Printmaking Adventure

Linocut 10cmx10cm

Apart from the Flying Pictures Sketchbook Exchange, I haven't been doing a lot of sketching lately because a few weeks ago I started a three month printmaking workshop. I found a wonderful teacher, Rick Woodbury with a beautiful studio right here in Castiglion Fiorentino. I couldn't believe my luck! Then I had to wait for more than a year for Rick to fit me into a workshop. I couldn't have wished for a better opportunity as the rest of the group is made up of American university students here at the Santa Chiara School for a semester studying art and architecture. They are keeping me on my toes!

I'm going to post all my efforts from the beginning in the hope that it will be a record of my evolving skill.

First of all we tackled monoprints.

The lesson I learned from the last two prints was that if I am going to experiment, it's a good idea to experiment on proper paper. I have a tendency to over-ink my plates, so Rick suggested I make a second print from the same plate. I used a piece of scrap newsprint (notice the text) and, of course, ended up liking this second print best.

I have some more monoprints to post but I have now moved on to drypoint and hardground etching which I think better suits my desire to draw.

The little snail at the top of this post was my first effort at linocut where I've had access to a decent press. I've since made a whole series in different colours.

Casey's Book Flies Home

Detail of pen and wash watercolour sketch

Casey's Flying Pictures Sketchbook Local Colour is in the mail, on its way home to France.

This sketchbook exchange has been an extraordinary experience full of challenges and delights. Casey's is the last of the seven sketchbooks I have contributed to and now the creative part is over for me. When Casey tells me she has received her book I will post my final pages and then I will be bursting with anticipation for my book, Different Strokes to make its way home.

You can follow all the travelling sketchbooks on the Flying Pictures Blog.

Flying Pictures - Local Colour

Casey's Flying Picture Cover (right) with Vivien's 'spine'

Casey's Flying Pictures Sketchbook Local Colour has arrived in Tuscany. It is full of surprises and delights and it really made me smile.

First of all, Casey painted a front and back cover for her book, not realising just how fat these sketchbooks were going to become as two to three new pages were added by each of us taking part in the FP Sketchbook Exchange. By the time Casey's book got to Vivien it had enjoyed itself so much, as is inclined to happen when one is travelling, and that which had previously fitted, no longer fitted!

There was nothing for it but for Vivien to cut Casey's original cover in half and attach a new spine. That's it on the left in the picture above - one of Vivien's beautiful seascapes. It came with a note which I would like to share with you:

Casey - Your cover wouldn't fit any more. I hope it's ok but I've extended it for you with a bit of sea.
I've left it too long so would the last person please trim a bit off it when they know how thick the book will be? Thanks - Vivien.

Okay, 'the last person' happens to be me and if you think I'm going to cut up one of your beautiful seascapes, Vivien, you have another think coming! The way I see it, Casey's got a bonus original Vivien Blackburn!

My next smile came from what was tucked inside an envelope in Casey's cover.

The Art Fairy - Ⓒ Casey Toussaint

Isn't she delightful! I'm really tempted to keep her. This is the first book I've received with paintings by Casey - it's been worth waiting for. You can see the entire contents of Casey's beautiful book with everyone else's contributions at the Flying Pictures Blog.

What nobody has seen yet are Lindsay's beautiful oil pastels in Casey's book. I'm now going to post them on the Flying Pictures Blog HERE. She calls them Lake Michigan Sketches 2008. I call them beautiful little gems.

This is the last book in our exchange - I don't know what I'm going to paint yet - but at least I've got the Art Fairy to help me this time.

I do need to get cracking though because I'm almost mad with delight that my darling daughter and her partner are on their way from Australia to visit. I haven't seen her for almost two and a half years! Art and blogging are going to have to take a back seat for a few weeks.