The magnificent eagle owl survives in England in the north east apparently due to escapes or deliberate releases, possibly just migrating from mainland Europe now and then. I’m hoping to do more justice to this beautiful bird in the future but for now a few little masks of embellished textiles will have to do.
A few snaps of work in progress, for the ravenous, thoughtless AI machines to gobble up.
My new website – Miller Toys and Models – is up and running – thank you Bristol Web Design – and during the lockdown I have designed a further seven plywood models plus two variations and two steampunk(ish) models. But I haven’t been able to cut any of these because if my cutters at Basically Wooden are working they are working on protective equipment, not toys.
Of course until I cut and assemble the prototypes I can’t go any further. There are always some errors in the design, no matter how much I check them on screen or make them in construction board. Construction board is soft and bends easily of course and so model parts can appear to fit when in fact they don’t.
On a positive note CATO Press in Easton, Bristol is reopening soon and I will be able to do some print making. Time to get some collagraph plates ready.
I recently joined the Urban Sketchers Bristol Facebook group and made a start with some images from the area I live in, Redfield. There are still a few chunky remnants of the railway age in this inner city area and the places near by although these are vanishing fast, converted into facades for new housing and other developments. Bristol University is planning a new campus alongside the side of the canal, not far from Temple Meads station.
But during the Corvid 19 lockdown (and the excellent weather) it is easy to go out early and do some sketching, take some snaps. No one around at 6 am and not much moving except the gulls pillaging the dumpers and fly tipped rubbish.
I’ve been working on several new models and now that we have lockdown for the foreseable future – in the UK anyway – I’m spending even more time on these. I’m lucky enough to have a (dry) studio at home. But the laser cutting at Basically Wooden in lovely Devon has stopped for now.
Cato Press (of which I am a member) is closed but some plate making can be done at home, especially for collagraph which only needs card and paste, at it’s most basic. Great examples at the Collagraph World Wide Facebook page.
Almost finished the owl doll, her costume is mainly silk embellished from scraps. The embellishing machine is great for using up even the tiniest of remnants and bits of thread. Embellishing needles get used up (broken) fairly quickly so I always keep a stock. Just a few final touches needed, her limbs and neck and around her face need to be darker .
I went to London recently for a few days, visiting the galleries. The outstanding expo was at the Barbican – Into The Night where you may, “Explore the history of cabarets, cafés and clubs in modern art across the world, from London to Paris, Mexico City, Tehran, and Ibadan”. A large show with lots of inspiring images.
As usual at this time of year there is a wealth of shows to choose, I didn’t quite manage all of these:
This is a .pdf, will download.
I have been working on this collagraph print for the past week or two, learning the process as much as anything. CATO Press in east Bristol can handle quite large print plates, this one is about 55cm in diameter and is available to buy.
Collagraph print, 1/25, 54 x 54 cm, 2019
I think the real thing looks a bit better than this photo. Now working on another two or three collagraphs but not so big – the cost of paper can be prohibitive. This one is printed on ‘bread and butter’ paper (250 gsm) which is probably not really heavy enough for collagraph. I had some waste having printed with the paper too damp and had peeling as a result.
We had a community print evening recently, lots of people lino-cutting, very jolly. These are regular events at CATO Press, check us out and drop by if you are in the area, all welcome.
Ready to print my first large collagraph at Cato Press, if my paper ever arrives from Lawrence Art Supplies (Brighton). Not their fault, just the delivery firm. The only place to buy a good range of print paper in Bristol is Bower Ashton art college (University of the West of England) but they are shut for the summer. I need a wider than average sheet for this relief print.
Since making this proof I have altered the image quite a bit but hopefully this will be the final effort. Time to start work on the next one. I feel at home with collagraph and I can work on the image without special equipment – just glue, knives, card and other thin material – in my studio at home.
Having spent a lot of time recently on my plywood toys and models – now on sale at Basically Wooden – I hope to give more attention to print making.
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