I’ve been designing my copper sculpture, unfortunately it’s proving really hard to get copper foil in a large amount from anywhere that isn’t overseas, so i’ve ordered lots of small rolls that are from somewhere nearer and i’m going tohave to fix them all together i think, maybe parcel tape. i’ve been enjoying drawing on a large surface tho good to be working big again, i am planning an image of tree roots breaking up concrete in an urban environment.
plan after that is to ask a group of the students to write down what the word envirinment means to them and maybe using paper litho transfer their words, drawings onto the copper to blend in with my image that will be etched.
i’m thinking of using what i’ve learned from doing paper litho which is ink acts as a resist, and roll ink over the copper foil and draw through that then let it dry and etch it. its all a bit experimental and new but it should work in theory.
i’m running my research group in etching newt week so might use that as time to experiment a bit..
I went to London recently to pick up my work that didn’t get into the royal academy summer show :-( slightly depressing but randomly happened upon the saatchi gallery that i realised i’ve never been into and amongst other interesting things saw this brilliant installation that is a permanent feature in the saatchi- it is a room filled with oil and it is so still, shiny and reflective that at first you can’t tell what it is apart from the very obvious smell of oil.
I am finally back on line after a week and half of being out of range of an internet signal, it’s amazing how much of a backlog you get from just a couple of weeks.
great news though!- I have been selected for the Wrexham open and won the professional Prize!!
The exhibition is already open and will continue until 2nd September.
Check out the link below…
http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/council/news/ori…
these two pieces of work are what the two recent images were for in the first place- these are plates made from an old copper tank that have been etched with a photographic image using the gum arabic transfer method then treated chemically to corrode then polished back then painted out white then printed onto, still not finished but i really like them both, the photo’s don’t really capture the subtle imagery and texture in the plates, i keep trying to be more direct with my work but seem to be veering off into the world of subtlety as usual :-)
i’ve been given to play with this amazing stuff that mike and cath just had in their store room in the art department- its copper mesh, it’s so fine it looks like fabric it even feels like fabric except thet it’s really heavy compared to cloth and if you mold it around stuff it holds it’s shape. the thing i like about it is you can see through it, so i could print onto it and then layer it in front of another image and that image would show through- very exciting, i imagine it’s awfully expensive though, makes it seem very precious.
