Jane has a garden studio housing a heat bed press and workshop. Hayley and I have been invited before and once again, Jane very kindly hosted us (with lunch too)! |
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Heat bed press printmaking uses pigments which are mixed with water and applied to paper. Jane likes to use lining paper (the type used to line walls before painting). This colour is then transferred to a surface, either straight onto fabric or paper, and with some material in between such as dried foliage or cut out shapes. It is sandwiched between protective newsprint and passed through the heat bed press at 200 degrees celsius for one minute. |
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The first run through the press inks up not only the material, but also leaves a silhouette where anything has been laid on top and the item itself is also inked, with some shadowing left on the original inked paper. All three can now be re-used to put through the press once more, creating layers of ghost-printing. |
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This scarf has been made for my Mum using allium and thistle seed heads. Using orange, red, royal blue and pale blue, these are all colours which are known to work well together. The trick is to keep some continuity over some length despite each print giving variations of colour. The press bed itself is quite small so many separate pieces need to be 'collaged' together. |
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This more graphic design was made by cutting circles from semi-permable paper, which has allowed just a little of the strong ink colour to leach through creating a layered design in a single print. |
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Hayley wanted to create multiple prints to make up into bunting. A pattern used for a flat surface such as a lamp shade does not work as well for a contoured surface such as a curtain. It has been interesting seeing which works. |
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Hayley's abstract bamboo (left), scarf (right). |
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It is amazing just how much a print can pick up on the subtle nuances which are almost imperceptible on a plate. That, coupled with which paper it is printed on, and the results can be startling. Crowded, above, is a drypoint on 250 gsm silky Somerset. This was designed after seeing a video of a woman rockclimbing in Derbyshire. At one point just her hard hat was visible between huge rocks. It was just what I was looking for to show a more monolithic yet unfiddly printmaking technique. The start of a new quieter phase, where gentle observation and subtlety come to the fore. The thing I have really enjoyed with these new bold designs is that the paper used can be different. Lokta paper, made from wild shrubs in The Himalayas has a rough and a more even side. The anomolies on the rough side seem to work so well. |
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(Losing my) Identity is based on the idea of our DNA and how it takes up the landscape around us. Isotopes found in ancient skeletons can show where in the world that person was born and raised. I have always thought ourselves to be scultped by the land we grew up in, but now it seems this runs deeper. Does it mean that when we move away, we lose a part of ourselves? This print is another drypoint on 250 gsm Fabriano and intended to resemble chromosomes on a plate. Hoping to build more on this theme. |
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If you have enjoyed reading this newletter, please do not forget to leave a comment. It is always good to hear from you. There is also a blog for more. Wishing you all an enjoyable Spe I hope we all see a warming spring as we look forward to what is many people's favourite time of year. I hope yours is a good one. Bella X |
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