Spring

Here comes Spring...

This means I have to share my art with the garden

Shorter painting sessions may be an advantage,

as working too long can lead to fussing with detail.

I like my prints to be loose and imaginative 

without any literal representation.

They are really just abstract landscapes.

My monotypes are on 300gsm A4 smooth white paper 

using a gel plate and Golden Open acrylics.

'Teal'

'Mellow'

My print room is in a spare bedroom at home.

At the end of January I decided to make a 

dedicated space in the house for pulling prints.

Here are some photographs of my work area... 

I use a long table over the end of the bed,

on risers to bring up the height for working.

A sheet of acrylic is taped down on the table

with my gel plate sitting on top.

The gel plate sticks well to the acrylic sheet and 

is easy to peel off for washing in a sink.

Clean up is simple.

The Golden Open Acrylics dry slowly.

Most of the paint is transferred to the

paper so there is little paint to remove from

the gel plate.  Any acrylic paint left on the plate 

is removed with a water spray bottle, 

paper towels or wipes.

Trolleys are handy for storage.

Drying prints...

A folding picnic table holds work in progress 

and a card rack on the bed behind my table

is useful for drying the prints without smudging.

I store my dry finished work in 

archival boxes to keep them flat.

Here are some more recent prints...

'Wavelength'

'Glacial'

'Sienna'

'Veil'

Anyone who follows my art journey 

might be wondering if I have abandoned 

my oil and cold wax paintings.

No... I haven't.

I shall run the two side by side.

Now the clocks have gone forward,

warmer weather will soon entice me 

out to work in my garden studio.

There are some unfinished oil paintings 

and frames to prepare for forthcoming Shows.

The first Lincolnshire Artists' Society 

Group Show is in the Stables Gallery,

Doddington Hall, near Lincoln,

from14 May until 31 May 2021

One oil painting submitted for the Show.

'Spring'

Oils and cold wax medium on 12 x 12 inch canvas 

That's all for now.

Until next time...

Thank you for visiting.

Click on the link below to

visit my website 

www.wildartdesigns.com

Choosing colours

Spoilt for choice...

A world of colour sits in my paint trolley.

'Reeds'

The choice is entirely mine,

there are no rules.

It is a personal thing.

'Reach'

I love bright colour but I have noticed 

that some colour combinations 

look better for my monotype prints. 

'Shadow'

Neutral colours seem happy in the off-white 

mount mat and simple black frame.

'Gap'

I like the sense of mystery about these prints.

Many are like abstract landscapes.

Some are purely shapes and marks,

lines and scratches but they tell a 'story'.

'Dawn'

It seems incredible that only a few weeks ago

this adventure with printmaking was just starting

whilst taking a break from my oil painting.

After some trials with different inks and paint

I settled with Golden Open Acrylics.

My favourite paper is smooth white 200-300gsm.

'Season'

The slower drying of Golden Open is helpful 

when pulling the print from a gel plate. 

 I have time to manipulate the paint and paper.

I think my printmaking will continue.

That's all for now.

Thank you for visiting...

Anne Wood

www.wildartdesigns.com

Goals

Studio goals...

In the winter months I try to build

up a body of work which will be

entered into local exhibitions.

'Always'

Monotype on A4 smooth white paper 

My workload in the wild garden will 

soon commence when the weather improves.

Our land is on the heavy side so it

stays wet and muddy until spring.

Also, I delay cutting last year's growth 

back until the insects emerge.

Overgrown is natural here and we

have a varied population of wildlife.

I saw this poster on Facebook last week..

it is a reminder that I am not being lazy.

My wild garden can wait until then.

In the meantime my aim is to 

print more acrylic monotypes.

They can be stored in my archival box files

ready to take in a browser to the gallery in June.

My goal is to have a collection of 

60 matted monotypes ready to frame

and 140 loose prints in boxes.

'Structure'

Monotype on A4 smooth white paper 

Pulling prints is a satisfying process but

not every print is successful.

For every finished monotype there

are many failures in the bin.

Overworking them is the main culprit

and totally my fault.

If too many layers are applied, the paint 

can appear laboured and contrived.

When a fresh sheet of paper is laid 

on the plate, there is a 'grab' as 

the surface latches on to the paint.

This lessens as the acrylic paint dries,

and the next layer sits loosely on top.

A squeegee or scraper can make

interesting marks and scratches 

but I need to be careful not to overdo it.

'Time'

Monotype on A4 smooth white paper 

At first I experimented pressing objects

into the paint but now I avoid using

 any mechanical aids like stencils or shapes. 

I like a loose abstracted style.

Nowhere in particular,

more the atmosphere of a wild place.

Or just shapes and tonal shifts.

'Separation'

Monotype on A4 smooth white paper 

I choose not to make any plan or sketch prior to my work.  

 Even the initial colour choice can be random.

However, my first multicoloured monotypes 

have given way to more subdued colours.

I particularly like the tonal images, 

the contrast of darks and light.

The print below is an example...

   

'Silent'

Monotype on A4 smooth white paper 

That's all for now...

until next time 

Thank you for visiting.

Click on the image below to

visit my website.

Anne Wood Paintings 

www.wildartdesigns.com

Decisions

Printmaking in my studio...

'Quartet'

Monotype on A4 smooth white paper

Choosing my preferred medium...

I have been trialling Akua Intaglio inks and 

Golden Open acrylics to make monotype prints.

Both have wonderful colours

and both are easy to use.

'Discovery'

Monotype on A4 smooth white paper 

My favourite has to be Golden Open.

The acrylic stays workable and 

dries without smudging.

It seems to suit my style of working and

the paint easily transfers to paper 

without a printing press.

Using a brayer or Baren 

I can apply enough pressure.

'Gritty'

Monotype on A4 smooth white paper 

When pulling prints from the gel plate

I manipulate the paper, positioning

it to get my composition.

'Shimmer'

Monotype on A4 smooth white paper 

A squeegee is useful for scraping 

thick paint if I want an abstract design.

Whilst not actually 'pulled',

the effects can be interesting.

'Attention'

Monotype on A4 smooth white paper 

'Happy accidents' are always welcomed

and the element of surprise is one of the

delights of monotype printing.

'Shadowland'

Monotype on A4 smooth white paper 

I am really enjoying the process

and now have 150 finished prints.

Each one is different.

That is a monotype.

'One of a kind'.

My archival acid free box with 100 inserts.

Some of my prints will be on display in June

in a group show to be held in 

Gallery at St Martin's, Lincoln.

'Afterwards'

Monotype on A4 smooth white paper 

I have now found a home for the

Akua Intaglio inks so they can be put to 

good use by another printmaker.

Nothing is wasted.

'Allure'

Monotype on A4 smooth white paper 

My adventure with monotypes will continue.

I have found a companion to my oil painting.

Until next time,

thank you for visiting.

'Curiosity'

Monotype on A4 smooth white paper

Click on the link for my website...

Anne Wood

www.wildartdesigns.com