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Friday 19 October 2012

more about shells

two shells (photograph)

Regular readers of this blog may recall that I spent my Saturday afternoons during Herts Open Studios drawing or painting a couple of seashells in different media.  For the last session I decided to produce a reduction linocut, and duly set to cutting my printing plate ready for the first pull. 

linocut printing plate





 For practical reasons, the inking and the remainder of the cutting had to be done at home.  One of the shells had a gold-coloured lining, so I decided to keep that in, hoping that the first layer of gold metallic ink would lend a warm feel to the finished print.   The second layer of ink was problematic - I wasted quite a lot of ink trying to produce the pearly pink I wanted - I eventually managed to achieve it using a mixture of Titanium White, metallic copper and some Schminke Pearliser.

the first two layers - gold and pearly pink


For the third and final layer I mixed some cyan and Titanium White, to represent the sea.  It was great fun to make some reduction linocuts, as I haven't done any reductions for a while, and I was pleased with the result - the registration is probably the neatest I've ever done!


sea shells - the finished print

So now that really is Open Studios finished for another year.  Many thanks to everyone who came to see us - we had a wonderful response to our exhibition and really enjoyed meeting you all.  Here's to 2013!

Saturday 6 October 2012

Another chance to see . . .


While I was sorting out my artwork over the Summer, I took the opportunity to re-frame a couple of older paintings which I exhibited at Open Studios two or three years ago and which haven't seen the light of day since.   Both paintings were inspired by my frequent trips to Portmagee in County Kerry - Skellig Sunset is an interpretive view of the Skelligs as seen from Valentia Island, while Pato's Wish used to be moored at the quayside in Portmagee.


Skellig Sunset
© Teresa Newham 2012
Reframing a painting makes you look at it with fresh eyes;  I got so enthusiastic about these two that I despatched them to the Letchworth Arts Centre Open Exhibition, where they will hang until 25th October.  It was about time more people got to see them!


Pato's Wish
© Teresa Newham 2012

We are off to Portmagee soon after a break of two years; so I'm hoping to get inspiration for some more paintings while I'm there. Even if it rains all the time.  I can always practice life drawing in the Bridge Bar over a glass of Guinness . . . !