Monthly Inspiration

One of my resolutions resolutions this year to keep myself inspired and challenge my abilities is to learn a creative skill every month. Instead of just watching you tube tutorials or making it up as I go which I would normally do, I have decided to be more social with this resolution and go to classes! Equally as important, to invest in the arts I shall PAY for the skills! I can't expect people to come to my workshops if I don't support the business of workshops.

So far this year I have taken classes in paper collage, mono printing, vintage hair styling and dry point etching. I made these prints above at the dry point workshop at the Forge Studios, part of the Digswell Arts Trust. I absolutely loved the dry point workshop! It really suited my illustrative style of working and I really enjoyed the hands-on process of making and preparing the plate.
The next classes I have my eyes on are a calligraphy workshop and a letterpress printing workshop.. recommendations of other classes would be brilliant! Just leave me a comment and tell me about them :-)

Fancy Workshops

I'm running another beginners lino printing workshop in Bedford at the end of May for all you local people. Join me at Fancy where there will be stunning cakes and coffees for you to treat yourself to (or maybe act as inspiration for your prints..)

My aim is to get everyone lino printing.. in the world.. one workshop at a time! Hope to see you there!

Workshops!

I have two workshops planned this May at Mercy in Action, a gorgeous charity shop in Ampthill where I live. The workshops are very relaxed affairs and the most exciting bit.. there will be homemade tea and cake!!!! My first workshop is a beginners class where you will learn the basic skills of lino printing to create a lino tile to print onto wooden brooches, and then take home and use again and again!
Rachel Lovatt will also be repeating her successful paper collage workshop.

Half of the profits will be going towards the charity who help street children in the Phillipines and  support local artists within the community at the same time, which is where my workshops come in!

"Mercy in Action is committed to seeing those who have been abandoned, neglected, abused and forgotten helped find meaning and purpose in life. By focusing on education, shelter, friendship and encouragement, they will be set free to live lives that fully express all that they were truly intended to be."

Mrs Artist Lady

At the beginning of March I spent the week at a school as a visiting artist running a variety of textiles based workshops. I ran a different workshop with each year group which was really interesting to see how differently they reacted in each year. I had so much fun with the reception year children especially, (despite a mild marbling ink explosion) they are at that magic age where everything is new to them and very exciting! I could've shown them anything and they would have marvelled at it.

The children in the whole school were really enthusiastic and positive which made my job so much more fun. They were all so excited to see me and asked me things like "are you the special artist?" "are you Mrs Artist Lady?" "are you an artist!?" and it was awesome to be able to say "yes!" (well apart from the Mrs bit.)

Far Out

This is very exciting. Remember this design?

Aunty Flo

When Aunty Flo 

Became a Crow

She had a bed put in a tree;

And there she lay

And read all day

Of ornithology

- Mervyn Peake

I had a go at reduction lino printing for the Circus of Illustration's first zine. I haven't used this method in a very long time and I did feel the pressure. I found it difficult to think in three colours and one lino tile, sounds easy enough but JUST GIVE IT A TRY. I'm very pleased with the result!

The zine 'In The Woods' features illustrations from 13 incredibly talented illustrators. The first of many more to come, which for future issues we hope to be able to print. Take a look!

Snails

 

March was mostly about Snails. We made snails in the art workshops I run with Biggleswade Mind. They're gorgeous, I especially love the technicoloured dream snail.