The ripple watchers

Based on a sketch from a previous post, I was convinced that this MC Escher-style positive-negative trick could improve and that a linocut could be the perfect medium. Also not giving the game away entirely with the name was a good move, so I came up with a less literal title. See http://petergander.blogspot.com/2009/09/fishermens-thoughts-090908.html for the original idea. The fish shape has been simplified down to its bare essentials now it's in negative. Linocut with water-based ink on newsprint, (artist's proof).

Self-eating fish

Well I wish I could say this latest piscatorial artpiece was inspired by a certain myth but I must admit that I just felt like putting a mental image to paper! Having said that, there probably is such a legend out there, do let me know! Winsor & Newton white ink on black sketchpad.

Jigsaw monoprint: Man with dogs

As the name implies, the monoprint (monotype) this time is made of easily-cut foamboard, cut up into each coloured part and re-assembled after inking before burnishing a print. Thus, the tree is cut out seperately, inked up, put back and this stage is repeated for each colour.Once all the pieces of foamboard are all in place, the paper is laid on top and pressed by hand on the reverse to make a print. Note that the dog cut-out has been re-used. The tower block windows and tracks at the base of the piece were made by pattern relief rollers. The clouds by a piece of string glued onto a block pressed into the soft foam. The grass is made by scratching with fingernails. A very 'hands-on piece' this one! Looks rather Eastern European, don't you think? Russian even, perhaps.

Dove and oval field, 1940s-style

After immersing myself up to my waist in books on the works of some of our great British linocut artists of the past such as Geoffrey Wales, Edward Bawden, Ravilious and their contemporaries, I wanted to follow in their footsteps. Employing a harmonious 50/50 'black' and white coverage of colour, the print is rich in textures and mark-making. I ran off a proof and used the handy technique of painting with a correction pen those areas which still needed some work, to test it before a final carving.

Onto a Big One

Well, we can all fantasise! This sketched image fits in with an unpublished short piece of fiction I have written recently. I hope to report more later if the story has any success. Black Biro and white Conté pencil on brown envelope.

Artist at Royal Academy bus stop, London

This Jack Hargreaves look-a-like was spotted outside London’s Royal Academy. With that hat and his general garb, I reckon he’s a dead cert for an artist himself, and I’d wager that he was in the RA looking for inspiration, as he had an RA bag and poster tube. Painted freehand sketch from photographic reference in Quink ink (number 6 round brush) on Khadi 210gsm rough sketchpad.

France, La Conciergerie room

The scan doesn't really do the piece justice, but this is a sketch of the morning sunshine coming into the bedroom at my brother's holiday let in France, 'La Conciergerie', in Meritein near Navarrenx, SW France. White and sanguine Daler Rowney Sketching pencils Pencil on D/R black sketchbook.

Linoprint: '2010'

My fiancée Fiona is a photographer and one of the marvellous things she does is produce 'Family mosaic photos', huge prints containing a combination of old and new photographs in one place. We have one of our family here:
Note the date lies in the bottom corner and it is for this dating purpose that I have cut a new linoprint for this year. Just for fun, I've included a couple of icons of 2010 (I know, it's barely begun) that mean something at least to us UK residents. The sharp-eyed will see the door to number 10 Downing Street next to the number 1 and the Eyjafjallajökull volcano inside the zeros. Water-based ink on 96gsm cartridge.

Monoprint: Blue fish 100513

Back to the lighter side of things with this foamboard print of a fish. The foamboard was cut into its respective areas of separate colour, jigsaw-style and each piece inked then slotted back into 'the bigger picture'. The foam lends a lovely dotted texture. Because it is also soft, impressions are easily made. For instance, the scales were made by pressing the back of my fingernail into the foamboard and the wavy water lines by the sharper edge of my nails. Although strictly speaking, this is a 'monoprint', I did produce some more copies with different colours, but this, the first one, is my favourite, using a restricted, but harmonious, palette of colours.

Monoprint: Nude back 100505

A far more appealing print this time, I was pleased with the timelessness in this one. It feels quite 'Paris of the 1890s' ;)

Monoprint: Ghost girl 100505

This wasn't intended to look quite so spooky or disturbing, it just came out that way. Don’t have nightmares ;)

Monoprint: Brown trout 100505

A less whimsical fish portrait this time, this 'dark tone monoprint' came out exceptionally well. The ink is rubbed away from the plate for the lighter areas with a damp cloth or scratched away with tools and ink is also added directly for newer dark areas. Once the paper is registered over the print, it is rubbed down, or 'burnished' to pick up the ink fully. My fingerprints can be seen on the lower right where I had touched the edges of the plate. But using artistic licence, I will pretend they are riverbed pebbles :)

Monoprint: Fish 100501

Another piscatorial monoprint, this time in just black.

Monoprint: Fish 100428

Fishing and fine art, that’s a fine combination. Speaking of fishing, Fiona and I are off to the south-west Basque area of France (Navarrenx) at the weekend to visit my brother’s place for a spot of fishing, food and wine and sketching too, if there’s time. Can’t wait ;)

Monoprint: Correction fluid bottle 100428

Monoprint: Walking boot 100428

Monoprint: Sarah portrait 100428

Koi ghost

A stylised white ink brush painting of a Japanese koi carp. Wave detail is Conté sanguine pencil.