Let's Talk Art Blog

Am I a squirrel? Though I might not look like one, I think I'm starting to behave like one! I'm bouncing around the studio between paintings, somewhat like a squirrel leaping acrobatically among the trees. Have you ever seen a squirrel looking as if it's not sure what to do next? I don't think I have.

I am a collector of interesting packaging - not just for printmaking, but sometimes I just can't go past the structure offered by an unusual box! Everything gets vetted before it goes in the recycle bin....

Where do all the words go when I'm painting? I think a lot. And more often than not those thoughts wander around in my brain as words. When I'm in the studio, thinking about what comes next in my process, or the merits of one colour over another, or my next texture for the gel plate, these ideas are always formulated in my mind with words.

My latest work on paper began with a cool colour palette, which I eventually added to with a few warmer colours. This was an interesting sketch as I found several learnings to take away from it.

This Vlog is all about gelli printing onto larger sheets of paper and building up layers to create papers for collage. When I'm looking for papers for collage I love to discover structure within the layers of paint and print, and the stripes created by removing excess paint from the roller onto a 'dump' sheet make a great starting point. I returned to my weeds for this video and took impressions from them in a couple of different ways.

I always feel totally clueless........ in the beginning. But it's really the best way to feel at the start of a painting. And for me, the only way to feel when I'm staring at a blank canvas.