'Colin' the British Bulldog

'COLIN' The British Bulldog.

It's taken 6 months but I've finally completed a new linoprint!

My 'minor' stroke has caused more than some inconvenient ongoing problems, including significant loss of peripheral vision and focus.

'Colin' was meant to be just a 'quick' 19 x16cms. print of just a few colour reductions to get back on track. The reality was a consequent catalogue of careless mistakes and minor disasters that some of the edition copies were irretrievable. In the end I also had to use many more colours and textures in the end and the edition resulted in just 6 prints.

I would like to go on a bit longer but, unfortunately, writing/typing has become quite a task (others will think thank goodness)! Forgive me so I can use the same text for other groups who might be of interest.

Ending the 'PRINTS 2020' EXHIBITION

Our current print exhibition at the Ilkley ‘Art Shop/Gallery’ will be drawing to a close at the end of the month. In these especially difficult times, I’d like to say thank you to the many visitors who have made an effort to see our work, - and even for a second time!

if you’ve discovered my linoprints for the first time, I would urge you to take a look through my website www.mikesmithprints.co.uk. The site reflects the depth and range of my pintmaking over the last twelve years. My website also highlights the materials, processes and techniques involved.

Finally, I’d like to thank Sue in particular for all her curating and for her helpful encouragement.

'PRINTS 2020' Exhibition.

My friend, the drypoint printmaker Brian Hindmarch, and I, had intended to hold a joint exhibition since the beginning of 2020. However, the world has changed quite dramatically this year due to the pandemic, so we have had to rethink our plans. Fortunately for us, Tim Tennant, owner of the Ilkley Art Shop and Gallery, has offered to exhibit our work.

The exhibition will open on 4th October 2020 and run until Saturday 31st October, with obvious restrictions as to the number of people able to gather in the gallery at any one time. We’re very grateful to Tim for allowing us to show our work at all during these very difficult times!

NEW PRINT - A Dunnock

I’ve just completed this ten colour reduction linoprint of a House Sparrow. This little chap must have had a nest near by and for much of May it would perch on our fence and sing its heart out. Remarkably tame, it let me get within a few feet and let me take photos that became the basis for the print. Its plumage is, perhaps not as flamboyant as some other garden birds, it nevertheless, has a subtle colouring, a joyous call and a character that deserves recording.

The print measures 195 x 165mm. It is printed on Bristol board in T.N.Lawrence oil based printing inks.

NEW PRINT STAGE 13

This stage involved two colours. Stage 11, the blue base with added Payne’s Grey but no reducing base, and stage 12, an over print with a second lino shape to give extra form to the block of stone in the right foreground with the centre’s name and logo incised into it. The colour was reducing base with a smidgen of burnt umber and a pin prick of strong yellow.

Well, that’s it! I hope the client is happy with the print!!

'WAVES' A NEW PRINT

A few months ago I decided to be a bit more ‘spontaneous’ in my approach to my next print. I felt that my work was becoming too pre-planned and risked losing that sense of serendipity that is be part of the printing process; the cutting and printing of the block was becoming, essentially mechanical exercise. To this end, after a few initial pencil marks on the lino, the rest of the ‘drawing’ was done using my No. 12 blade as the reduction stages progressed. Of course, working in this ‘spontaneous’ way inevitably resulted in me making many ‘spontaneous’ mistakes. What was supposed to be a single block reduction print using 7 colours, ended up as a 3 block print with so many overprints and reductions I lost track of the number of colours and hues used!

Based on a very old 5 x 4 photo I took years ago on a Greek island holiday, the print measures 30 x 40cms. Printed with T.N. Lawrence oil based inks (using vast quantities of reducing medium) on Bristol Board, ‘Waves’ is in an edition of 12 - having lost 3 to ‘spontaneous’ mistakes!

THE WEAVERBIRD GALLERY ILKLEY

A range of my work will be on show at the Weaverbird Gallery throughout October. Covering a wide range of subjects, the exhibition also reflects prints done over the last 10 years. Get along there if you can over the next few weeks!

THE GREAT NORTH ART SHOW - RIPON CATHEDRAL

This year’s GNAS opens on Saturday and runs for most of September.The nave of Ripon Cathedral is a fantastic venue for this is always beautifully curated exhibition which includes a wide range of the two and three dimensional work of over 60 artists. I will be exhibiting six framed prints as well as having other work in the ’pop up’ shop.

Do come along, the exhibition is free to enter and is open every day.

‘Wildflower Meadow - Upper Wharfedale’ is one of the prints I will have on show.

A NEW PRINT

I’ve just completed , ‘A Splash of Red - Arctic Terns over the Norwegian Sea’. A ten colour reduction linoprint, it is based on the trip we made up the Norwegian coast during the winter of 2018. The terns endlessly followed the ship and I was struck by the red of their beaks being, at times, virtually the only strong colour in a bleak seascape. I was also intrigued by the backdrop confusion of ship wash and waves against which the terns almost disappeared ; making their contribution to the apparent chaos.

Ilkley Arts 'Light' Exhibition.

Ilkley Arts are opening an exhibition based on the theme of ‘Light’. The exhibition will be in the Solar Gallery at the Manor House in the centre of the town and starts on Saturday 20th July.

These are the three prints I’m hoping to show. From the left, a view of the Marine Lake on the Dee Estuary at West Kirby, Ullswater, and Crosby Beach on Liverpool Bay.

A New Print

I’ve finally finished my new print ‘Eider Ducks’. Based on personal observations and photos near the Farne Islands, it measures 30 x 40cms. and is printed on Bristol Board using T.N.Lawrence oil base relief inks. It’s a reduction linoprint using thirteen different hues/tones of colour.

I chose to bring the the female to the foreground for, although the male has a more dramatic plumage, I really wanted to emphasize the more subtle colouring of the female.

The print is for sale and details can be found on the Sea/River Bird folder on the ‘Birds’ page.

Many thanks again to Conrad Cookson who made the table top easel for me that has been a great help and to Keith Dickinson for his expert photographic help today!

Eider Ducks.

'Neighbourhood' Exhibition at the Sunnybank Mills Gallery

The first exhibition of the year is coming up at the gallery at Sunnybank Mills. The theme is the artist's own neighbourhood. I've decided to interpret my 'neighbourhood' as the places I like to walk and repeatedly visit.

The exhibition is due to run between  13th January and 25th February.

On Saturday 13th January between 2.00 & 4.00pm there is to be a preview and I would be delighted if you could come along (if only for the glass of wine and a few nuts!)

Sunnybank Mills Gallery, Farley, Pudsey, West Yorkshire LS28 5UJ

These are some of the prints I will have on Show!