Sunday 13 April 2014

busy bits .....

It has been a crazy few weeks in the studio with nothing really exciting to post about other than the completion of my bird book - or at least my part of it and now it is with Fiona who is adding some text ready for the 'Two Books Meet' on World Book Day on April 23rd.

This doesn't mean that is all that has been done but the rest is not new work but the editioning of etchings for up coming and recent events.  We have Maleny Printmakers exhibition over Easter and I needed to have work ready for that - printed a number of etchings from the 'sand drawings' plates and finally, after many years sitting as proofs, I printed and editioned some of my door knobs.  I am happy with how they turned out and in fact have framed three of them together as part of the Easter Exhibition.

I spent days printing some of my "In Between Dreams Series' and dug out the etching plates of a series of four flower etchings I had done a few years ago ..... all for a studio visit day.  A group of women were coming up from Brisbane and further afield to visit gardens here between Flaxton and Maleny and my friend and neighbour, whose garden was the venue for morning tea, asked if they could come and see my studio.  There were going to be about 40 of them and we thought that would work if half of them were dropped here first, and then the other half came after their morning tea and wander around her garden.  As it worked out, there were 63 lovely ladies and they all arrived here simultaneously!  It was impossible to move and I ended up by talking a little about etching processes, a little about the bird book with which I was struggling as it was evident on the desk in front of me.  It was impossible to really see all the work I had on walls or displayed on cabinets as the crush was huge.  A few determined and interested women squeezed their way around looking and weaving their way to me for questions and expressing intent to re visit when there was not such a crush.

For all that, it was good exposure and it forced me to get quite an amount of work done - which is now ready for my Open Studio days in October.  Many of them left their emails and asked to be invited so that was good. A couple of sales were also sweet.

a glimpse of the completed book ready for the reveal next week

details of sand drawings









three of the Italian Door Knob series





watercoloured etchings



and some experiments for the book heading to Belgium which will never see the light of day!










9 comments:

  1. SB - you are truly talented - such a variety of pieces and all filled with such imager, colour, texture and marks. B

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    1. Thanks Barry - feeling anything but talented at present I must say. A little all over the place and looking forward to just focussing on some work I choose to do - and exploring it thoroughly. Bit tired of jumping all around ....

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  2. I have been playing with your book today…almost there I think. I love that second last image for 14-18;, I think you are onto something there...

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    1. I had to laugh at your comment Fiona - if you saw that second last image in the flesh - you would tell me, as I have already decided, to throw it in the bin. That was where my burning took to flame - and I was glad to be by the sink! Not sure I am brave enough to include burning - but may have another try. And the barbed wire .... another bin entry. I will get there...

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  3. All four sets of work have a very different feel but I like them all. Looking forward to the book reveal on World Book Day

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    1. Thanks Jac. As you said - all quite different. The flower prints and door knobs I would definitely put in the 'commercial' basket but it is good to have them in my arsenal I guess. I am looking forward to showing my bird book because after all of the agonising, I found a way through the story which sits more gently with me.

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  4. How beautifully delicate these are. I especially like the tantalising glimpse of the bird book and those sand drawings.

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    1. Thanks Charlton - I too am looking forward to the reveal. Along the really difficult way of this bird book, I learnt a great deal about what I enjoy in being an artist and leaving the illustrator behind. There are some elements I have explored in the process that I will endeavour to explore much further. Exciting .... when time allows!

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  5. I'm a bit late catching up with your blog Susan. Your bird book is beautiful, but I've posted here as I particularly liked the image of your experiment for the 14-18 book. Can't wait to see your finished piece.

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I appreciate your comments - thank you!