Moo Cards And More Etchings

I have been happily etching away this week and I am quite pleased with the results. The lower picture will need to be enlarged as it is a very long image. I just happened to have a long piece of perspex and knew I had the perfect drawing for it. The mermaid image is one I drew a long time ago and I love it but I am not impressed with the Rhenalon plate that I used in place of perspex. I bought some from Lawrences' as I thought it sounded like a nice alternative to perspex but it is very thin, flexible and very slippery to etch. Because it is so thin there is very little plate mark and the actual impression is not as sharp as I would like. I will definitely re-etch the same image but either on perspex or copper. I think my inking and wiping technique is improving too. It is really wonderful to pull the plate through the press and draw back the paper for the first time to see what the etching is like. I may use one of the two mermaid etchings I have produced to try out watercolour washes just to see what the effect is. I am also going to try out some alternative ink which is washable in soap and water and is different from the oil based Charbonnel ink. I made a terrible mess of shirt and trousers when inking up the other day. It gets everywhere....!

Craster Mermaid Etching (Craster is a lovely little fishing village on the Northumbrian coast where I am sure mermaids play)

The Tree Is Heavy But The Birds Are Light Etching

We were asked to carrying out feeding duties for the kitties at my brother and his partner Lesley's house two weeks ago. A great photo opportunity for me and I spent quite a long time with them in the garden trying to get the perfect shot. They complied with my requests a few times. Sheba, the fourth and eldest of the cats, was far too sleepy to join in the feline rumpus.

Pixie (mum) keeping an eye on the youngsters

Poppy showing off among the wild strawberries

Abby beautifully framed by the greenery in the garden

Trevor Kemp was born in 1935 and trained as a painter/printmaker in Kent and later at the RAA. He is retired now due to ill health but continues to draw and paint. His wonderfully graphic prints are displayed at the Emma Mason Gallery here but these are my two favourites.

Horned Rams

Cows Under Tree

I found out from fellow blogger Gillian of Iheartcrafts blog about the offer of free moo cards except for £3 p&p. They all have Etsy and Moo info on them at the bottom though. I thought I would give it a go as I have always wanted to try out Moo business cards and this was a cheap way of seeing if I liked them. I chose 50 of my own designs and I am really pleased with how they turned out. A lot of the images had to be cropped to fit but on the whole they look really good all together like this. Now I have seen what they are like I may decide to order some proper ones without the advertising on. The offer still seems to be on although it says it expires at the end of April 2010 so if you want to try them out get over here asap.

A beautiful river which runs through a nearby town. One of my favourite places for walking.

I love these beautiful pieces by textile artist Karen Young. She has lived on Somerset's lovely Levels since 1986 and you can see that a lot of her inspiration comes from the area. I think the depictions of Glastonbury Tor and the pollarded willows are very evocative. The Tor is one place I am determined to see myself one day. Karen uses her own photographs, dyed fabrics, painted papers and stitchery to create her lovely works. You can see more images of her work on her website here.

Grey Green Tor

Somerset Rape

One Man, One Wife

Aren't these quirky wooden mechanical toy figures gorgeous? They are by maker Jane Ryan who studied Fine Art at Chelsea and then moved to Cornwall. They are made from reclaimed wood and are beautifully decorated. You can find these at the Janet Bell Gallery here.

Man And Dog

Love Machine With Three Gulls

Rigby Graham is a very well known painter/printmaker who trained at Leicester and originally became an illustrator and muralist. He is now known as one of the foremost landscape painters in the country. I particularly love his beautiful graphic woodcuts, four of which are illustrated below. He has always had a particularly strong connection with Ireland which has inspired a good deal of his work. There are also two books about his work which can be found on his website here along with a huge array of his art.

Doneraile Goat

Tretower, Powys, Wales

Brighton Pier

Annaghdown Castle