Imbolc Greetings
The mid point between Yule and Ostara.
A cold month but with some sunshine and signs that spring emerges in the garden, lovely snowdrops, crocus and cowslips.
I had another experiment with the walnut ink crystals to celebrate!
From the cold brown earth they come….
It has been a pleasure to watch the birds outside my studio window this month – vocal blackbirds, squabbling starlings, a pair of collared doves, a robin or two and a back hedge full of excitable sparrows. Towards the end of the month the daffodils came too. I can see these from my little print workshop.
I have been to the ropewalk Print Workshop a couple of times and I am pleased to say completed my contribution to the Shakespeare project – the pieces are with Tina for framing. All ready to deliver for the exhibition in Cleethorpes in April
Neither here nor there
Something in the wind
Spent some time getting Easter/Spring cards ready for Shawbriggs. I like the hare prints made earlier from the Tetra Pak stencils so built on those. I tried printing (dry) onto the cards themselves, utilising back and front with a little embellishment in watercolour and inktense. They look well packaged up.
Spent a lovely day with Jane Quinn in the small window studio and print workshop, she made some bird stencil prints which look brilliant. We are planning some sketchbook work outside when the weather gets a bit warmer. Speaking of which, I must not complain, our dear friends in Newfoundland are experiencing heavy snowfalls and a wind chill temperature of -24! Crikey.
Building on the Tetra Pak stencils I have made some combined monotype, trace monotype and monoprint pieces. Ok, the monotype is a coloured background where ink was rolled and manipulated onto a Tetra Pak plate and printed on thin paper (with some text). To create the trace monotype the same plate is then inked up in a thin layer of black, the print is placed on top and you draw through on the back. I made two like this, then added a stencil on two more (hence monoprint)
Monotype and Trace Monotype
Monotype, Trace Monotype and Monoprint
In these last two the bird is the stencil not a drawing.
Finally this month – RIP Judy Bright, a colleague from my working days. I last saw her in the summer, she was at the Ropewalk buying this piece for her husband who walks this footpath. Rest easy.
Over Deepdale
And also RIP Betty Boothroyd. A Dewsbury lass and a fine politician
Dance in the stars
See you in March.
Jan Stead 