Additional photos of AnSo Live Screenprinting and Exhibition, Dundee

 

Screenprints from AnSo Live Screenprinting event

The Analogue Social Live Screenprinting Event in Dundee seems like a long time ago, so it was a lovely treat today to be given a batch of prints that we made back in August, which had been in the exhibition following the live event.

The selection included some prints that consisted of both my circular and rectangular image,

some prints that had my circular image and a rectangular image by another of the artists

and some prints that had my rectangular image and a circular image by another of the artists.

The other artists screenprinting were: Nils Aksnes, Nikki McWilliams, Petra Scherer, Ross McAuley and Michael Corr.

Saturday 31st August - casting continues

Since my last batch of casts did not set properly, I have been slightly set back from my intended production schedule.

I spent today producing some new moulds, and then creating another batch of 'object paintings'. Hopefully these will set in time!

 Base layer of plaster in the new moulds

I also coated the surface of the other 'object paintings' that I intend to exhibit with diluted polymer. I wiped this on rather than brushing it on as I don't want any brush marks showing.

 'Object paintings' drying once they have been coated with the polymer dilution

There are a few reasons why I am coating the surface with the diluted polymer:

- the surface develops a slight sheen which then emphasises the texture of the mould
- the surface becomes stronger and does not scratch as easily
- the surface becomes waterproof
- the colours retain their vibrancy and tone (as opposed to fading)
 

'Object paintings' drying once they have been coated with the polymer dilution 

As is usually the case before an exhibition, my studio is rather full, and it is getting more difficult to find places to leave work to dry. I certainly need to be careful when walking around the studio.
 

Analogue Social Live Screen Printing Event and Exhibition

Tonight I took part in the AnalogueSocial Live Screen Printing event at Meadow Mill Projects in Dundee.

It was a really fun and creative evening, with six different artists printing their own 2-screen designs, and also doing a combination of prints mixing their own designs with one other design from another artist.

The work is now exhibited at Meadow Mill Projects, Dundee for a couple of weeks.

I will post more photos later, but here are a few to given an indication of the evening.

  AnalogueSocial live Screen Printing event in Dundee 

  AnalogueSocial live Screen Printing event in Dundee 

 AnalogueSocial live Screen Printing event in Dundee 

 AnalogueSocial live Screen Printing event in Dundee

My thanks go to all those involved with Analogue Social (Craig, Nils, James, David, Rosie, Alex, Christina to name but a few), and to Wasps who funded the event.

Troublesome Thursday

I've come across a few technical problems today.

When removing the most recent casts from their moulds, I noticed that a couple of batches of coloured plaster have not set properly, and so they would not be of good enough quality to exhibit.

Unfortunately, the pale beige colour is one of the dodgy mixtures, and I included this colour in most of the casts made this week.

I have opened up most of the moulds that I have been able to, and hope that they will dry out now that they are exposed to the air. If the plaster sets as it should, then it will be a huge relief!

Otherwise, I will have to carry on making more casts this weekend in order to have enough to install in the exhibition next Wednesday. I had planned to spend the weekend tidying up the edges, coating the casts in polymer and attaching the hanging fixtures to the work, ready to be packed next week. However, this may be delayed if I need to be doing more casting.

 Casts drying out

 These are a few of the casts that could fully be removed from the moulds. Unfortunately the dark teal front layer of the cast (far left) separated from the other layers, and so can't be included in the exhibition

These fragments came off the edges of the cast with the dark teal front layer

Wednesday 28th August

Today I added more layers to the ongoing casts, and took a couple of casts out of their moulds.

Tuesday 27th August

Today I tested out different concentrations of polymer : water to cover the casts. Although I have added polymer into the plaster, I want to add an extra layer of diluted polymer so that the works will be stronger, the surface will be protected, the colours will retain their vibrancy, and to enhance the sheen on the surface.

 I tested the different dilutions on this scrap sheet of plaster

The stronger the polymer concentrations, the more it seemed like an added layer, and it also became cracked, so I will use a more diluted version.

 This image shows where the polymer has cracked

I also began a new batch of casts, and these are some of the colours I used.

Colours of plaster mixed today

A happy accident...

Sometimes some of the best work comes from accidents or mistakes. Accidents and mistakes often happen at the worst of times (such as just before an exhibition), and although they are stressful at the time, they can actually help take the work in a new direction and open up more possibilities and ideas.

I came across a problem today as one of my batches of casts has completely dried out and some of the layers have separated from each other.

The top layer separated from the other layers, leaving this kind of frame.

Ongoing work arising from a happy accident!

Ongoing work arising from a happy accident!

Ongoing work arising from a happy accident!

Paintings are often displayed in frames, but in this case the frame / edge becomes the work!

This is something I want to work my with - perhaps creating large scale versions, rather like doors. At the moment I am busy getting ready for the exhibition in Motherwell which I am hanging on Wednesday, and so I will need to store the idea until an appropriate time.

SCP design shop, London

I have just spent a few days in London, and as I walked around the city I was constantly lured into shops with their beautiful window displays.

Needless to say that I have taken many photos as inspiration, and will periodically post some photos.

These images are from SCP, the Design Shop.

                                                                                                                                                                                

Visual research photos from trip to London

London has a vast array of shops with beautiful window displays, design products and homeware. I spend many a happy hour admiring these sights, and draw inspiration from them.

Here are a selection of such images from my London trip.

visual research from trip to London - St Pancras Station

visual research from trip to London - Portobello Road

visual research from trip to London - Portobello Road

visual research from trip to London 

visual research from trip to London - French Connection Homeware

visual research from trip to London- French Connection Homeware

visual research from trip to London- French Connection Homeware

visual research from trip to London - French Connection Homeware

visual research from trip to London - French Connection Homeware

visual research from trip to London- French Connection Homeware

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The Conran shop

visual research from trip to London - The British Museum

visual research from trip to London 

visual research from trip to London - The Twinings shop

visual research from trip to London - The Twinings shop

visual research from trip to London - The Twinings shop