Experimenting with Gouache

I've recently been looking at some beautiful paintings in gouache and was inspired to give it a go. None of these little experiments achieve what I set out to do but it is an interesting exercise to paint the same subject over and over again. This is the medieval tower behind the wall at the top of our garden.

I'm not ready to give up yet!

Cyclamen Relief Print

Cyclamen Relief Print 15 x 17 cm

I'm going to stop being a snob about art materials. I recently bought some Japanese Relief Printing Vinyl from Intaglio Printmaker in London but was really expecting it not to be as good as traditional lino. I thought it would probably look like a rubber stamp. Guess what? It cut like butter. I was able to make much finer and sharper marks than I can in lino. My tools kept their edge. It took the oil-based etching ink like a dream. Finally, I was able to run it through the etching press without using tracks. It prints the ink as smooth as velvet. I guess you can tell I'm sold. Now I need a purist to tell me if I can still call this a lino print.

Japanese relief printing vinyl - double sided.

The vinyl block has a black core which makes it very easy to see the progress of the cutting.

Printed on Magnani paper

Print with model

We've had three pots of cyclamen miraculously blooming on our kitchen windowsill right through winter. The windowsill never gets any sun. Nothing else wants to live there. As Spring arrived so did a pigeon that proceeded to decapitate every single bloom on the red cyclamen. We removed it. The pigeon started on the pink flowers. He/she seemed just to be dropping the blooms on the ground two storeys below. Then I started finding them under the building opposite where the pigeons roost in the roof. I still don't know if the flowers were being used in a courting ritual, for nest decoration, food or whether it is a wilful act of vandalism. Does anyone know?

We gave in finally and moved the surviving plants to the garden terrace where I sketched them for the relief print.

White Line Duck Print

Eggs Get Broken - Even in Tuscany
White line woodcut printed in watercolour 20 x 25cm

I was recently photographing ducks at our friends, Jean & Aziz's olive farm near Cortona which inspired this woodcut print. I have a thing for ducks with their beautiful shining white feathers and pale blue eggs.

The Woodblock painted with watercolour prior to printing.
Edition limited to 1 print only

Detail of print with pattern embossed by the etching press.

Detail of Tuscan landscape with duckweed

Ducks are much on my mind today because I was reading the sweet but sad story of Jeanette Jobson's favourite duck, Buddy. You can find photos and the legend of Buddy's life here on Janette's blog.