I’ve been converting an A5 notebook into an art journal for the coming year. I usually have more than one art journal on the go. This one’s role is to encourage me to draw more often, and make notes of ideas as they flash though my brain. I coated all the pages with gesso, and have spent a few afternoons painting, inking and stenciling to get rid of much of the whiteness. I’m nearly finished and the process has been very therapeutic as I mourn the loss of Mum, and incredibly messy. I can’t wait to start gluing bits and bobs into it, drawing on top of the paint, and generally just using it – not storing it, putting it on the bookcase and leaving it there or making it too precious to use.
I’ve been looking at recent work and thinking about what I do, and don’t, like. About colour, shape , texture, line, tone…all the things that combine to make an image we love or an image we end up gessoing over and redoing! One thing I have noticed is that the recent patch of terrible weather has impacted on my colour choices. I’ve also noticed more of a tendency to take things a step too far then not like the result – I seem to have lost the ability to know when to stop. Interesting…
I’ve been experimenting with stencils and spray inks lately. I find the process quite messy, probably because I forget to put gloves on in my excitement to get started, but I love the results. The inks I’ve been using aren’t waterproof so I have to be careful about using water media in the top layers, but other than that, they’re very versatile. I’ve also starting making my own sprays by using Golden Fluid acrylics and water in a fine Derwent spray bottle. It means I can make my own colours and the result is waterproof so I can use water media in the upper layers. Incidentally, I got the spray bottle to go with a set of Derwent Inktense Blocks, and I love them.
I can see all kinds of possibilities with layering images using the stencils. I lent them to some ladies at the library the other day, and they had a great time decorating garden pots using them. We gave the terracotta pots two quick coats of gesso, then a base layer of whatever acrylic colour they fancied and let them loose with the stencils.
In the meantime my friend Martha Marshall has started experimenting with Gelli Plates. Martha makes fabulous prints anyways; she’s a fearless artist who never hesitates to experiment. I’m fortunate to own a few works by Martha and love them all. Anyway, watching the work she is producing with the Gelli Plates makes me want to try incorporating some print making with using stencils. In the past I have done lino cutting and mono prints, so once I have done the next newspaper and sent it to the printers, it might be time to get out the lino cutting tools…
The annual Pocket Rockets exhibition opens shortly in Dunedin. As always, artist Tanya Dann has done a great job of organising it all, and has her first solo exhibition happening at the same time. And, just so she doesn’t get bored, she’s a PhD student as well. I’m sending six works down, including 3 that I have only just finished. Normally I send work from one series, but this time something tells me to send a range of work down, so that’s what I have done. Pocket Rockets is a great chance for people to buy original artworks as Christmas gifts.
Memories of Bryce Canyon. Acrylic, 12×12″. C Sheard, c2012.One of those days. Mixed media, 10×10″. C Sheard, c2012.I’m gonna make it. Mixed media, 10×10″. C Sheard, c2012.
Cath Sheard Art 