Saturday 22 April 2017

TIME OFF FOR GOOD BEHAVIOUR

You know what they say, all work and no play...unbelievably I took a few days break over Easter and got out and about. 
The lovely Mr Brown and I took a days trip to see my daughter, at the Henry Moore Foundation, at Perry Green, Hertfordshire.
The Becoming Henry Moore exhibition has just started and it is really worth a visit. Of course photographs were not allowed to be taken in the exhibition, but believe me there are some real treasure to be seen, I got quite emotional.
The gardens themselves are wonderful and packed full of
monumental Henry Moore works.
The day was glorious and
everywhere I looked
wonderful sculptures, I came away so inspired.
This week we had a trip closer to home, in fact almost down the road from Cheltenham. Chastleton is near Stow
Built between 1607- 12 it is in an almost complete state.
Crochet was invented here
and boasts lots of original Jacobean plaster and carved panel work.
With photography allowed, I went into Country Living mode, snapping interior shots.
This hand sewn bed spread took my eye, yes hand sewn and in fact took 15 years to finish.
Mr Brown and I spent a lovely afternoon
wandering around the house,
finally having tea in the church yard.
Back to work for both of us next week, but I feel refreshed and recharged.

Tuesday 11 April 2017

HAVING FUN PRINTMAKING ONTO FABRIC

So I keep banging on about printmaking on fabric and the more I experiment the more I am finding that most things you can print onto paper can be printed onto fabric too.
For years I have resisted this, lots of people come to my collagraph and gum arabic transfer workshops and ask the question, can you print this on fabric? My answer always being...well give it a go, but I know nothing about fabric! Well I am being influenced by some very talented chums, Kathleen Murphy, Viv Sliwka, Catherine Kingzett, Claire Cawte and Caroline McCatty, who have pushed, cajoled and generally encouraged me to have a go at stitch.
So once I had proved to myself that you can print both gum arabic transfer and 
collagraphs onto pre-embroidered vintage, voile, velvet and just alsorts of textiles, I was off.
But the real joy, and I can hear all my textile chums sighing...well of course Sue!! Is the stitching into it all after the ink is dry. And then what...there are only so many cushions I can fit onto my sofa...???
But then a trip to the Sewing for Pleasure show at the NEC recently pointed me in the direction of a lamp shade kit. What a revelation!
Putting all my experiments together, machine and hand stitching in details and then...
turn on the light, what a difference,
I particularly like the way it illuminates the embroidery on the vintage fabric previously covered by the print.
I know this is obvious to some, but it is a whole new world to me.
And then there is the doll. Meet Crow Girl...
Gum arabic transfer printed body, hand and machine stitched detail and crow hair made with dissolve-able fabric. So when I am not drawing and collagraph making, I am having even more fun.

Want to learn gum arabic transfer? A place has become available on the 20 May, at the yard:ARTspace. Contact me on sb.brown@talk21.com for booking.

Monday 10 April 2017

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!

The last couple of weeks have been a bit full on...I know it's meant to be the Easter holidays, but I seem to have an out of control diary. But I am not complaining, I am having a fabulously creative few weeks.
1 April saw me in the yard:ARTspace running
a viscosity monoprinting workshop.
This is where simple mono types and prints reach
a new and sophisticated level.
Combined with chine collee, it all got very delicious.
Gorgeous surfaces, I haven't enough superlatives for the results that where achieved. Thank you everyone for your energy.  
The ol' 2CV has been featuring a great deal in my facebook posts. He has been ferrying me from pillar to post and we were at the Museum in the Park, Stroud on the 8 April delivering a Gum Arabic Transfer workshop.
This 1 day event was subsidised as part of my Arts Council funded project with the Museum.
An enthusiastic group of very creative people made lovely prints
on fabric and paper.
So I am back outside the yard for a quiet couple of days, but come and see me at Forge 2 Gallery, Culworth on 15 April where I will be demonstrating collagraph printmaking and eating cake.

Wednesday 5 April 2017

PRINT FOR APRIL

I am still on target for a print a month. Perhaps because I am so busy, organising the workshops for the yard:ARTspace and family life is frantic, it is even more important to find time to make work.
Inspired by the mad bird collections found in Victorian stuffed bird tableau's, I have composed this hectic group.
Cut in grey board using glue and carborundum to achieve tones.
And finally adding more glue to create lights in the dark carborundum.
This plate is now ready to print.
I am pleased with the result and very happy
that the plate prints successfully each time making editioning a breeze.