I had heard so much about West Dean and seized the chance to go there. The course, with Dale Devereux Barker, was brilliant. We started by using resists and stencils on the lino, which was first inked up, and then printed using a press. My favourite effect was obtained by removing the resist or stencil...
Category: Work from Courses and Workshops
Colour, Mark and Composition
I did a weekend course at Hawkwood College, just down the road from me, with Gizella Warburton at the end of October, entitled Colour, Mark and Composition. I didn’t know what to expect, but as I had had to cancel other courses I had booked earlier in the year, I thought it would help me...
Chapter 6 Hard edge applqué
I couldn’t resist adding eyes to the geese and a few reeds as in the original image. I only used one layer of padding – two would have been more effective. I forgot to turn my tracing over so the birds are facing in the opposit direction. I think I would have preferred them...
Chapter 5 Developing designs for appliqué – rubbings
I assembled various images of flying birds from my image library. I like the effect on tissue paper – a somewhat ethereal quality, but the design is clearer on the sketchbook page and the rice paper. I liked the three geese heads (somewhat modified from the original image) and combined these with eggs and feathers....
Chapter 4: Resists and Colour Discharge
I love the subtle effects that paintsticks give and how you can blend colours. In this first example on black paper, some of the paper came away as I removed the masking tape – the lighter areas. The second sample is on black fabric. In the bird sample below I was worried that the paint...