Wheeee! Bang! Whoosh!

The Lestarets, along with a few friends (and pretty much the rest of King’s Lynn by the looks of it!)  headed out to The Walks this evening for the bonfire and fireworks display. Great company, great fireworks and some fairly decent photographs too:

And while I was peering into the flames, I started to take notice of the fairground rides on the other side of the park:

And this one was taken through the heat haze of the bonfire (just visible at the bottom) of the flashing sign of ‘The Meteorite.’ I took a good half a dozen shots to try and capture the whole word, but this one was the best with just part of the ‘R’ missing.

Ah, bonfire night, the night of the long exposure…

Teaser!

I’ve been busy linocutting and printing. I’ve just cleaned up and I’m so excited by all the drying prints! Thought I’d show you one…

More to come another time!

The Designers

You’ll be pleased to know that this is the last one…

Reading List

Robert Brownjohn: Sex and Typography: 1925-1970 Life and Work by Emily King and Alan Fletcher
The Vivisector by Patrick White
Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier

Playlist

24 Postcards in Full Colour by Max Richter
Under the Fog and Save the World, Get the Girl 
     by The King Blues
Kiri No Oto by Lawrence English
Bleaklow by The Stranger
Fordlandia by Jóhann Jóhannsson
Be Still by Adrian Klumpes
This Book Is About Words by Ahmed Szabo
Colorloss Record by Belong
Talk Amongst the Trees by Eluvium
Humus by Emanuelle Errante
Litany of Echoes by James Blackshaw
Intervision and Sähkömies by Jimi Tenor
The Best of Django Reinhardt by Django Reinhardt
 Her Mouth is an Outlaw by Amplifier Machine

Recycled Bookery!

I made this book about the same time as this one but I thought I’d spread them about a bit.  This one is a little different from the ones I usually make, in that it is not a blank sketchbook, rather a book art piece.

 

Its cover is formed from glued slats of boxwood salvaged from a packaging crate destined for the skip (recycling idea #1). It is Japanese stab bound (drilled, not stabbed, obviously) using some old garden string I had lurking in the garage (recycling idea #2) and then stained with Mrs’ Lestaret’s used teabags (recycling idea #3).

The pages are torn from an old hymn book I bought for another project (just used the cover) and I also used parts of it to create the cover panels on the last project (recycling idea #4).

 

 

The cover opens by way of two small hinges tacked into rebates cut into the slats.

The cover label is a line from one of the hymns that has been vigorously rubbed and distressed.

Each of the pages has been irreverently defaced in response to the content.

I had originally started making this book much earlier, during the summer, but laid it aside as I wasn’t sure about what it should contain. As I have a few old books in various states of dismemberment from different projects, I had begun to explore what else may be made of them. As I was making the papiér maché for the last wooden book, I began to recall many hymns from my childhood Sundays at the local church, where most of the kids on the street were sent on a sunday morning to give their parents a rest! I was in a less than charitable mood on the evening I made this and went through a number of pages, responding to what was on each page in red ink. The defaced pages and wooden slatted cover were bound together in bookery…

There is a nice movement to the cover as it folds back on its hinges, and I managed to get a good tension in the string, so the book feels really solid.

The gold print on the edges of the pages also adds something to the overall texture of the piece, complimenting the brass hinges too.

As an artist’s book, this doesn’t run deep in context, but has been a cathartic and rewarding experience…

Printmaking #2

Last week I did my first prints from a new lino block and promised to publish the results here when they had dried. So here they are. And before anybody starts harping on about the state of the typography, I did say right at the start I was being a bit ambitious!

I always find that I over ink on the first one and this is no exception: the vertical cuts on the bottom left of the press are largely full of ink and don’t show. I am satisfied that I am using the right amount of pressure though. Another inking and a second print:

A better print this time. I was very encouraged by this quick improvement and prepared another to see if I was really doing this right or just got lucky:

Over inked again. So I’m in the right area – vairiations in inking and pressure can be expected on a hand press like this, but I am still impressed with the general consistency of the results so far.

The vertical cuts on the bottom left of the press are obviously not very deep and have filled up with ink. I decided to print another one without re-inking the block. I was hoping that another impression might ‘lift’ the ink and clean up the block a bit:

I like the results of this under-inked print – it looks ‘printed’ if you know what I mean? I know that sounds daft, but sometimes you need to labour the process a bit to gain an effect.

Another inking then and back into the press:

Not bad! I have manged to retain the detail that had filled in before, and allowed a few patchy areas (top left and centre) that give it that ‘printerly’ feel, and gained a few more cutting ridges in the white areas. I think this is a result. I will now start cutting lino for a series of graphic prints … watch this space!

Earlier this week I did a few more prints with the kids. As we were finishing off, I picked up a pigeon feather that had blown into the garage some days before, and, using the the last of the rolled out ink, I inked it up and bunged it in the press under a few j-cloths to spead the pressure a bit more. This is a high res image – click on it for the full effect!

I’m really excited about the possibilities here. I know I have access to more sophisticated equipment at college, along with the technical support and ready advice from my colleagues and students, but this is something else.

An Artistic Weekend

This last weekend I’ve been back up north to Sheffield. See the folks; show the children off, etc. In amidst this scene of prosaic domestic activity, I managed to squeeze in a couple of exhibitions. I spent a good hour browsing, reading and marvelling through the entries at the 2nd Artists Book Prize at Banks Street Arts, where my own humble offerings are on display with seventy-nine other entries. There were some very unusual ones that challenged the concept of ‘bookness’, a good many altered books, lots of handmade papers and a few commercially bound editions. There were many types of format, content and execution, and most were unnamed and only identifiable by a small blue sticker with a number for voting purposes. There were voting forms in the exhibition for the public to register their two favourites.

There were too many books to go through fully, which meant having to decided which were to be investigated further. There were perfect bound digitally printed volumes, hand-made paper creations, elegant casebound books, accordian folds, flagbooks, Japanese stab bindings, loose leaves and even a CD!

I was obviously drawn first to the more formally bound books, and then moved on to those with more unusual formats and materials. An early favourite was title ‘Clocks’- a slim casebound volume in grey cloth, around 30 x 25cm, which began typographically with single words on each page, progressing to beautiful graphic swashes on graph paper, and ending with pinholes in the page in the position of numbers on a clock face: booky, graphic and mysterious – it ticked all the boxes for me.

  

I was also really charmed by this tiny (around 9cm tall) slim accordion book of prints depicting rice terraces, held in a gatefold cover and fastened with tooth-like toggles. The simplicity and quality of the single colour printing appealed and inspired me – I need to think about my own themes and practices if I am to produce anything as delicate and communicative as this.

   

My favourite (and got my vote) was this tooled brown leather box, around 10cm square and 4cm deep titled ‘Working Song for a Shetland Shearer.’ The lid lifted away to pull out a… well, I don’t know the technical term for this, but it was a sort of double/twisted accordion, which, when expanded, the panels revealed engaging wood/linocut prints in three colours. The content featured interconnected verses of Baa-Baa-Black-Sheep, with directions for sheep shearing and mixed illustrative styles. The result was a beautiful and seemingly inconsequential work, that ‘spoke’ much more intensely than I had first thought. This is a book made not to celebrate or inform, but exists for the romance of itself, imbued with importance by its own craftsmanship. The leather box binding makes the book solid, timeless, precious and personal. This is a book that I wish I had within easy reach of my desk right now. I seem to enjoy the perverse feeling of creative inspiration tainted by jealousy!

    

There were seven other books that really twisted my melon, and a whole host of others that sparked ideas, made me think and made me smile. Here are some of my favourites.

  

   

 

 

 

The winner of the first Book Arts Prize, Katherine Johnson was awarded an exhibition at the gallery where she displayed a range of altered books and book inspired concept pieces.  There were two main installations. The first one, in a stark, white room, featured paper planes made from book pages, emerging from a casebound book titled “Wings of Fate; Strange True Tales of the Vintage Flying Days” by Norman Macmillan. These were suspended on drop lines fro the ceiling, and emerged from the book in a graceful arc across the room to a point just above the door. Mesmerising in the simplicity of its effect. These images don’t really do it justice, but they are all I’ve got.

 

  

The second piece, in a darkened room lit by a single spotlight, was a thick vertical  column of paper chains, each link made from a line of text cut from a book. Suspended from a single point at the ceiling, they fell to the floor and spread outwards to an abrupt end.

 

Both were elegant and inspired works that made me smile and wonder about the possibilities held within the form of the book. There were a number of smaller pieces on display too, each confidant in it’s execution and beautiful in their detail. One to watch.

 

My thanks to John and the kind folk at Bank Street Arts, who gave me permission to take the photographs, as well as all of the artists whose work is shown here. I apologise for the lack of individual credits but I would be happy to add details and weblinks to any of the featured artists. Go visit the gallery if you are in the area. It’s a small, independent gallery, run by enthusiastic, friendly people. Try the Bakewell tart in the café too!

  

I also went off to the other side of Sheffield to the Cultural Industries Quarter, to the Yorkshire Arts Space  to see an exhibition of posters by Martin F. Bedford, a designer, illustrator and photographer who was an early inspiration for me as a young pup! He designed lots of gig and event posters for many of the cities arts and music venues, especially The Leadmill, (some history here - many a lost night spent in the bar in my time!!!) which many of us aspiring designers wanted to do. I did, in time, design quite a lot of posters for them (so thanks Martin!) but back to the story.

 

BUT. Yes, but. There has to be a but. It was shut. Why aren’t galleries open on a bloody Saturday? So go to Martins website  and take a look at his work online – buy a print (I wish I could afford a John Cooper Clark one, above!) or buy the book.  I have had one of his books since last Christmas. It is really a blast from the past for me, but is also full of quirky, colourful grassroots design and striking imagery, and has lots to offer those who enjoy music design and ephemera, and may never have even been to Sheffield! It is also worth considering that The Leadmill was notorious for quick turnarounds and last minute work – many of the posters I did were commissioned on a Wednesday, printed on a Thursday, flyposted on a Thursday and Friday night for a gig the next Tuesday! As I recall, they only paid a flat fee of forty quid for each design! But you could get in to the gig for free and see some great (and not so great acts) and see lots of people carrying your posters which they had paid a pound for!

Anyway, following my disappointment at this exhibition being shut, I wandered down the road to the Site Gallery  (which was open and free) and spent a while in a wonderful exhibition space showing a minimalist video installation by by New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based artist Daniel von Sturmer. I’m not usually moved by this sort of work, but these wes playful and beguiling films, well presented with crystal clear sound. The fact that I was the only person in there answered my earlier question about galleries don’t open at the weekend (they did have two very delightful ladies on reception though!) but it was nice to have the place all to myself.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Visit your local galleries and arts centres. Apart from supporting real, honest people sharing and promoting the work of other creatives, you may leave inspired, educated, baffled or just smiling. Exercise your intellect and your emotions.

What the F…riday!

Is it just me, but did somebody not think about this before it was published? Chocolate chips anyone?

Printmaking

I didn’t wait too long before getting the press into service. After pressing a few books it was time to print something. I was going to use a lino block I had cut last year, but decided to cut something new as this was the first time. I decided to create a sort of “private press” style logo using the press itself as the motif. After a few abortive attempts I settled upon this one, quickly sketched out to give a good indication of the relief areas and traced in reverse onto the lino block using carbon paper:

I got a bit ambitious here – the design only measures 10.4 x 8.2mm so there was no way I was going to get the letters cut accurately, but hey, I may as well try. After transferring to the lino, I prefer to draw pen over the relief areas. This helps me to prevent cutting away the wrong parts!

 

Out with the old lino tools and after warming the lino for a few minutes (this softens the lino and prevents it from ‘tearing’ as you cut) I gouged out the edges to get a feel for the sharpness of the blades before getting into the details. Of course, I tackled the type first…

A quick word on the tools. For the edges and details I used the number 1 and 2 ‘v’ shaped blades (below, left) and a flatter number 10 ’shovel’ shaped blade to take out large areas and remove the peaks created by the smaller v shaped blades. I often leave these peaks on for a more rustic look, but decided to go for something a little cleaner this time.

Health and Safety note – keep the fingers of your other hand behind the blade when cutting. (I expect many tales of linocutting injuries following this post…) Please observe the postition of my hands in the previous images.

I did the cutting over two evenings – this is quite taxing on the eyes and hands (Jeez – I sound like an old geezer!) but the surface textures of cut and smooth lino are just so lovely I had to photograph them!

  

And to finish, a quick check with a wax crayon…

 

I flipped this one over on screen just for the effect of comparison here.  And now we go to print. I have just recieved a tin of water-based relief ink (Caligo 250gsm from GreatArt) so it’s out to the garage (a temporary home – I’m hankering after a cool garden studio).  A small amount of ink goes a long way. Transfer out a smear (it’s the consistency of marmite!) onto a smooth surface – I’m using a spare kitchen tile and roll out smooth with a clean roller until it sounds like frying bacon. (Mmm, bacon!) and roll onto the block in all directions making sure that all the surfaces are evenly coated.

 

Into the press then. With the paper carefully placed on top and a J-cloth as a press blanket, a good amount of pressure was applied.

 

And the results? Well:

I did 5 prints in all, and my eldest daughter (Uppercase) also did one. She also took the last 5 photographs! They are drying at the moment so I will hi-res scan them in and post them soon. Oh, I’m such a tease!