Vote now for the Readers' Choice - Artist of the Year Competition 2018, Artists and Illustrators

I have been shortlisted for the Readers' Choice in Artist and Illustrators' Artist of the Year competition with my etching entitled 'Homed and homeless'.  If you would like to vote for me, vote now here:

http://awards.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/

All 50 shortlisted artworks will also be displayed at a special Artists of the Year exhibition held at Mall Galleries, London SW1, from 18 to 24 February, as well as receiving promotion on Artists & Illustrators’ Facebook page, seen by more than 297,000 art lovers.

The winner will be crowned Artist of the Year and receive a £1,000 cash prize, a brush bouquet from Rosemary & Co and the chance to work towards a solo exhibition with Panter & Hall, on London’s prestigious Pall Mall. 

There are other prizes too, including a special one for the Reader's Choice.

Artist of the Year 2018 - I've been shortlisted

Exciting news!
I've been shortlisted for the Artists and Illustrators Artists of the Year 2018 Award.

More details to follow....

One of my etchings has been selected to be part of the Victoria and Albert Museum's permanent collection

I'm very excited that one of my etchings, 'Bare mountain' has been selected to be part of the Victoria and Albert Museum's permanent collection.    Currently it can be seen at Morley Gallery in London but, two from this edition, will be kept in the V & A.

Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Wolverhampton Society of Artists' exhibition - 'Hedgrow to hillside - the Wrekin' etching currently on exhibition in the gallery until 18 November 2017

If you would like to see the etching 'Hedgrow to hillside', it is on show at Wolverhampton Art Gallery until 18 November, 2017. 

Printing my etching Hedgerow to hillside - the Wrekin

Once I have an image on my etching plate, this is how I ink and print it.  If I want another one, it is possible to go through the process again but the next print will not be exactly the same - it's hand printed so every print is unique.

 Etching a metal plate in copper sulphat

 Putting onto onto the plate - pressing it into the grooves with a piece of rubber

The metal plate is on a hotplate to make the ink looser and easier to wipe

 Wiping excess ink from the surface of the plate using paper (Yellow pages)

 Printing the etching plate on the press

 Peeling back the paper to check it has printed well

The final print From Hedgrow to hillside'

Many thanks to Graham Stubbs for taking the photos. 

Delighted to received an Art Award for 'outstanding work' at Wolverhampton Art Gallery 23/9/2017

I was delighted today to receive the 'Elsie Holland award for outstanding work' at Wolverhampton Art Gallery, for my etching 'Homed and homeless'.

The award was presented by Wayne Attwood Vice President of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.  It's a new art award that Wolverhampton Society of Artists were honoured to give this year.

 

 

 

'Homed and homeless' etching and aquatint

 

Elsie Holland was a remarkable woman who devoted herself to adult education.  Inspired by her socialist principles she was a stalwart member of the Worker's Educational Association (WEA) which organised dozens of courses and educational trips.  She was especially keen on Art and the ways in which it can enrich people's lives.  The prize was awarded both to honour her memory and to recognise her contribution to the visual arts in Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton Art Gallery - I'm exhibiting 2 etchings from tomorrow until 18th November

I'm very pleased to be exhibiting two etchings in this show. 

 The Opening is 12.30 in the gallery.  All welcome.

Book art - last chance to see the 'Re-Imagining the Laws of England the Wales exhibition - now at Herefordshire Archive and Records Centre

Last chance to see this exhibition

 
My artist's book 'War and Emergency' has been touring for over two years across the UK as part of the 'Re-Imagining the Laws of England and Wales' exhibition and its final exhibition is now underway at the Herefordshire Archive and Records Centre from 5 September-24 November 2017.  
A set of volumes of the Halsbury's Statutes, the accepted authoritative texts for statute law (Acts of Parliament) of England and Wales was donated to the Sidney Nolan Trust and each of these has been transformed by artists across the country into a work of art exploring themes related to the topics covered in their volume. http://www.sidneynolantrust.org/events-programmes/whats-on/re-imagining-the-laws-of-england-wales

'Metropolis' exhibition at the RBSA (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists) gallery

I'm also very pleased to be currently exhibiting in the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists' Metropolis exhibition of city life which runs at their St Paul's Square gallery until 30 September 2017 http://www.rbsa.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/metropolis-2017-sponsored-by-maguire-jackson-1/



'Homed and homeless'  etching

Shropshire rural imagery still continues to inspire me

Shropshire rural imagery still continues to inspire me.  In recent months I've exhibited etchings at the Linden Hall Studio Contemporary Gallery in Kent, RBSA Prize exhibition Birmingham and Church Stretton.   Future plans for this growing series of etchings to be revealed soon!
Here's my Hedgerow to Hillside (The Wrekin) etching plate being inked and printed..

Victoria and Albert Museum, London and Morley Gallery, London

Wow - its all go on the exhibition front! 

 

Two etchings from this edition have been selected for the Victoria and Albert Museum's permanent collection and it will also be exhibited in a Printmakers Council exhibition at Morley Gallery (part of Morley College) in London.http://www.morleycollege.ac.uk/the-gallery 31 October-11 November 2017.

 'Bare Mountain'

I'm currently exhibiting etchings at Linden Hall Studio, Contemporary Art Gallery, 9-30 July, Deal, Kent.

'Hedgerow to hillside' - etching

West coast of France - sketching

Beautiful and ever changing light on the sea here at Vaux sur Mer.  The sun, clouds and, I think, sandbanks, affect the colour of the sea.   It changes from indigo to very pale green, to golden and turquoise.

 

My etching entitled 'Homed and homeless' has been selected for the Metropolis exhibition at the RBSA in Birmingham

I am delighted to have my etching, 'Homed and homeless',selected for the Metropolis exhibition 2017 at the RBSA (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists). The exhibition runs from
 23 Aug - 30.

http://www.rbsa.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/metropolis-2017-sponsored-by-maguire-jackson-1/ 

 'Homed and homeless'

My metal plate etching....

Painting and drawing in Cornwall in June - fabulous colour, light and exceptional heat!

Wow what weather.  It was so hot I was hiding under a rock at noon one day!

The light and colour is fabulous around the coast.  I spent most time at Cape Cornwall, Porthgwallar and Bottalack on the 'tin coast'  where you can see the remains of old tin mines and the recent Pollark drama was filmed.

Even the rock in this part of the country are beautiful shapes and colours.

Exhibition in Deal, Kent 9-30 July 2017

I'm exhibiting 3 landscape etchings with the Printmakers Council at Linden Hall Studio - a contemporary art gallery in Deal, Kent, 9-30 July.

At Scarborough Art Gallery - 'Lasting Impressions' exhibition with the Printmakers Council, June 2017

One of my drypoint prints was exhibited in the 'Lasting Impressions' exhibition which  comprised work from the archive of the Printmakers Council, for which Scarborough Art Gallery is the repository.  

What an amazing selection of prints in this exhibition!

In the RBSA Prize exhibition June 2017

A lovely exhibition at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists' gallery in Birmingham on the edge of the Jewellery Quarter /http://www.rbsa.org.uk/about-us/

Tulips - inspired by the Netherlands

 watercolour sketch of tulips

 watercolour, ink and gouache study of tulips

 The plate - ready for etching

removing the ground from the plate to reveal the image etched into the plate

Three etchings hand printed from the plate using my etching press.  I've applied different coloured inks to create different final images.

More etchings - Shropshire landscape

 The Wrekin

 Shadows on the Wrekin

plate and print on the etching press

etchings - trees and shadows

 sketch of trees and shadows - late afternoon long shadows and winter trees

I then used diluted coffee and painted an image (based on this sketch) onto a piece of aluminium plate.   I rolled Baldwin's 'Big Ground' over the top and baked it all in the oven.   Then I put the plate in warm water and rubbed away the ground which was onto of the coffee. See below...

The image revealed on the plate!

Then I placed the plate in a mordant to etch the image into the metal.   See here some plates in the copper sulphate saline solution...

Then I inked up and printed the plates using my etching press.