Wish I was where?

From Eva Hejdstrom

From Cathey Webb

As part of the Collage Colloquium in August (see details in previous post), participants were asked to create a collage postcard to send on the them of ‘Wish I was where?’ I decided to use some of my treasured stash of letrafilm from my friend Eva to create an image of where I’d like to be camping this summer. Actually I’d like to be camping anywhere this summer, but a combination of Corona virus and the practicalities of an increasingly elderly dog have meant that I’ve had to forego the joys of sleeping under canvas this year. But had I been able to go, this would be as good a spot as any. Based loosely on a lovely campsite I once stayed at in Eype in South Devon, on the South West coast path overlooking West Bay. Not sure the sea was ever that blue, and the beach certainly isn’t that sandy, but that’s the beauty of the artistic license of collage. To make the most of the semi-transparent nature of the letrafilm, I punched out a hole for the sun, which then lights up when held up to the real-life sun.

I received two lovely collage postcards as part of this collaborative project - one of Gotland in Sweden from Eva, and also a gorgeous boat from Cathey Webb. Both propped up in my studio to make me think wistfully of alternative places to be spending this stay-at-home summer.

Word binding

Finally found time to create my illustration for the Word Binding book for ABC at UWE to illustrate the poem written by Beth Claverley (@poetrymachine on Instagram) at a zoom workshop back in April. All participants were allocated a few lines to illustrate. I was given:

It’s important, somehow,
that these thoughts aren’t picked
but found, pressed to the ground.
Moments that others might just walk past.

I decided to keep it simple, and incorporate some typewritten words from the poem as a nod to the orginal way it was written… I used rubber stamp, image transfer and typewritten collage. I look forward to seeing all of the other illustrations brought together into a book. The sketch shown above was done during the zoom workshop.

My miniature art gallery

The original pack of paper scraps supplied by Yvonne Foster

The leftovers

Welcome to #myminiatureartgallery - a tiny exhibition of tiny collages made from paper scraps generously provided by @yvonnejfoster ... I really enjoyed making these - working on a small scale and with (my own) limited rules:

1. use only scraps provided
2. they all must be 4cm square
3. each one to include two words (some more random than others)

What I found interesting was that I was more pleased with the final few collages made with dwindling supplies - I think limited resources make choices easier and focus the mind. The bottom picture shows what’s left - tempting to see if I can squeeze one final collage out of them! Many thanks again Yvonne for setting up this project...

The wonders of Alpha-set

Brief one: create a poster with a message and display it (this formed part of my window display for VE Day 75th anniversary celebrations in my street)

Brief two: create an elaborate letterform from the modular stamps

Brief three: use the set to create repeat patterns (work in progress)

Brief three: use the set to create repeat patterns (back in my comfort zone!)

Brief four: create something to send to another Alphaset artist as an exchange

An abstract concertina book of overprinted patterns

I started off including stitching but then realised that I preferred the simplicity of the punched dotted lines

The brief encouraged you to also use the Alpha-set for the packaging

Proof of postage!

Lockdown just got a whole lot more fun with the delivery of an Alpha-set from @will.mower ... it prints an absolute treat - lovely texture, and so many possibilities.

Will set a series of four briefs for those of us who’ve bought an Alpha-set, and my responses are shown above. A really fun way to kickstart using the set and amazing to see so many different responses posted on Instagram (#alpha-set and #alpha-set).

I got up...

I got up at 5.02am in Coombe Dingle in Bristol. My contribution to the MiniBABE collaborative tribute to On Kawara. People all over the world document the time and place they got up on thursday 7 May. If it wasn’t for Lockdown, this would have been my first morning waking up in Sweden, but it’s still a lovely start to the morning sat on my balcony (before most sensible people wake up). Suffice it to say, I am a lark rather than an owl! More info on the project at arnolfini.org.uk or look on Instagram and Twitter for #igotuparnolfini

And number three...

Another instalment in the ABC Exquisite Sketchbook project. Started beautifully by Charlotte Biszewski with marbled covers and architectural prints, I decided to use collage of some extra marbled paper she sent as a note and also use some architectural stamps from my Stampville set. It arrived unbound so I tried out a Coptic binding which alters the order of the pages. Really fun to work on, looking forward to the next book arriving any day now...

The second sketchbook

Second book in the ABC exquisite sketchbook collaboration…. an entirely different beast from the first one! Really fun to respond to what Elizabeth Tomos had already done. Decided to embrace the unusual folded shape and rebind it with a hardback cover. Remembered why I have lots of black bookcloth left over - it picks up every tiny speck of dust. Enjoyed working with a limited colour palette and a good excuse for some rubber stamping. And I don’t need much persuasion to use neon pink (child of the 80s). This is now on its way to Scotland for the next stage of its transformation...

A new collaboration

Stage one of the ABC Exquisite Book project... we start with a basic A6 sketchbook each then make some interventions before sending onto the next person. I stuck with a theme of circles and rebound the book with a hard cover. Tricky to know when to stop but quite nice not having a final endpoint in mind.

And finally – Z is for...

Zebralagen, a Swedish word meaning the law that vehicles must stop for people at pedestrian crossings. The final rubber stamp illustration for my Anglo-Swedish exchange of words with Eva Hejdstrom. 26 illustrations over 33 months - I feel both elated and a little bit sad to have finally reached the end of the alphabet. I like the fact that both of our final illustrations aptly contain the word ‘stop’. Although we have plans to make a limited edition book to document the collaboration, so I’m pleased to say it’s not quite over yet...

I is for illumine

The latest rubber stamp illustration in my collaboration with Eva Hejdstrom, exchanging Swedish and English words. I is for illumine, meaning to light up. Inspired by my early evening dark dog walks now the clocks have gone back. 

H is for Hovra

The latest rubber stamp illustration in my collaboration with Swedish artist Eva Hejdström: H is for Hovra (Swedish 'to float'). The orange is stamped with neon ink, but unfortunately looks very flat when photographed. 

G is for Gluttony

The latest rubber stamp illustration in my collaboration with Swedish artist Eva Hejdström: G is for Gluttony (the act or habit of eating too much or being greedy).

F is for Farggläd

The latest rubber stamp illustration in my collaboration with Swedish artist Eva Hejdström: F is for Farggläd (Swedish for colourful).

B & C

C is for COCK-A-HOOP (extremely and obviously pleased)

The latest illustrations in my collaboration with Swedish book artist Eva Hejdström.

Set in Stone

My chosen litho plate which I scanned to print acetates to create photo-polymer stamps.

Embossed book cloth for the front cover - the shape will be filled with a metallic print of the star motif (shown in the next photo).

Gold foil heat transfer – laser printing black ink onto black paper and then running it through a laminator with the foil.

After a fruitless search for just the right green paper for a bellyband (to match the tobacco tin in which the book will sit) I decided to mix and roller my own colour. 

Belly bands printed with a photo-polymer stamp of the company name and a metallic heat transfer foil for the seal on the back.

The fiddly job of folding, cutting and sticking 150 rizla papers...

 … into a flag book structure.

Set in Stone

Deep in the heart of the M-shed stores in Bristol, over 70 lithographic stones have been stored, gathering layers of dust. These stones, discovered in the blitzed basement of the Mardons printing house, were once used to mass-produce labels of W.D and H.O Wills tobacco, whose products included Golden Virginia and Players Navy Cut.

‘Set in Stone’ is a collaborative project run by Charlotte Biszewski, who has worked with Stephanie Turnbull to transfer the images on the stones onto lithographic plates in order for them to be a starting point for various Bristol artists to create new work. It will culminate in an exhibition, appropriately, at the Tobacco Factory in August - more details to follow soon.

As soon as I heard about this project I was really keen to be involved. Following on from my MA studies, I’m really interested in the idea of taking printed ephemera from the past and preserving it through re-invention. When I picked up my litho plate back in May, I was thinking that this would be a good opportunity to create something non-book for a change, but as I mulled over the potential of the imagery I started thinking of traditional embossed bookcloth, patterned endpapers and creating something that could be contained within a tobacco tin. So that will be a book then.

Pictured here are some photos from the production process, which involved creating photo-polymer stamps, heat transfer foil blocking, embossed book cloth and Hedi Kyle’s flag book structure using Rizla papers. Truly tobacco-tastic!