MA Term 2 - Taking Stock (1)

Predictably, I started out with a plan for this term’s work. Few things get done in my life without a plan, or at least a few lists. This plan was a bit different, though. As the module this term is about practice, I intended to have a couple of weeks of planning and thinking before starting with a vengeance. I was also aware that I couldn’t plan to the nth degree, because I don’t know where my experimentation will take me. However I soon decided that a better approach would be to jump in with some of the techniques I want to learn, then stand back and see where I’ve got to. I intend this to be an iterative process, so after about 3 weeks of term, it’s time to reflect and see where I am. 

At the top of my plan, as overall drivers, I documented the following:

• Learn more about printmaking
• Learn more about Laser cutting
• Do something a bit scary re personal development
• Play and experiment lots
• Research artists – new and old favourites
• Draw for 15 minutes a day at least 3 times a week
• Do the blog slog every Monday

So far I’ve been doing lots of experimentation (action research) with laser cutting and printmaking. I’m a novice in both of these, but these were areas I identified right at the outset as having the potential to add to my preferred technique of layering images. The results have been mixed, as one might expect. The detailed reflections are beginning to appear in my creative journal, where I find it easier to annotate, but a flavour is given here.

Printmaking

I finally wrote up the work I’d done before Christmas, when I did some etching which produced encouraging results for a first unsupervised go. I want to do some more etching but it takes such a long time… I have had a go at lino cutting at home, but this hasn’t produced such good results. I have had difficulty inking the lino and the colours haven’t mixed optically in the way I expected. My cut lines leave a lot to be desired but I guess that’s a matter of practice. The design didn’t turn out as I’d hoped – I wanted it to be kind of like a Soviet propaganda poster, with the sun rising over an industrial scene – but I always find you learn lots the first time you do anything. The image is from testing the blue ink. It’s blotchy, but it’s a lot cleaner image than the 3-colour reduction I was attempting.

Blotchy gasometer : work to be done

I have also made two solar plates with a lot of help from Lyndon, the Print technician. The first one is a lot better than the second, because I over-developed the second and part of the detail has washed out. I’ve not yet had chance to print these but I will hopefully do that this week.

So a “tick” for that category.

Laser cutting

I’ve tried three main images. The first, of some bricks, I rastered into some MDF in the hope of giving a bit of texture to the board, but it didn’t work so well as the incision wasn’t as deep as I’d hoped. I might put some acrylic paint onto it anyway to see what happens. But then I need to think if I need gesso and if that will just negate the texturing.

 

Yorkshire Rose

The rose worked quite well as a starter idea. It was an experiment to see what kind of curves and lines would work in the petals and in the leaves. It needs further work but I can see potential. I would like to make this into a leaving card for a colleague who has been a good friend and who is leaving Yorkshire next month.

 

Pensive... perhaps thinking how much is still to do...?

The self-image is a typical piece of my work. The pensive image is a “mood” I’ve used before. I’ve cut this in paper and in card, setting the cutter alight with the latter. I finally found out that I haven’t prepared the image quite correctly so I will need to seek further help with this from IT. 

A “tick” for this category too.

 

Do something a bit scary re personal development

Got some ideas but not yet done anything on this one.

Play and experiment lots

This is really what I’ve been doing with the printmaking and laser cutting, and in retrospect I don’t think it is a separate driver

Research artists – new and old favourites

Just not had the time to do this. It would be good to choose one artist and look at them in a bit more detail.

Draw for 15 minutes a day at least 3 times a week

Mixed success. I have drawn more but not 3 times a week. I’ve also found that putting a 15 minute limit on it makes me rush. But even if I draw for half an hour once a week it is better than nothing.

Do the blog slog every Monday

Ummmm……..