Saturday, April 16, 2022

Printing and Lovely April Weather

 The weather has been beautiful this month- mostly warm, gorgeous autumn weather. My garden needs a really good clean up but haven't had much time to do it and really need some help for the heavier work. I don't mean just mowing but helping rebuild some garden beds which are struggling with the ever invasive grass. I had tried no dig and still want to  but the grass is just a nightmare to deal with so I am going to resort to some heavier interventions.

I also fell off the daily walks trolley- but have made a concerted effort this week to get out more often- hopefully it will push me into regular walking again as I do enjoy it when I go out. The  nardoo has spread almost entirely over one part of the Turtle Dam at the bushland where I walk and the  fungi are starting to make an appearance with the cooler sometimes foggy nights. I have been working on a traveller's blanket inspired by nardoo although at the moment it is going slowly as I am working on a large commission which I really want to try and get finished late this week or early next week.


The commission got me back to doing some mono-printing but because of the warm ambient air at the moment it is not totally successful as the ink dries a bit quickly on the plate and I can't get the lovely ghost prints which is really like. Maybe I will have to get up earlier but then my shed is too dark to work in. There had been plans to put lighting out there but it's been put on hold because the money has been used to put food on the table during this time of covid.

The commission piece is in two sections and I have finished the first one and  I included some fungi linocut prints in at the request of the commissioners. I actually really like the fungi in amongst the foliage and thought I would make a little toadstool as well.


I have been having a lot of fun printing it onto monoprints. I am selling the monoprints with linocut prints if you are interested.



The fabric background is about 30 cm x 55 cm and has been hand dyed and have then been  hand printed with actual foliage and then with linocuts. They are $40 each- message me if you are interested.

I have also been working a little in my journal- another thing which I kickstarted again this week to get rid of the brain fuzz and I might start creating another workbook, after being inspired by Bruno Leti's workbook #15- it is good to steadily work somewhere to work out ideas and I need to develop some new work for an exhibition next year at Meeniyan Gallery. Last weekend  I went and looked at the space and also spent some time at Venus Bay and again the weather was gorgeous. The photo was on a walk late in the afternoon when the clouds had drifted in.