My Lino Print Making Process

I've often meant to do a blog with a work progress theme, so today I made my idle self photograph stuff as I went along.

My day off has been put to very good use. I've been working since before 8am and just finished a little while ago. I set myself a very challenging project, which has been flitting round in my head since the weekend.

First I needed to do some drawings. I used a ruler and compass to get the basic shape of the compass, then drew the octopus freehand.

Next I arranged the image the way I wanted it and traced it with a very soft pencil onto tracing paper.

The image was then transferred old school style onto the lino sheet by rubbing the back of the tracing paper. I have to use a really strong desk lamp for this, as the lino is quite a dark colour, not the best for seeing pencil lines.

Next comes the cutting. I use several different sizes of lino cutting tools to achieve different grades of lines. I do tend towards the very fine one though, since I enjoy creating lots of detail.

I made some mistakes and had to use a little bit of modelling putty to fill in one gap. It doesn't show up too badly in the finished print, but I know it's there even if nobody else does.

The final stage is to mix up coloured inks with a printing medium and create the finished image by rolling a thin layer of colour onto the lino. Paper is placed onto the ink and burnished down with a nifty little tool I found in an art shop recently.

Here's my finished nautical design. It's ever so slightly smaller than A4 size and has taken me a total of about 10 hours from start to finish.

Busy Day With Birds

In a superhuman effort of Saturdayindustriousness I have done all manner of busy things today. Having used the evenings this week to get plenty of printing done, I cut mounts and took photos this afternoon. This came after the weekly food shop and a quick pop to work for a bottle of wine (not a sort I've ever seen in the shops, hence my special journey). I also did some Folksy listings and Facebook updates of my peacocks, before being ever so domestic and doing home made coleslaw with jacket potatoes for dinner.

I am bout to have a glorious bath before putting on pyjamas and settling down to watch a film. Goodness knows I must deserve it.

These prints have turned out well. I shan't be a bore and put all the colours here, but I've done a lot of experimentation with different hues and graduations. Oddly enough, the plain black has been the most commented on, and it's also my personal favourite (one has already gone to a new home). I have a great idea for my next one, but it's going to be extremely complicated and time consuming, Still, I think they're so satisfying to do and I won't mind a bit.

Peacock Day

I had such a slow start today, I didn't think I was ever going to get settled into any work at all. Still, once I'd decided on my theme I got motoring. I painted an ACEO which has already sold (yay for first sale of 2012!) and did a lino cut, of which I have a very ropey photo. I'll take a better one when it's daylight.

Part Two

Here I am, back just like I said.

Two paintings finished and a little trial of printing under my belt. The latter is no great shakes, I was just needing to get a feel for it after a gap of about 30 years since my last venture. Gawd, how old? Still, it was fun and I think I'll be fine with it. I didn't take any photos, I'll save that for when I do something good. I do have pictures of the watercolours though. Tadaa!

My Happy Start to 2012

Today should be "back to normal" day, but it's not really. I've only had xmas day and new years day off work, so it was a weird one for me all told, and now we're back to the usual routine of Tuesdys to myself. I have heaps of plans for my creative work, which will begin very shortly, but I'm also chock full of squee and good mood, altogether distracting!

It being bank holiday yesterday they let us out of work at 3pm, so I had this bright idea of popping along to the local retail park for a little browse. Unfortunately the whole world appeared to have had the same thought and we spent a good half hour trapped in traffic hell waiting for a parking space. Luckily we did it in the end and had a leisurely wander, culminating in my amazing beloved buying me a Kindle. Oh the joy! I am so utterly delighted with it that I can't even describe. Naturally, me being me there is a peculiar turn to this, in that when I spoke to my lovely Sis last night she told me she'd been planning to buy me one as a surprise for when I visit her next week. Argh! this is the swirly shoes thing all over again - a few years ago I treated myself to a pair of Red or Dead shoes full of awesome and win, only to find that she'd purchased exactly the same ones for my birthday. This is what you get for being in tune with a spectacular sibling like her.

I love my Kindle SO MUCH. I've downloaded heaps of books for it already and also eagerly await my handmade cover from Lemur Lady which will match the handbag I bought from her not so long ago. It's win all round, I tell ya.

This will be my first day off with the freedom to paint things in quite a while. I have one picture in progress that I aim to complete today, as well as a whole pile of linocutting paraphenalia right here just begging to be used. I'm in such a tizzy of needing to create that I almost don't know where to begin. This all makes me so pleased that I managed to achieve so much of the journey I began exactly a year ago. I've come so far and kept my momentum going for all this time. It's a massive achievement for me, albeit a small one in the grand scheme of things. I would never have imagined that I'd be back in full time work but still finding time and inspiration to persue my arty stuff.

To add to my joyous day, I have just booked train tickets to Scotland for next week. I have some holidays to take before they run out, so I'm having a week now and another one next month. Hub and I are going together to visit my Sis. We really enjoy our northward voyages and we thought we'd have a change from driving up there this time. I do love travelling by train, especially through the Lake District where this route takes us. Even better, I use a really good website for discounted fares. I've paid as much as £80 plus to get there before (one way), but we've just bagged two return tickets for a total of £20. That's combined, not each. The petrol money we've saved will buy us a lovely lunch in Glasgow with enough left over for a little treat or two. More squee! I'll be loading my Kindle up with entertainment for the trip. Double squee!

Well, it's light outside now so I feel that I can begin working. I hope to be back soon with photos of my labours. My biggest wish right now is that I can feel this positive for the whole of 2012. Let's give it a go, eh?

Merry Christmas

Odd to write an update on the biggest holiday of the year, i know, but we've had a simply wonderful time and we're all chilling out now. The kids descdended upon us for prezzies, food and festivities, wallowing in some lovely time together for the first time in ages. What a splendid day!

Hub and I, Nerf Gun style

My hub, son and two daughters, with Craig the boyfriend

My girlies and I. They've both gone blonde for xmas, totally freaking me out because they just turned up like this with no warning :-)

Here I Am Again

It's Tuesday again and I'm (joyously) at home. Similar to last week however, I have things I need to do. I'm stopping the devil making work for my idle hands just now by writing this as the floor is drying. Yes, I've been a hive of industry, which is necessary in order to get us ready for xmas. The house is ghastly, or rather it was until I set about it with a myriad of cleaning products today.

On a rather dour note, I have zero time off to spend with my lovely family. Just the 25th itself to be precise. I could whitter on about that ad infinitum but I shall refrain. One of the things I've been doing today is looking for a new job, and it's been fairly productive with several phonecalls received and one definite CV put forward by an agency to a local company. Cross your fingers, toes and moustaches for me please.

In my tidying frenzy I have come across several unfinished bits and pieces of paintings, some of which I will try to complete over the next few weeks, as they have a glimmer of hopefulness about them. I am also very excited with the knowledge that santa is bringing me a whole load of lino printing materials and tools, all ready for my next adventure in the new year.

Speaking of new year, I really must pat myself on the back. My intention last January was to get back into doing creative work, and looking back over the past year I can't help but be pleased with the huge progress I've made. I've got a whole portfolio full of paintings here that I'm really quite pleased with, not to mention the 50 plus pieces that have sold. I guess I can call myself a professional artist now, eh?

It was shaky at first, but it was going to be, wasn't it? With the support of other people in a similar position I have grown in confidence, producing (among other things) a few pieces that I don't think I'll ever be able to part with. I also got the courage together to promote myself, which was one of my biggest hurdles. Nowadays I'm quite blasé about showing my work off, having shed my shyness and worry that people will think it's rubbish. I imagine plenty of folks do think that, but it honestly doesn't bother me at all. I'm thoroughly enjoying doing what I do and it makes my life so much richer. All in all a wonderful place to be.

There's still stuff to be done around the place, namely my dreadfully messy bedroom, so I'm off to tackle that before my beloved returns home form the hill, so to speak. I hope to be back soon with new paintings and wonderful news of pastures anew. Come on santa, get your act together and bring me a lovely new job!

Latest Work

Have I really not spoken to the world since my birthday blog? Good gracious. I stand ashamed with head hanging, or at least metaphorically, since I can't type like that. Sheesh!

Tine for a brief update then. I'd stay longer and kick back with you guys, but dinner's in the oven and my poor husband who's lived on cupboard surprise for weeks deserves a nice meal for once.

Work has been diabolical, which is the main reason for my absence. I shan't be a bore and give the numbing details, suffice to say I've been something on the far side of busy and stressed for ages.

On my days off I've been concentrating on doing as much painting and whatnot as possible. I stand by my opinion that this is what keeps me relatively sane. Oh and hub's great support of course, which cannot go unmentioned.

Things I have produced are

Yes, I've ventured back into the ACEO world, which I must say has been very useful in arranging my thoughts and getting ideas down on paper. A few have even sold, though online sales have been very poor. On the other hand, I've had a fair bit of success selling in the real world with a steady trickle of commissions coming in this past month.

We had a little trip to Scotland a week or so ago, which rejuvenated me. It was my first time off since July and a well earned couple of days, despite being called into work on the third day of my hols to cover for people who hadn't turned in. I ogled the landscape all the way, loving the trees and dramatic skies through the Lake District and beyond. My work is firmly entrenched in the natural world just now, so it was like a huge research field trip.

Finally, I've been attacking the photos of the lilies from summer. I knew it was worthwhile hanging onto those, and I'm using them as a basis for my current project. Last week I painted a single bloom and today I've done a group of three, although I can't photograph it now because there's zero daylight to help me. I have a new camera too, joy of joys. I heart it very much.

Here's the lily, along with a few others. The Japanese blossom ones have proven very popular, four of them have sold this past week, two of which I got a crazy amount of money for. I feel all proper artist-like now.

I Had a Birthday

I turned a further forty-something last week. Try as I might, they wouldn't let me have the day off work, so I took cakes in and was determined to enjoy my day anyway. The office had other ideas however, and I had one of my worst every days so far in there. The job is still hanging in the balance in as much as I'm not sure I'll be staying. I've been there for over two months now, working from 8am and am yet to have a lunch break, a thank you for staying late every night or any acknowledgement of anything I've done. Anyway, enough of that.

I went for a meal with my beloved and two of the girls from work on my birthday night. We had a really lovely time, which set me up for the next morning (a Saturday) and my special day out with treats. First was the pumpkin farm, where there have been a lot of changes since last year. There's now a café and shop, so we breakfasted there. The owner has asked me to go along on Halloween weekend to carve pumpkins and show some of my own off. That will be splendid.

Next we went off to Liverpool and did a bit of shopping, The King's Regiment marched through the main road while we were there, band playing and everything. There was lots going on all day with music and street performers. We went to the Blue Coat Gallery for a mooch and happened upon a jewellery shop where Jay got me a heart necklace. I bought him a pen from another shop and we got chatting to the owner, who has asked me to email him to discuss stocking my paintings. That's a stroke of good fortune! I need to get down to some more painting soon really. I've had so many other committments recently for other people that my own work has taken a back seat. I'm not complaining of course - I'm still being creative and that's what makes me tick.

I've been working for weeks on my latest project and this evening sees it completed. Here are my two demon masks to be used in a series of performances next week.

I've worked really hard on these and spent every spare minute doing them so I could meet the deadline. I've done it by the skin of my teeth! I've also got a lovely new camera and this is my first time using it to photograph my work. I'm ever so pleased with it. One good thing about having a job again is that I can get the occasional thing like this. I've been wanting a decent camera for years, so this is especially awesome.

Another birthday prezzie was a mount cutter. A weird one in the grand scheme of things, but it means I can now paint in any format I like and create a mount that will fit a standard frame. This is loads of scope and very exciting. I do love unusual formats, so I'll be experimenting with it a lot. I'll also be able to make little mounts for my ACEOs, which may be useful when selling them. Then there's the fact that mount board comes in a gazillion different colours. What joy!

I've made a meal this evening for the first time in months. Jay has been on cooking duty for ages, so I did a nice chilli. After that we set to and had loud music while we cleaned up the most dreadful mess I've made round here. The dining table is now free of gloop and my desk here has a few more square inches of space for moving about on. It feels quite luxurious. I'm more than ready for bed now, so I'll quit my whittering and be off for a well earned sleep. I hope to be back soon with lots more lovely new stuff.

Lots Happening In These Parts

I feel like I haven't had a breather for weeks!

Last Tuesday on my day off I was whisked away for a day out in Blackpool. We love going there off-season when the weather's stormy and there are no tourists. There's quite a macabre feel to a deserted holiday town in the Autumn. It was incredibly stormy and the sea was roaring up and over the protective wall that backs onto the promenade. I was a silly head (what's new?) in getting as close as I could to take photos and videos. The spray was painful, being filled with sand that had been sucked up by the wind. It was all very exciting! Later in the day when the tide had gone out there were huge tree trunks and rocks deposited right up at the top of the steps. It's hard to get your head around the power of the sea until you come across such things. We walked for miles against the wind and got a serious workout. I must be thin by now, surely? Anyway, what a splendid way to spend our wedding anniversary. It was the perfect day.

Work has been a rollercoaster since I last spoke. See what I did there, keeping the Blackpool theme going? I've had some really good days and some horrifically stressed ones. We're short staffed with folks being on holiday and off sick, so it's been down to as little of three of us doing the work of six or seven. This is all well and good on days where things run smoothly, but as soon as a couple of problems arise it becomes frantic. I've dealt with it at times, but the stress that makes my teeth fizz has also appeared, which coupled with the fact that we never get a break (apart from the occasional dash outside for a theraputic cigarette) serves to make for arduous days indeed. I'm told I'll be changing roles at the start of October, taking on more responsibility in looking after the sales team and their progress. This should put me more in the eye of the storm than in the current swirling mass of chaos, so I'm happy to take on the challenge. Goodness knows I could do with a settled position where I know my duties and can have time to perform them well.

Art stuff? Well, I got the Games Workshop commission finished. They wanted a banner to attach to a standard to be carried on Games Day at the Birmingham NEC, which is next weekend. For those not in the know about such things, it was for a faction called "Nurgle", which are revolting monster type things covered in diseased skin and all that. Naturally they wanted something grotesque and I came up with this little creation, which has been well received. I look forward to hearing how it goes on the day.

Today I have some painting to do and I'll be popping out for a very civilised lunch with someone from work. I'm enjoying the peace and quiet right now though, before I get motoring.

Oh, and I must mention my glee at being a featured seller on Folksy! They put me on the front page yesterday, as well as posting an interview with me on their blog. How exciting is that? I never thought for a moment that I'd be on there, so this is such a treat. The link is here for anyone who fancies a quick read:


Me on Folksy

Finally, a quick word on the auction I ran for Monika, as explained quickly in my last blog. I decided to put three paintings up for people to bid on, and with that and some very kind donations I've been able to send a total of £56.00 towards the costs of flights and childcare. I can't describe how happy I am to have been able to do this for someone in such need. I'd have sent her what I could personally manage, but to be able to add to that is just wonderful. People are so kind; it doesn't half restore my faith in humankind to receive such support. Also to those who offered their kind wishes because they didn't have anything else to give - a massive thank you. It all means such a lot.

Despite my love of waffling, I must get on and do some work. Have a lovely day everyone, and ignore the rain, it may go away if we don't pay it any attention.

A Friend in Need

I don't usually do anything like this, but a fellow Folksy seller is in great need. I am going to hold a charity auction of one of my paintings and I would urge anyone who might be interested to please make a bid. I'll do this tomorrow so I can get any resulting funds to the lady in question as soon as possible. Please read the post below that she made on the forum.

Also, if anybody can help out in any way please let me know, or contact Monika direct. It's worth noting that she is offering 50% off anything in her shop using the code "mama" at the checkout. Her work is absolutely stunning and the results of a true artisan.


"Hi everyone,

My name is Monika and firstly few words about me.

I was born in Poland and for past few years I have been living in beautiful Scotland with my husband and two fantastic kids Alicia (6) and Philip (1). Here I run my little business.

Today I receive news my mum died. I would love to go to Poland to help my dad in this difficult situation – unfortunately I cannot afford it.

Yesterday I organized “End of Summer Sale” in my Folksy shop – but yesterday everything was fine.

Today is completely different day – I quickly need to buy tickets to flay to Poland, pay for childcare during my absence.

Instead of reorganizing everything in my shops I thought the best way is if you make me an offer on items you would like to purchase.

I have two shops on Folksy:

Exclusive silver jewellery made in wire-wrapping technique:

http://www.folksy.com/shops/Reverie

Wedding jewellery and accessories:

http://www.folksy.com/shops/BiancabyReverie

All your help is very appreciated

Sincerely yours

Monika

my blog: www.reverie-art.blogspot.com "

Saved The Day

I got off to a very slow start today. I'm usually up and dashing around very early on a Saturday, but for some reason I was a bit couch bound and sleepy. It could have been a complete bust, but I pulled it back and got working just before lunch. I wanted to get some paintings finished, do another for my lovely niece for her birthday and dye my hair. I'm happy to report that I managed all of the above, as well as a trip to Asda for the food shop. Victorious are me!

It's been a very hectic week. Work has been flat out chaotic with loads of stuff to do. I hven't made it out of there before 5.30pm any day, and yesterday it was a few minutes to six before I escaped. I'm meant to stop at five, but it just never happens. I've also had some stress in the form of problems with a colleague. I blimmin hate it when that happens. I've done all I can to nip it in the bud, but time will tell if I've been successful.

I'm moving on soon to some landscape work, a subject that I enjoy and haven't really explored for a long time. I'm kind of done with the stuff I've been making lately, so despite the fact that people like it and it sells, I shall be branching out. Before I do, here are my latest pieces.