Welcome to The Workhouse

 

The Workhouse, Dunstable
© Teresa Newham

I recently spent a morning at The Workhouse in Dunstable, where I had a few linocuts hanging in their Print! exhibition.  Participating artists are encouraged to take a turn in helping out at the gallery, and I had great fun refreshing and rearranging the shelves.

a variety of work on display
© Teresa Newham

It was a good opportunity to take a closer look at the art on display, and there was plenty: in addition to the various types of printmaking there were paintings, textiles, glass and jewellery, as well as ceramics, sculpture and bookbinding. 

two of my linocuts on the wall L&R
© Teresa Newham

All the pieces are carefully displayed to their advantage, and a creative use of space ensures that every corner is filled. It's a great place for browsing art, cards and gifts, and for buying everything from a pretty face mask to a large sculpture - both of which went to new homes while I was there . . .

using all available space
© Teresa Newham

The next exhibition - Landscapes & Layers - has now opened and runs until Saturday 10th July.  I'm delighted that one of my watercolours - Bog Cotton - is featured on the poster, and I'm looking forward to another morning in the gallery on Friday 9th!

the poster for the next exhibition

Field, Cross Lane

 

Field, Cross Lane
reduction linocut by Teresa Newham

I've finished the first of the two reduction linocuts I'm planning to send to the Awagami International Mini Print Exhibition in Japan this summer.  Regular readers will know that this view is a favourite of mine - I take photos of it almost every time I pass by.

refining the design
© Teresa Newham

I sketched the original design for the print back in March, using an Inktense pencil sketch and a photo from a couple of years ago for reference.  Even so, I had to edit out some detail when I transferred the image to the lino with tracing paper.

cutting techniques
© Teresa Newham

I've learnt a lot about lino cutting techniques in the last twelve months, and put many of them into practice with this print: cutting fine detail, using an aisuki chisel to remove large flat areas, and cutting around watercolour marks for a more painterly feel.

the inking was a learning process
© Teresa Newham

The inking, too, was a revelation; I reined in my natural urge to slap the colour on and rolled out my layers as thinly as I could.  Extra pressure in the right places, and a gentle application of a little more ink where necessary, produced a far more nuanced result - and the layers dried quickly on the Awagami Hosho 80gsm paper. 

one of the finished prints will go to Japan
© Teresa Newham

Closer to home, I have five pieces in The Workhouse Dunstable Print 21 exhibition,  open 10am - 3pm Wednesday - Saturday until 5th June. As I haven't shown anything at a physical exhibition since the beginning of last year, I'm looking forward to spending a morning there meeting the public on Friday 4th June!

New Year, new technique

 

my first ever Japanese woodblock print
- scope for plenty of improvement!
© Teresa Newham

As usual, Christmas took up most of my attention during December; so it was good to set aside a couple of afternoons in early January to finish cutting the blocks for my first ever Japanese woodblock print, listening to various podcasts and jotting down a few notes as I went along. 

a cosy afternoon cutting the rest of the blocks
© Teresa Newham

The thought of actually printing the blocks, however, was completely out of my comfort zone. I re-visited Laura Boswell's book and YouTube videos on the process, and carefully laid out everything I thought I'd need in what I told myself was a suitably Zen state of mind, but really it was displacement activity.

gathering everything I needed to print
© Teresa Newham

I made up a damp pack the evening beforehand;  the proofing and editioning papers are wetted with a water brush and left in damp newspaper or blotting paper overnight to absorb the right amount of moisture. Usually proofing and editioning are done in separate print sessions, but as this was an experiment I was keen to go through the whole process in one go.

first steps: mixing nori, watercolours and making trash prints
© Teresa Newham

On the big day I mixed up some watercolours in pots, and diluted some ready-made nori (rice flour paste), which is combined with the watercolour on the block to turn the paint into a print medium. I used Quinacridone Red and Cobalt Green (Yellow shade), and made a second, darker quantity of the red by adding a tiny amount of Sumi ink.

colourful blocks and a trash print to check registration
© Teresa Newham

I wetted each block  and brushed in some nori to condition it, before inking it and taking trash prints on dry scrap paper. I checked the registration by taking an impression on dry newsprint.  At this point I could have cut away some of the chatter from the blocks and adjusted the colours, but I wanted to move on to the editioning stage so I could compare results on the various washi papers.

printing proof prints and edition prints
- the damp pack is inside the John Lewis bag
© Teresa Newham

The prints dried between sheets of blotting paper under a weight for a few days before I assessed them. I'd forgotten Laura's advice that in Japanese Woodblock, less is more; I'd used too much nori and ink, which has affected the colours and - along with the chatter - made the prints messy.  But that's the thing with multi block printing - I can clear out that chatter and have another go!

final prints on three different washi papers from the Awagami factory
© Teresa Newham

All the Fun of the Fair

the stable block at Childwickbury Manor
© Teresa Newham

The first weekend of July means only one thing to art lovers around here: the Childwickbury Arts Fair! This year it was magnificent as always. Blessed by excellent weather on the Friday, we spent a happy few hours taking a good look round and speaking to as many people as we could.

artists' demos in the painting tent
© Teresa Newham

First stop the painting tent - a huge marquee with a dozen artists showing and demonstrating their work. Those in the photos are (clockwise from top left) Penny German, Tina Balmer, Jenny Wheatley and Ali Yanya.  It's a lovely environment in which to chat to people about their work.

a variety of arts and crafts behind the stable block
© Teresa Newham

Behind the stable block we found more painters, ceramicists, woodworkers and a variety of crafts.  Many of those exhibiting are regulars - it was great to catch up with them again. The montage above shows work by Anne Barrell and the Eeles Pottery, Vince King wood carving and Oli Fowler screen printing.

 inside the stable block - glass artists & printmaker Laura Boswell
© Teresa Newham

The stable block itself housed nearly thirty artists specialising in everything from jewellery to candles.  The glass artists were here -  Opal Seabrook, Siddy Langley (top L & R) and Karen Davies (bottom L). Across the stable yard in the main printmaker's area we talked with Laura Boswell and Tom Mitchell.

some of the printmakers and their kit
© Teresa Newham

The organisers at Childwickbury take great care to ensure that everything is just right, with eye-catching, colourful and quirky corners, and plenty of space for visitors to chill out in while they eat their lunch or take a rest in the shade.  It's a great day out - put it in your diary for next year!

touches of colour everywhere
© Teresa Newham

NB if you can't wait until next Summer, don't forget the Childwickbury Christmas Market on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th November 2019 😉

hail and arty

storms approaching Kimpton
© Teresa Newham

Given that the annual Kimpton Festival often takes place in a heatwave, it was something of a shock to spot such dramatic clouds as we drove over to take a look at this year's Art Show on the Bank Holiday Saturday at the beginning of May.

inside the parish church of SS Peter & Paul
© Teresa Newham

We arrived in a hailstorm, and made our way quickly into the church, where the exhibition had been set up in and around the pews as usual. The weather might have been cold and damp, but the welcome was warm . . .

poppy paintings to remember the dead of the two World Wars
© Teresa Newham

Every nook and cranny of the church had been used to good effect, with suitable unframed paintings and prints laid out on appropriate pews and benches, such as in front of the plaque commemorating those who had fallen in World War I and II.

plenty of pottery: ceramics by Kay Stratford
© Teresa Newham

I spotted some lovely ceramics, including these jars and animals by Kay Stratford on a sill in front of a stained glass window, and a selection of Opal Seabrook's funky glass creations contrasting with the solemnity of one of the side altars.

glass with a twist: Starburst Glass by Opal Seabrook
© Teresa Newham

My own exhibits were shown to good effect on a panel near the main altar.  I'd entered three watercolours and a linocut print of Clementine the chicken. I was delighted to learn later on that someone loved her enough to buy her.

my exhibits near the altar
© Teresa Newham

As we continued round the church, we came to a series of browsers positioned at the very front, to enable visitors to look at all the contents with ease.  There were plenty of people taking their time over the art - nobody was keen to venture back outside.

browsers galore at the front of the church
© Teresa Newham

We were serenaded by live music as we crossed to the far set of browsers - an excellent folk guitarist, with other musical delights scheduled throughout the afternoon.  Again, some lively pieces had been placed in the pews to make a colourful display.

colourful images laid out along the pews
© Teresa Newham

Finally we decided to brave the brief walk across to the Dacre Rooms for a cup of tea.  Outside, the weather was doing its best to convince us that it was really Spring, but, wrapped up in our waterproofs and scarves, we knew better!

the weather pretending it's a balmy Spring day
© Teresa Newham

From the archive drawer

three quirky images of County Kerry
© Teresa Newham

Recently I've re-organised the storage of my linocuts and photos, creating something of an archive in the process. It's been a useful and interesting exercise - not to mention an excellent displacement activity for artists' block - as well as a trip down memory lane.

early experiments with printmaking
© Teresa Newham

I'd forgotten the obsession with water and reflections which characterised some of my first attempts to move beyond taking holiday snaps; together with my love of quirky shots, water is still one of my favourite subjects.

obsessed by water
© Teresa Newham

My early linocuts were almost all reductions - ambitious, but I was swept away by my enthusiasm for the exciting medium I'd just discovered.  Looking back, I'm quite pleased with the results, although at the time I didn't think much of them, longing to run before I could walk.

a liking for squares
© Teresa Newham

If I took several photos of something, chances were I'd put them together in some kind of collection.  Who knew the centres of tulips could be so fascinating? or close-ups of seaweed? or different versions of the same shot, played about with?

multiple madness
© Teresa Newham

The linocuts in the archive drawer may be deceptive: often the archived version is a poor representative, the only one in the edition not good enough to sell. How I wish I'd kept some of the better ones back . . .

some not so perfect bird prints
© Teresa Newham

There are some treasures, though; happy memories and examples of photos and prints which were extremely popular in their time.  The ones shown here are all at least six years old, and it's good to see them get an airing again!

more of my most popular photos
© Teresa Newham

Another day, another demo

Kurbits II
reduction linocut by Teresa Newham

The bunting has been packed away for another year and the dining room has resumed its' usual function.  #HertsOpenStudios 2018 is over!  Sue and I have had more than eighty visitors during the last three weeks, many of whom have been kind enough to share their own artistic adventures and aspirations with us, and allowed us to share our own experiences with them.

me, preparing to print - Sue's paintings in the background
Photo © Sue Wookey

I've been working on a design for a traditional Swedish kurbits -  we're putting on Sondheim's  A Little Night Music shortly, and as the show is set in Sweden I thought the prints might be suitable for  raffle prizes.  The Swedish artist Viveca Lammers has made an interesting YouTube video on the story of the kurbits and one on how to draw your own version.  I was entranced both by the design and by the music in the videos!

my take on a traditional Swedish design . . .
© Teresa Newham

The smaller version was a straightforward cut, which I printed between sessions, adding the gold embellishment by hand. Cutting the larger reduction version turned out to be a meditative process, as several of our visitors remarked; again, I printed this behind the scenes, as I couldn't run the risk of being interrupted.  An Open Studios demo has to be something which can be set aside at any moment, quite possibly for a long time.

Adding the gold to Kurbits I
© Teresa Newham

Meanwhile Sue was painting some much admired watercolours at the other end of the table, some out of her head and some based on memories of holidays in County Kerry.  On the final Saturday I did print 'live', making some of last years Christmas cards to sell at church.  Well, it was the feast day of the archangels St.Michael, St.Gabriel and St.Raphael, after all!

Sue demonstrating watercolour while I print up Christmas cards
© Teresa Newham

* A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim is a PBGS production and will run from 10th - 13th October at the Queen Mother Theatre in Hitchin.  For further information or to book tickets click here.

Meadow Cranesbill

Meadow Cranesbill
linocut by Teresa Newham

Taking a walk one bright May afternoon I spotted some pink flowers amongst a patch of nettles.   They were intertwined so closely that I did a double take, recalling that nettle flowers are blue and grow in spikes.  Sure enough, the pink flowers had their own leaves, which looked familiar.

peeping through the nettles
© Teresa Newham

A little Googling and a look in my own garden confirmed that this pretty flower is Meadow Cranesbill, a relative of the geranium (that's a true geranium, not the cheerful red perlargoniums we tend to think of as geraniums).

sorting out the design
© Teresa Newham

A couple of months later I put a design together based on my photographs from that afternoon and traced it onto some softcut lino.  I had to be careful not to smudge the pencil while I was making the intricate cut.

the cut
© Teresa Newham

My first attempt at mixing a suitable shade of ink was so subtle that it barely showed on the paper.  As I wanted the linocut to reflect the impact the flowers had on me when I saw them,  I decided to match the colour of the veins on the petals.

mixing the ink
© Teresa Newham

Eventually I had a dozen prints pegged to my makeshift drying rack - ready just in time for  #HertsOpenStudios.  I'd better make sure I get it into a frame before 8th September!

#HertsOpenStudios runs from 8th - 30th September.  I'll be sharing my studio with fellow artist Sue Wookey. Details of our opening times are shown on the side panel of this blog. Visit the Herts Visual Arts website for the full county-wide programme.

drying the prints
© Teresa Newham