Two Pugs - the final layer.

Two Pugs. Linocut. 18" x24". Edition of 75

Artist's proof detail.

Inspecting the first pull of the completed print. It was far too cold to work in the studio so I commandeered the dining room table.

 Two Pugs key block masked and ready to receive the ink for the final layer.

Two Pugs - the colour layers

After months of carving and laborious hand burnishing, the dogs began 

to emerge.  All that was needed now was to print the key block.

I was aiming to recreate the velvety fur texture by overlaying the brown 

and blue layers. This is where it really helped to have a perfect transfer of the 

key block on the lino to use as a guide. You can see the black pug 

transfered image on the left.

The first pull of the blue layer. Checking the mustard speckles coming 

through the blue textile pattern.

Layer 3. Dark duck egg/ slate grey for the black pug, brown pug's nose, face 

detailing and the textile pattern. After this I also added the brown pug's 

claws to the blue layer. The aforementioned wrapping paper, with which 

I initially transfered the key block,  is recycled here to make a perfect mask.

 

Layer 1. Cream for all the background except the black pug's fur. 

Layer 2. Mustard for the wood floor detail, the brown dog and the 

undercoat for the floral textile.

Two Pugs - Inking up the Key Block

The first inking of the key block. I used Lawrence's black oil based ink with a tiny bit of reducing medium and a drop of cobalt drier to speed drying time.

Because of the detailed fine carving the ink has to be exactly the right consistency. Too thin and it will bleed into the shallow grooves. Too thick and it will look claggy and take an age to hand burnish with my spoon.

At this point I transfered the image onto four more pieces of lino using wrapping paper (one for each subsequent layer/colour). The cobalt drier means that the fine ink transfer dries rapidly, giving an exact copy of the image which is ready to be carved by the next day.

Two Pugs - Linocut - Part 2 The carving of the key block

I had known from the outset that this print might turn out to be an epic undertaking.
At 18" x 24", the key block alone took over a month to carve. 

I started with the eyes of the little black pug,  occasionally making rubbings with black colour pencil to check my progress.

I began by sketching out my design onto squared up lino. 

Two Pugs - Linocut - Part 1 continued

I wanted to see whether it was possible to create delicate coloured cross hatching in places like the Pugs eyes by overlaying just this limited colour range. For this to work each colour needed to also work as an equally spaced  gradient of tones.
I also studied the leaf and flower fabric with a view to incorporating it as a backdrop.

Two Pugs - Linocut - Part 1

'Two Pugs' is the first linocut commission I have chosen to undertake. 

I worked from photographs to create my initial sketched design. 

I wanted very much to keep a simple colour  palette that felt subdued yet still had depth. 

Art in Action Day at NPF

Mother Hen seemed like a good example of linocut technique to demonstrate.

I explain my lethal pin method of registration.

Printmakers of all types demonstrating their skills.
The most fascinating demonstration was Richard Horne with his Gocco machine! 

Mother Hen In Progress

I draw straight onto the lino and then cut away using a V gouge.

For the first colour layer I wanted to create the petrol shimmer of Betty's feathers. This greeny-blue will be overlaid
with darker colours leaving just a hint of the colour.

The first colour layer drying.

The second block of lino inked and ready to print.

The two first layers. The form is already starting to emerge.

The third layer is yellow. Normally I would print the lightest  colour first but for some
reason I didn't here. I needed to compensate and make the yellow translucent so as not to
obscure the colours already printed.

With the red of the wattle and comb added.

The final key block is added.

Mini Print

The mini print -Rainy Day on Mull- pegged up to dry. Edition of 10.

Mini Print in progress.

For this little print I wanted to return to a windowsill still life.
I have always been inspired by the scottish paintings of Winifred Nicholson and I wanted to create something that evoked the atmosphere of a rainy day on the Isle of Mull.
 

I wanted to include the little pottery crofts that we bought on Iona.

As with all my linocuts, I have printed the key block straight onto additional lino blocks ready to carve the different colour layers. Here I have drawn the white areaa to be carved away from this block.

The print after cream, pale grey, aqua grey, dark grey, pale pink and dark pink layers have been printed.

The BP Portrait Award 2012 - Private View

Red shoes.

Chatting with the well deserved winner, Aleah Chapin. We met so many other lovely artist's and their sitters. It was a truly amazing evening.

The BP Portrait Award - The catalogue.

In the NPG shop...........so many catalogues.

And a poster too!

Even more catalogues.

BP Portrait Award 2012 - The Banner.

I didn't know for certain that my portrait would be one of the entrance banners until we turned the corner...and there it was.  

On the right is Alan Coulson's wonderful portrait of Richie Culver.

Rosie and Peter.

BP Portrait Award 2012 coming soon.

A screen shot of the NPG website showing my portrait of Rosie and Pumpkin.
Seeing this was rather surreal.

Moo business cards.

My Moo round cornered business cards have arrived. I would recommend Moo.com.
They are a tiny bit darker than the originals but the overall quality is excellent
 and they were very prompt.