The evolution of a new book

Photos show the stages of creating a new mini concertina book – 'Bristol Terrace'. I started by drawing the row of colourful terrace houses above the harbour, then made a gouache painting. I scanned this to create digital artwork, which was then printed (3 up on an SRA3 sheet) by printed.com. After chopping the pages down and folding the concertinas, I made covers in four different colourways and then bound the books. After trying a few different options, I finally decided upon plain grey endpapers… my preference is for patterned endpapers but everything I tried distracted from the houses. Also in the production line are some smart wooden bases for these books to stand on… to be unveiled at BABE (Bristol Artists' Book Event) at the Arnolfini on 1 and 2 April, and then available in my online shop soon after.

Sketchbook glimpses

Since June last year I've been keeping a regular sketchbook - I've enjoyed working on a small scale (A6) and without the intention of anything being preparatory. Quite liberating, and the first time I've done this since before I started my MA in 2011. When left to my own devices, I revert to pattern and collage, and it's been fun to start painting again. Some pages above from the past few weeks...

B & C

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

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

Vegetable Guidance (2.0)

Working on a second edition of my book 'Vegetable Guidance' - new illustrations of collaged monoprints and freshened up typography. 

New year, new sketchbook

And a chance to try out my new Chromacolour paints...

Season's Greetings

Have been a little quiet posting on here recently, but will dust off my blogging trousers again in the new year. In the meantime, wishing you a very happy Christmas and a sparkly 2017!

Late to the party

Notoriously slow in engaging with social media, I've finally got round to posting on instagram. You can follow me @corinne_welch_

A new collaboration

The first illustration for a collaboration with Swedish book artist Eva Hejdstrom - exchanging English and Swedish words. A is for Angulate: to hold, bend or distort a part of the body so as to form angles. Dremelled rubber stamps with black pen. 

At long last...

The collaborative cracker book project with the Artist's Book Club at UWE is finally complete. All packaged up and ready to distribute to the participants. Looking on the bright side, it's taken so long that it's seasonal all over again! 

Launching today...

… a new shop in Westbury-on-Trym - We Make Bristol. Featuring the work of local artists and designers (including some of my books and cards). Worth checking out for some early Christmas shopping.

Keeping it local

Have been trimming and binding a new book of line drawings of my local shops (Westbury-on-Trym in Bristol). All ready for its launch tomorrow in a brand new shop - We Make Bristol - on the very same High Street. The shop will feature work of local artists and designers (including some of my books and cards)… do pop along and check it out if you're in the area.

hot off the press

A new set of printed cards made from scans of collages...

Taking a leaf out of a (digital) book

Trimming and binding 40 copies of a digitally printed version of the very first book I made back in 2012 - Autumn Leaves. I used scans of the original carved rubbers, stamped in black and then coloured in Illustrator. Card covers with a title block cut away with my trusty Sizzix machine. Top notch printing job by printed.com - printed as A3 flat sheets on Acquerello paper.

Published Primitive Printmaking

Really chuffed to have some of my prints featured in Stephen Fowler’s wonderful new book ‘Rubber Stamping’. The found object and plasticine prints were created on Stephen’s Primitive Printmaking summer school course at UWE in 2014, and it’s very exciting to see them included in the book. I may be biased but I can highly recommend getting hold of a copy - it’s absolutely jam packed with unusual project ideas and inspiration for all kinds of low tech printmaking. As Stephen explained in an interview with Sarah Bodman in the latest issue of ‘Printmaking Today’: “(the book is) very much in the spirit of ‘60s and ‘70′s Batsford art books - to share an open recipe rather than say ‘you have to do it this way’. It’s about inspiring people with examples and letting them think how they will use the process; it’s a beginning of something rather than an end.”

Rubber stamping free-for-all

Spent a very enjoyable Saturday afternoon helping out at Stephen Fowler’s drop-in rubber stamp workshop at the Arnolfini in Bristol. It was busy all afternoon, and by 5 o’clock two huge paper-covered walls were decorated with an array of beautiful stamps. Really inspiring to see everyone’s work and the excitement it generated - the instant gratification of rubber stamps seems to appeal to all ages.

sketchbook collages

Using up every last offcut of roller printing

Gelli on the (printing) plate

After buying a Gelli plate a couple of years ago, I finally got around to finding some time to have a play with it. The warm weather meant that acrylic paints were drying too quickly, so I used my Caligo relief inks with extender instead. Results were mixed - knowing when to stop seems to be the key… one layer too many and the whole print is ruined. As with everything in life, the prints were improved with a dash of fluorescent pink ink on the final layer. Trimming down the prints, I was left with a pile of colourful strips. Turns out these are excellent collage material (and I prefer them to the actual prints). So I now have a stash of colourful papers - some will definitely benefit from some rubber stamped additions. As long as I know when to stop...

Tobacco art at the Tobacco Factory

Luke Carter - Lethal Trade

Olivia Jones - Demolition

Charlotte Biszewski

The ‘Set in Stone’ exhibition opened at the Tobacco Factory in Bristol yesterday evening - open until 27 September, so pop along for a nicotine- themed cornucopia of art. Great to see what everyone had produced - more highlights to be featured later this month - and many thanks to Charlotte Biszewski for organising the project and expertly curating the exhibition. 

Revisiting roller prints

Chopping, folding and stamping onto roller prints (from a workshop with Stephen Fowler a couple of years ago). I can feel a series of these coming on as I have a large pile of roller prints languishing in my plan chest - they may finally have a purpose!

Coming soon…

'Set in Stone' exhibition opening at the Tobacco Factory in Bristol from next thursday evening (date on poster slightly wrong - should be 4 August - 27 September).