Sandra Pearce

An ending and beginning

2022-12-26T16:36:00.000+10:00

Those of you who have been following me in 2022 through this blog know that I haven't been as responsive and diligent as previous years. Its been a big 2022 with 2 studios - both needing a renovation and fitout.

But as the year draws to a close, my new studio at Banyo is ready to go. I've got a big wonderful year ahead of me - full of connection and creativity. Workshops, community events, and of course, time for me to get into some gritty making, something that I've missed this year.

I've got a few projects that have been started but not resolved, as well as some very overdue experimentation and playtime with new techniques that I've come across in the last couple of years.

To simplify my admin life, I've decided to transfer my blog across from its current platform of Blogspot to my new studio Wordpress website www.artfromtheurbanwilderness.com.au

For those of you who currently subscribe to my blog via email, I've transferred your email addresses to my Mailchimp list and I will be emailing my blog posts to you from there. You don't need to do anything except please make sure my emails don't fall into the dark abyss of your junk mail folder! If you want to unsubscribe from my blog posts, there will be an unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email.

My new blog is called 'The Paper Notes Blog' and I'll be sharing my studio stories and creative explorations. It'll be same kind of content as what I've been doing for the past ten years on this Blogspot platform. Check out my blog posts on my website HERE

So, to every one of you, thank you for your support over the years, thanks for listening to my ramblings and for your wonderful comments which keep me focussed on what makes us all happy - art! I'll see you in 2023!

On my studio journey

2022-07-31T11:46:00.000+10:00

Its been a while between blog posts which is entirely reflective of the busyness of my art practice since I opened my popup studio at Chermside in April.

For those following my progress on Instagram and Facebook, its been a wonderful time in my little studio - some new friends made and lots of learnings about how to manage my own studio space.

One of the major drawbacks of the Chermside studio was its small size. At only 7metres by 3.5metres, it couldn't accommodate all of my printmaking equipment and more than 4 people. It was cosy but at the same time, stifling and frustrating to have my printmaking resources spread between my home studio and the Chermside studio.

And then all my birthday cake wishes came true.... in the form of a long-time friend who has invested funds into a new studio space from which I will operate a community art studio.

The new studio is spacious but not overwhelming, around 200m2 in a semi-industrial unit in Banyo. Lots of concrete and glass windows. From the outside, there's nothing inspiring about it, but my partner Craig and I have been busy over the last few weeks transforming it into an arts hub.

The renovation and fitout work will continue for another month, there's lots to do, but there'll be a big opening celebration and everyone is invited!

From the outside - lots of
concrete but inside - heaps of potential

Before the renovations started,
a blank canvas

Demolition and repainting of
the main studio space

Upstairs, lovely windows.
This space will have plants and
lots of tables to work at.

Introducing 'Art from the Urban Wilderness'

2022-05-09T15:31:00.002+10:00

Its been longer than usual between my blogs, but with good reason....I've been busy setting up my new studio 'Art from the Urban Wilderness'.

My local Brisbane City Council has a Pop-Up Shop Grant Program, which matches empty shopfronts with creatives and home business wanting to try a shop experience. I put my name down on the list last year, and I very gratefully received an offer of a small space (5m x 7m) in February.

It was an opportunity too good to miss, so I took the plunge and signed a short-term occupancy lease, with Brisbane City Council paying the rent for 2 months. Council also gave me some funds for fitout expenses, which covered paint, flooring, benches, tables, insurance, etc.

I've been in the space now for 5 weeks, which of course has sped by. I've been busy running mini-workshops of 3-4 people, the small size of the space limits numbers of participants but it creates a more personalised experience.

My new studio functions as a print studio and pop-up art gallery, a gathering space for like-minded art friends, and a place where I can spend some time to make work or contemplate my way forward. To stay and pay rent or not......

The studio is located at 44 Latham Street, Chermside. My studio website is www.artfromtheurbanwilderness.com.au

The space prior to fit out - concrete and besser blocks,
but plenty of potential!

Sliding doors at the front bring in the light
and breezes

Opening night, with my artwork on display.
It was really exciting to see my prints up on the wall -
it revealed my obsession with birds
and monoprint!

The studio - on the right my bench seat, cushions
and curtains creates a cozy seated space.
My etching press 'Thumper' is in the foreground.

Open for business!

Reverse Gear for now

2022-02-04T15:42:00.002+10:00

I have a confession to make! In my last blog post, I talked about making without outcomes. That's one of my goals for 2022.

Lets back up to late 2021, when I had the opposite experience (which probably motivated the 'create without outcomes' mantra). I am participating in a printmaking swap, where each artist is required to manipulate/alter another artists' print.

Each artist prints two identical prints. One of those prints remains in its original state, the other is sent to another artist who then 'owns' that print and uses it as a starting point to print over or alter using printmaking processes.

This has probably been the most challenging outcome-focussed work I've ever done. I didn't realise how much hesitation and fear is associated with touching someone else's work. I felt like I was teetering on the edge of a cliff - I MUST do something to resolve an artwork on top of another's work with a looming deadline.

This is the print I was allocated -

Lino print using gray ink by Renee

I worked my way through all the options... work around the image? work on top of the image? Ignore the whole thing and just print dark over the top?

My signature printmaking technique is monotype, with lots of mark making, textures and colours. This just wouldn't do, it would be so busy and everything would clash. I thought about working around the bird image but its pale gray colour wouldn't provide a good focal point.

So I decided to go with collage, incorporating some basic monotypes and a lithograph bird for a focal point. Collage also makes good use of existing prints in my stash, but for this one I needed a bird print on toned paper so I used an existing litho polyester plate to make some curlew prints.

Printing on Kozo, love that fleck

It takes a few prints to
get one or two that are good enough

I opted to use my favourite paper patterns for the monotypes, the transparency of the paper would allow the background lino print to come through without overpowering the curlew image. I stuck to a neutral colour pallete to make the different elements come together.

After a few heart-stopping moments where the glueing went wrong, with subsequent frenzied peeling off of wet layers, I achieved a result I was happy with. I also had to seal it (the glue left it a bit sticky) and back it with stiffer paper so it didn't warp. Of course, the image is very far removed from the original lino but that is the idea of the swap.

The prints (both original and altered) will be exhibited in Brisbane at the Logan Regional Gallery and in Victoria at Firestation Gallery later this year.

'Sub-Tropical' - the final print.
Monotype and Lithograph Collage

Detail, you can see the horizontal lino stripes in the background.
They contrast against the vertical lines of the paper patterns.

Playing around without expectations

2022-01-30T15:34:00.000+10:00

My 2022 resolution is to play more in my studio without expectations (but still enjoy cake at least once a week!). I want to work without outcomes, meaning that what I do in my arts practice is for myself rather than for a specific outcome driven by external requirements. Like making work for an upcoming exhibition. Why not just make work for the enjoyment of it?

A few weeks ago I participated in a workshop by a local artist as part of a gallery run public program. A simple idea - just play with paint and drawing materials. Just the usual materials - pastels, ink, watercolour, pens, paper, brushes. Nothing special, no fancy self-made stick tools and homemade walnut ink but just an emphasis on PLAY. Scary at first - what, no rules???? But then, yippee! I couldn't quite unleash my inner 'Pollock' due to the carpet flooring and limited table space, but I got lost in the mark making anyway.

I went home with several large sheets of watercolour paper decorated. I responded by de-constructing some of the sheets to make books. They are only half-done, I consider what I have already done to be backgrounds and sometime when I feel the need just to play, perhaps on our upcoming caravan travels, I can take out a pen and get lost in the mark making again. Just because it feels good.

Why not?

Banksia inspired,
working from memory, feeling
my way around the seductive cone shapes

scribbling, pushing, blobbing, blowing,
flowing

Back in my studio,
I folded and cut the large sheets up
to form a 'snake' concertina books

I glued some sections together to
form more of a codex book form

I then added covers made from box board
and mulberry paper - I love the feel
of a sturdy cover and the mulberry
paper is so lovely to pat.....
now they are ready to work into
when I'm ready.

Death Cleaning vs Finding the Joy

2021-12-10T15:04:00.000+10:00

Hands up those of you with a paper stash! Or perhaps its a fabric stash, or a book stash, or a leaf stash, or any kind of arty stash? If you're like me, you can't bear to part with any of it, because you never know when you might need it, or you have a project in mind (or its been so long you can't remember what the project was?).

Lately I've been feeling overwhelmed by the size and disorganisation of my stash. Sometimes I know I have something but just can't find it, or can't get to that part of the cupboard due to the other stuff in the way. I hate to admit how much stuff I have, but I know I'm not the only one, especially if you work across a variety of mediums and techniques.

So its time to tidy up, declutter, and refocus my art stash.

Have you read the book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing" by Marie Kondō? Its a great book with lots of fantastic ideas, with the underlying theme of going through your stash asking yourself if each item 'sparks joy'. The problem is that a lot of my art stuff sparks joy!

Have you read "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter" by Margareta Magnusson? Don't leave your stash for someone else to deal with. Deal with it now! I like that idea. I'm going to have to deal with it someday, so I might as well do it now whilst I am physically able to do it.

So I have undertaken to do a mini-destash and reorganisation every week, when I feel like it or when something in my art room really annoys me. I've also been keeping the cardboard boxes from our parcel deliveries as a motivator - get a box and fill it up, then off to the charity shop or sell online. Something comes in, something goes out.

And here is something I'm proud of, a reorganisation of my papers into colours. A simple sort through so I can find what I'm looking for. And I've used a lot of old prints for cards, rather than buy them from someone else. I'm feeling lighter already!

Papers and old prints sorted into colours
and treatments (eg rusted, eco-dyed).
Labels made with a handheld
label machine. Very satisfying!

Red, oranges and yellows

Transparents and neutrals

Artist Residency at Canaipa

2021-10-31T10:48:00.004+10:00

I was recently invited to participate in a group artist residency for the Canaipa Mudlines Art + Environment program, facilitated by artist Sharon Jewell. 14 artists from the Moreton Bay islands and South-East Queensland came together for a week to respond to a special wetlands area on Russell Island (Canaipa) called Turtle Swamp. Russell Island is located a ferry ride away from bayside Brisbane, sheltered within Moreton Bay by North Stradbroke Island. Like a lot of the islands in the area, it has a lot of human residents as well as a healthy population of Bush Stone-curlews.

There were two major components to the residency - a 24 hour studio exhibition of small works and a public walk-through of ephemeral responses created onsite at the Turtle Swamp wetlands and forest. Its a coastal wetland, with plenty of casuarinas, grass trees and forest gums. There were also quite a few ticks and sandflies, which luckily I managed to mostly avoid.

On her blog, Sharon has written some beautiful words about the residency with photographs of most of the forest artworks as well - click HERE to view her blog post.

Below are photos and narratives of my residency experiences:

Before the artwork...

After...."Funeral Bouquet",
acknowledging the violence that tore
the tree in two.
Found plant material wedged between
bark and trunk.

"Funeral Bouquet"

Installation of my work "Letting go"
Text on kozo paper,
installed on Casuarina branches.
I wrote this poem a couple of months ago
as a self-reflection on the busy-ness of my life.
Bringing it into the forest seemed to be
the right response to complete the work
in a physical sense.

letting go

of waiting

of future me - broken, bent

body

mind

of defects with no warranty.

letting go

of dependency

of independency -

I am not my mother.

Or am I?

letting go exhale

of impenetrable processes

thoughts

excuses

of a body growing in all directions.

letting go

of opening

openness

of caveats.

letting go

of empty-bellied mind shafts

dank

dark

of knowing

touching not knowing.

letting go

of myself, then.

letting go

of you, tomorrow. exhale

inhale finding

finding the lightness

counting the spools of golden thread

of living in a collage

without the sharpness of straight lines.

Here I am reading the poem next to my installation
at the public walk-through of the forest.
It was my first poetry performance.

This work is titled "SOS from the forest".
Gouache on wood and Casuarina seedpods.

Banksia Artist Book.
Handmade paper, banksia leaves and thread.
Sometimes the leaves are more beautiful than any
replication via print or drawing.

Here I am playing with rubbing paper on trees,
and doing a bit of tree-hugging at the same time!

The residency allowed me the time and space to play within

art practice within a forest setting. So good!

Advice from a Dung Beetle - a new Artist Book

2021-09-23T16:25:00.003+10:00

I'm continuing on my pledge to reduce my stash of paper and reject prints (as seen in my previous posts).

My latest artist book was inspired by a 2019 BioBlitz that I was selected to participate at as a creative researcher. This is where I met Entomologists who were studying dung beetles. Previously I only thought dung beetles existed in Africa (I saw it on TV once) but I soon learnt that Australia has its own native dung beetles, and they are so fascinating!

Dr Kathy Ebert (an Entomologist) working in the lab
analysing beetles collected in the field studies

Out in the rainforest with the Entomologists.
It was a bit wet, lots of leeches, but
I'm still smiling!

Here I am drawing insects collected, using
a magnifying lamp to see the detail.

The artist book I have made is titled "Advice from a Dung Beetle". The idea started with a poem that I wrote and a lithographic drawing of a dung beetle based on some sketches I did at the BioBlitz.

The design for the book started with an online video tutorial by Helen Hiebert. Its a simple design for a tunnel effect in a concertina format. The idea of the book is that you have to look through the layers of foliage to see the dung beetle, with the poem narrating the activities and life cycle of the beetle.

Here is the poem:

This is the mockup design based on
Helen Hiebert's tutorial

The closed book - the cover is a piece of
thick handmade botanical paper, with a scrap print
on the front (featuring a gelatine print with lithograph beetle print).
The slip band is a piece of kraft card with a gelatine print
fragment and digital text.
The book is approx A6 size, so produces an
intimate viewing experience.

Looking through the book. The imagery features leaves,
and has been created using gelatine prints, drawing and painting.
The cuts out give peep holes into the layers beyond,
like layers of leaves on the forest floor.

A view of the book in its entirety. There is a dung beetle
print on the inside of the back cover that can't be
seen in this view.

Another view looking down the 'tunnel',
the view getting narrower as you look
through the book.
I love the layering of colours,
the greens and the blues.

The Buzz of Bees - a new Artist Book

2021-07-30T11:03:00.007+10:00

I'm continuing on my pledge to reduce my stash of reject prints (as seen in my previous posts).

My latest artist book was inspired by my love of pollinators and native bees. A couple of years ago during experiments with polyester plate lithography, I created a bee drawing using crayon onto a litho plate. I wasn't real happy with the image, so I printed off a few test prints and never used them. Hence they ended up in my stash.

Recently I was re-introduced to a Winged Book structure. I remembered that a few years ago I had made a model based on instructions from Alisa Golden's wonderful book 'Making Handmade Books'.

So began the idea of my 'The Buzz of Bees' artist book. As well as prints, the book features a short piece of my writing 'The buzz of bees is the melody of the garden'. I wanted a positive message in my book, perhaps to offset all the negativity of recent world events. I used traditional letraset, the action of rubbing on the text is a cathartic experience as well as justifying my growing stash of letraset templates....!

Below are some photographs of the completed book and a discussion of my thought processes. Enjoy!

The model book I had made. Very useful
to refer to when making my artist books.

'The Buzz of Bees' closed
with slip-band

The book open.
There are 2 panels of bee prints and the
hexagon patterns were made using
hexagon stencils and gelatine monoprinting.
Simple repetitive printing, and I used a paper mask so I didn't
print over the bee images.

I think that the 3D geometric structure of the concertina with the 'wings'
describes the movement of the bee in and out of the hive.
You can almost here the buzz in the air as the bees go about
their daily routines.

The concertina is made up of square papers, joined at
the 'wings'. The difference between the model and my book is
that I didn't fold down the top of each square. The bottom
is folded up, with the reverse side showing, that's where the text is.

Sketching Banksias into life

2021-06-24T16:03:00.001+10:00

Banksias are a favourite native plant amongst many Australian artists. Their amazing shapes, colours and textures inspires a lot of obsessional art making!

As well as discovering Banksias in the bushlands where I walk and ride, I grow them in my garden. I love how their sculptural forms rise majestically above the other plants. They command the attention of the various honeyeaters as well as the human-sort of visitors to my garden.

Banksia flowering on one of my walks.

The lines of yellow
remind me of the segments of an orange.

And when the colourful show is over,
the pods remain.

One of my interpretations. This is a snapshot from a concertina
artist book on Parchment paper, the watercolours I used on the paper
shine brightly like the banksias in flower.

Another Banksia artist book, this time on Kraft paper
using muted colours in my favourite combination
of blue and brown.

Another artist book, this time I played
with more intense colours,
and brought out some textures with
waxy pencils. This one is also
on kraft paper.

Making a Collage out of a Mountain of Papers

2021-05-30T16:06:00.005+10:00

I have a lot of prints that I have made over the years - monoprint, drypoint, relief, cyanotype, eco-dyeing. And a lot of collected and gathered papers in my drawers - ones that I have made myself from plants, as well as those from more exotic 'far-away' places like Japan. And I can't ignore the growing stash of old books sourced from thrift shops - bird books, garden books, insect books, dictionaries and thesauruses.

I came to realise the extent of my stash during the COVID lockdown last year. OMG. I have a lot of paper. And I need to use it.

So my new series of works have been focusing on creating collage works incorporating all those lovely papers. Well probably not all, but some of them at least. And I am going to try not to bring home any more paper......

So I've been busy creating a small series of works mounted on a board base (used for painting). I spent many happy hours shuffling through my papers, finding just the right ones, then figuring out the right composition (like sweating over a jigsaw without a reference photo), before gluing them on the board and finishing off with a light coat of encaustic wax.

Hopefully some of them will be off to new homes soon, and my studio and I will feel a bit lighter for a while (until I come across more paper which I can't possibly resist!).

So how's your stash? 😁😁😁

Listening to Kozo and Kangaroo Grass

2021-04-29T16:57:00.000+10:00

Late last year I participated in an international online kozo papermaking workshop with US artist Amy Richard. Read about it in my blog post HERE. Amy is offering another round of workshops during May, you can find information on the workshops HERE.

I have made kozo paper both in Australia and Japan, but never from the point of collection of the fibre from the Paper Mulberry tree, so Amy's workshop was very enlightening as to the whole process.

From the kozo paper that I have made, I created an artist book. I wanted to capture both the long meditative process of kozo papermaking with the soft rustling sound of kangaroo grass heads waving in the breeze. Kangaroo grass is a native grass that I grow in my garden - its leaves make nice paper and the seed heads are wonderful to use in my monoprinting.

For this book, I chose white oil based etching ink. Oil based for a long drying time which extends my working time, and white so that I could play with the idea of ephemerality and the gorgeous transparency of the paper.

I have titled the book 'Silent : Listen' which is from a poem I wrote during a kayaking trip amongst the mangroves:

I cut through

jagged reflections

drifting

silent

then with the exhale

of the full tide

my ears

mouth

listen

Even though the poem describes a moment in a kayak journey, it also speaks about the healing power of listening.

And this is my artist statement:

This long landscape format book is a meditation on the beauty of the kozo fibre and the native Kangaroo Grass which grows in my garden. I have gently layered the transparent kozo with the pale ghost imagery of the seed heads waving gracefully in the breeze to honour a quiet moment of contemplation.

I embedded thread into some of the papers
when I made them.
The grass imagery is printed over the top
when the papers were dry.

The book is a long landscape format
with a machine sewn spine, like a stab
binding. Its meant to be loose and casual to
reflect its meditation on the grass and fibre.
The long soft pages slow down the
experience of the book.

I machine sewed the book title
which is printed with letterpress.
I'm aiming to print the whole poem in letterpress
one day, just need to get back into
Fiona's studio as I don't have letterpress equipment.
.

Mangroves, arts practice and sense of self

2021-03-31T01:00:00.003+10:00

My direction in art over the past 12 months has been shifting to a mode where I am getting to know my self better through connection with place. For me, that place is mangrove creeks and tidal zones. I have a strong history of family connections to coastal and tidal zones - my Dad was a keen fisherman and now that he has been gone for over 10 years, my memories of him are found amongst the mangroves.

I don't consider myself to be a writer, but I am using words to explore and discover more about the connection between myself and place.

My casuarina skeleton lies like a bridge
connecting creek water to eroded bank,
my strength devoured by the hunger of a full moon surge,
my roots parched and shriveled, straining
against the ash of salt-laden air
holding both my breath and reclamation.

- I will return to the earth one day

This work is a study of mangrove leaves found washed up on the high tide mark.
I was amazed at the variety of colours, so I made a long
concertina of watercolour paper, with watercolour, pen and pencil
drawings. I also added a few words of poetry that I had
written - the words flow between the leaves along the
length of the book, a celebration of detritus and decay.

Mangroves, Mud and my obsession

2021-03-24T13:38:00.000+10:00

I have come to the conclusion that I have a bit of an obsession about mangroves. I'm drawn to tidal creeks, the sculptural form of prop roots, the tang of decaying leaves in the mud, the song of honeyeaters. Over the past 12 months, I've been doing a lot of writing about my relationship to mangroves, trying to figure it out, and as a consequence my arts practice has become increasing tied to my sense of self and mangroves in tidal creeks.

My next few blog posts will focus on how I have used words and creative play to explore my experience of these magical but often unappreciated places.

A forest of putrid ugliness.

you think it
you say it

but I hear
whispered pulses of the rising tide,
soothing hands stroking the casuarina,
a heron’s beak striking the fingerling,
a lone mangrove seed falling,
falling.

I do my best thinking on my
bike or in my kayak,
the notebook is always ready!

Cotton Tree leaves - my
other obsession!

Cotton Tree leaf drawing -
coloured pencil and white pen
on toned paper

Work in Progress - using watercolour
over the top of a rejected monoprint.
I used myself-made colour chart to
figure out what colour would
sit best against the busy background.

Completed artwork (detail photo)

Another one - using ochre colours

Forming the sheets - papermaking with local kozo

2021-01-16T14:34:00.000+10:00

Hello everyone! Welcome to a new year, a new start, full of new opportunities and continuing challenges.

In November last year, I posted about an online papermaking workshop that I have been participating in. Read about it HERE.

Since then I've progressed further with my process - including cooking and beating, as well as the most exciting part - the forming of the sheets.

It was a long, very physical process, different to my usual fibres of native grasses and banana trunks. A surprisingly meditative process (in other words, lots of patience and attention required!). Not something I'd do if I was in a rush.

I produced a small series of sheets, using both a Japanese-style sugeta and my western style mould with a circle deckle. I've very happy with completed sheets - they have the softness and strength of kozo, though a little more beige than the white sheets I made in Japan a few years ago. That's most likely from contamination from the outer bark. But I'm very proud that I made it myself - from the sourcing, the collecting, the peeling, the stripping, the cooking, the hand beating, and the forming of sheets. An intense journey over a couple of weeks!

During the workshop I enjoyed connecting with papermakers from the other side of the world (Northern hemisphere) and listen to their own journeys with this beautiful fibre.

Many thanks to Amy our tutor in Florida for her documentation and videos which will continue to assist me as I work my way through the rest of the fibre that I have collected (I have only used a tiny fraction of what I collected so far!).

I'm planning on using my kozo sheets to create an artwork for submission to the International Paper Fibre Art Biennial Exhibition Kozo Contemporary exhibition later this year.

Paper Mulberry inner bark fibre during cooking.
I used washing soda to break down the fibres.

Hand beating with a mallet, an art in itself
as well as a work out!

The beaten fibre. I preferred my fibre
with a bit of texture, so I probably didn't
beat it as long as I should have....

I used okra to create my formation aid,
which is a viscose liquid added to the vat
to help the fibres float in the water.
This helps to create more even sheets.

My circle sheet of paper on my
western-style mould,
ready to couch off.

My homemade Sugeta,
using an old sushi mat.
There's a sheet of paper on there ready to couch.
Luckily I used one of these in Japan a few years
ago so I had some idea on how to form the sheet,
but its still very tricky as I remember!

You can see the beautiful textures
of the dried kozo paper.

Circle sheets drying on my board.

Trying out Letterpress

2020-12-03T23:00:00.001+10:00

Anyone can print text onto paper using their computers and home printers, but there's something special about type that has been pressed with ink into paper. For me, there is a mystery and allure of letterpress, the serendipity of slight imperfections of old wood type, the breaking down of words into single letters arranged and printed by hand.

I've been working with artists books for many years, and have been wanting to try out letterpress as a way of incorporating text into my work. I like the idea of hand printed type sitting alongside my monoprints and lithographs. I've also been working on some creative writing projects this year, so would love to print some of my poetry using letterpress.

So, once Covid-safe restrictions allowed, my first step was to spend a day at a letterpress studio, to see what the process of letterpress was. I visited Deckle Edge Press, run by calligraphic and book artist Fiona Dempster in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast (fionadempster.com). The moment I walked through the doors, I knew I was in art heaven. The walls of her studio are lined with an assortment of large wooden cases, with long narrow drawers packed with metal and wood type, as well as various printing presses, rubber rollers, papers and plenty of inspiration in the displays of Fiona's beautiful and thoughtful artworks.

For my first go, I picked a couple of words from one of my poems ' Silent : Listen '. It was exciting to be able to select the font, then find the tray of type, then set up my 'chase' - which is the metal frame which holds the type to be printed. There is an amazing letterpress language which has been developed over the centuries - for example, forme, fount, furniture, galley, leads, make ready, pica, planer, quoin, reglet, slug ...the list goes on!

I was able to print my words onto a variety of papers, including my handmade papers. I plan to use the papers as a basis for prints, perhaps a series. And I'd like to go back and print the rest of the poem now that I have some experience with handling the type. I'm trying not to take on any more art techniques, but I can see that I'll be right at home working with letterpress in Fiona's studio when I'm ready to take the next step.

One of the trays of metal type

Setting up the type block with my chosen font,
I had to remember to put it in backwards/upside down.

Yay! A successful print.

Soooo beautiful

Soooo organised

There's something so lovely about
old ink-stained wood

That's a BIG H....!

Papermaking in a Pandemic world

2020-11-28T11:03:00.000+10:00

This year many of us have been relying on Zoom and other digital platforms to participate in the arts community.

One of my recent experiences has been to participate 'virtually' in an international papermaking workshop.

The workshop is being supported by the National Taiwan Craft Research Institute with workshop tutor Amy Richard from the USA.

The workshop has been offered to artists to develop skills in working with kozo fibre, challenging and inspiring them to translate their fibre into creative art works, which hopefully will be exhibited in the International Paper Fibre Art Biennial Exhibition Kozo Contemporary exhibition in 2021. I'm one of 14 artists selected to participate, from countries such as Taiwan, United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, and USA.

Its an interesting format, with face-to-face discussions via Google Meet as well as course content delivered via slide shows and pre-recorded videos. Sorting out the different time zones for everyone to meet up was interesting!

The kozo fibre is sourced from the Paper Mulberry plant. This is an introduced weed species in Australia, so my first challenge was to find a reliable source in my home town of Brisbane. I did a lot of online research using databases such as the Living Atlas of Australia (www.ala.org.au) as well as reaching out to local conservation groups. I personally visited at least six sites without any luck in finding the plant, but after some intense focused bush-bashing and creek rock-hopping, I found what I needed to be able to collect enough fibre.

Kozo is a beautiful fibre, used in countries such as Korea and Japan for papermaking, and its made using the inner bast of the branches of the Paper Mulberry.

As I've worked my way through the online modules of the workshop, I've learnt how to steam, strip, and clean the fibres. The next step is the cooking and hand beating, then finally onto forming sheets - this will feature in a future blog post.

Below are some photographs of my progress so far -

Jackpot! I found what I was looking for.

Collected branches - ready to steam,
then I strip the bark off.

Scraping the outer bark from the inner bark

The kozo fibre, ready for cooking.

Open Press Project

2020-10-30T13:27:00.000+10:00

I'm a lucky printmaker. I own two etching presses - a large studio press as well as a medium size portable press. I also own an Xcut diecut machine (used in scrapbooking) which enables me to print A4 or smaller prints and is excellent for travel and workshops.

But recently I discovered the Open Press Project. The aim of this international project is to open up accessibility to printmaking to more people through mini etching presses that are 3D printed.

They can be ordered through their website openpressproject.com or you can get your own printed, which is what I did.

The designs are printer-ready and available for free via the links on their website, with lots of advice about the print settings required. I don't have a 3D printer so I sent the information to a local suburban guy who I found via google. He gave me a quote, which was just over $110AUD.

When I received the parts, I gave a few of the pieces like the rollers and bed a light sand then put them together. Its pretty easy. In addition, I had to get a few bolts and nuts from the hardware store and cut a small felt blanket from a few scraps that I had in my stash. For studio use, I'll need to screw the press to a piece of wood so I can clamp it to my studio benchtop.

Although I could assemble the press quite easy, I found a YouTube video by Imagination Labs which was helpful. Its also fascinating to watch the printing process.

My little press weighs 377grams including the bed. If I don't glue it together I can dissemble it for travel or storage if I want. It measures 10cm W x 13cm L x 15cm H. The bed is 7.5cm W x 14.3L. I'm thinking I could get a longer bed printed if I wanted to make longer prints.

My first test print was a small collagraph plate of a fern (which I had put together some time ago), and I printed it intaglio style. A total success!

This opens up a heap of possibilities for everyone, thank you to Martin and Dominik of Open Press Project.

I can see that this little press will come in handy for our caravan and camping trips... I could even sneak it into my kayak! 😀

My "Mini-Me" 3D printed etching press

My collagraph plate,
before inking with Akua ink

Revealing the print.

The print (and plate).

Watercolour Leaf Printing

2020-08-30T00:00:00.002+10:00

I knew there was a reason I'm a facebook user..... I ignore all of the depressing news stuff and follow some very interesting art related groups. These groups bring together like-minded people who post all sorts of photos and information about what they doing in their art studios. Sometimes I find some particularly tempting techniques, such as leaf printing using watercolours.

I give my acknowledgements and thanks to Karen Rush who posted in Craft Press Printmakers facebook group, where she introduced this technique that she learned from Rebecca Chamlee of Pie in the Sky Press.

Its a straightforward process. You paint dry leaves with watercolours, let dry, then print onto damp watercolour paper. Its wonderful that something so simple can produce lovely results, without all the mess and fuss of the usual monoprinting processes.

I've shared this technique a couple of times with friends, and we've had a great time sitting around a table (social distanced of course!) painting, printing, chatting..... and then laughing over the ones that don't quite work.

I'm grateful that at the moment we can gather together with friends to make art, but if you can't, please try it yourself. Its a great dining table activity with children or if you have a spare hour or two.

To print the leaves, I used my Xcut diecut machine, but you could use any craft press or manual pasta maker. You could try hand printing, but you may not get the detail of the veins or it might move around a bit. Of course you can always 'tweak' the less successful ones with a fine marker pen and more watercolour when it drys. Nothing is ever wasted!

Two colours on a grevillia leaf.
Leaves with interesting silhouettes and veins are best.

Two or more colours works best.
I put a layer of pink, let it dry a bit, then
added the paynes grey.

Yes this is a print, not the actual leaf!
I've found that the colour improves
after a few prints and re-inkings.
This one started with orange, then a mix of yellow ochre,
sepia then other colours I can't remember....
That's the magic of monoprinting,
it keeps it secrets well!

Beautiful colours and a bit of embossing too.

Applying watercolour, but
keeping water to a minimum because you
need the pigment to be strong.
Let dry before printing.

Another beautiful leaf!
I think its the one I'm painting in the photo above.
These will make beautiful cards - I use double
sided tape to mount the print onto coloured card.

Sharing Nature Sketchbooks

2020-08-21T15:31:00.008+10:00

Covid-19 restrictions on gatherings have eased in Queensland, for a while perhaps, so I'm finally able to offer face-to-face workshops again. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to get back into running workshops in this 'new normal' world of hand sanitiser and social distancing.

I'm currently facilitating a series of 'Mixed Media Nature Sketchbook' workshops, combining gelatine plate monoprinting with drawing and watercolours in a concertina format. Its a technique I've developed to combine my love of printmaking with the intimacy of sketching. My books are always centered on a personal experience of place, usually involved with travel to national parks or coastal areas.

The following photos highlight the results of two of my recent workshops, I hope you enjoy the imagery as much as my workshop participants did!

My work, a workshop demonstration

My work, scribbly gum inspired, workshop demonstration

Student work, I love the watercolour work on this one.
Viridian green can be hard to work with, but it really makes the work pop

Student work, guess what her favourite colours are!
I love seeing colour combinations that are so different to my own.

Student work, in progress.
This book was inspired by wattle trees.

Student work, wonderful to see them all at the end of the workshop!

Beautiful work girls! A lovely day out for a group of like-minded friends.

Nature Journaling and Writing

2020-06-29T13:57:00.000+10:00

Over the past few weeks, I've been working with Brisbane City Council to help facilitate a series of nature journaling workshops.

It seems that nature journaling has become more popular as we try to reconnect more directly with the natural world around us. This is very promising as its introducing a wide range of people and children to a world they usually only glance at as they walk through forest and parks.

I don't regard myself as a 'nature journaler'. I think sometimes the technique gets a bit too caught up in layout and design. I'm more of a sketchy scratcher - my sketchbook is full of odds and ends of pencil, pen, watercolour and writing, some pages half-done, some abandoned, some loved to death.

During the workshops, I really enjoyed sharing my love of art and the natural world with others and being able to give each person a way of entering into the world of observation, curiousity and 'slow' journaling. My emphasis was on using writing (for example, asking questions, recording sensory experiences, lists, or weather observations) and not being concerned with the 'right' way to do it, just record your own story, your own experience of this place, this eco-system, this plant.

By the way, I gained some of my skills via the free 6-week online Natural History Illustration course - click HERE for more information.

And now for a few photos, including a few from my sketchbook. I hope that you might get out into nature soon with your sketchbook and pencil. Take a moment or two to give the natural world your full attention. The attention it deserves.

Nature Journaling at Boondall Wetlands

Some pages from my sketchbook

Drawing inspiration from the natural world

2020-05-24T11:58:00.000+10:00

I've developed a new habit - notetaking - when out and about walking, riding, or kayaking in local bushland and creek areas. It's a habit which I've developed since I've started exploring poetry and creative writing. My goal is to get impressions and words out of my head and down onto paper immediately when the thoughts come to me. I've found that I think deeper and more creatively when I'm in the environment. And I also forget to write things down I get back to the car or home.

I made a couple of simple pamphlet stitch notebooks using an old sketchbook and some reject prints. Even though I have lots of ready-made notebooks, its so nice to make your own. It's also the perfect size to fit into the palm of my hand.

At home, I transcribe my notes into word lists, which I then use as a source for writing my poetry. I've found that the notetaking is really helping me with my observation and attention skills when out in nature. And writing it down in-situ avoids any memory frustrations 😊

Here's some examples of poetic exercises in which I've used my notes from a recent kayak trip:

Syllabic Verse - Two Stanzas of alternating 7-5-7 syllables

Olive green water, opaque
ripples mirror my
boat drifting with the current.

Horizontal branches reach
out, filtering light,
soft shadows and reflections.

Syllabic Verse - One stanza of verse running 3 6 1 4 8 4 1 6 3 syllables

Bronze liquid,
rhythm of paddle strokes,
silt
clothed in shadows.
Mangrove honeyeater forest
ends suddenly,
storm
water outflow like a
waterfall.

So much inspiration amongst the mangroves -
reflections, the smell of mud, honeyeaters,
leaves.....

Paddling a kayak and writing in my notebook
can be a challenge....but luckily my partner
Craig is very patient and waits for me.
He is already used to me taking photos and
a few selfies!

My handmade notebook, also
challenging to keep it dry when
out on the water

Some of my notes....errrrr....scribbled
observations!

Distractions, Diversions and Divine Interventions

2020-05-12T09:49:00.002+10:00

In my last post I referred to things not going to plan. Well, its been nearly six weeks of Covid-19 lockdown and I've found myself in a totally unexpected place with respect to my art practice.

I have to admit I've lost my art 'mojo'. I'm normally right into my printing, drawing, making - I'm quite prolific. I've got folders and boxes full of prints, artist books, various work-in-progress, UFOs (unfinished objects), and art supplies. Plenty of evidence of a healthy, productive and enjoyable art practice centred around making, creating and doing.

But for the past couple of weeks, I haven't felt the need to make anything. My printing presses lay idle, I haven't touched my gelatine plate, no inks to clean up.

But I have been busy, and embracing the change in direction. I've been busy looking after 'me', doing a 'spring cleaning' of my art practice. More time thinking, reading and writing.

Lets wind back the clock to earlier this year before we had heard of Covid-19...... I signed up for a 12 month research program with art educator Ruth Hadlow, with five other artists. The program has a focus on reading, writing and guided working on individual art/research projects. My goal for this program was to challenge myself, work on some new ideas, and experiment with a new direction.

And having the lockdown has helped interrupt my 'routine' and enabled me to slow down and divert off onto a new road.

In the past few weeks, I've embraced a new way of working for a while - thinking and writing.
I'm studying the art of creative writing, specifically poetry, using audiobooks and ebooks. I've enjoyed listening to Stephen Fry with his book 'An Ode less Travelled', learning about poem structure. I'm also working my way through Diane Lockwards' books 'The Crafty Poet'.

And what I've learnt is that writing is helping me to focus my attention, much like drawing helps you to observe better. Words are helping me to connect with the ideas floating around in my head, getting them down onto paper is giving me a new perspective on my passion for the natural world. I can see how this mode of practice will give my making more meaning and satisfaction.

So you might see a few more creative words in my blog posts in the future, but don't worry it won't be all words, I can feel my urge to make something again getting stronger and more insistent ....or maybe that's because my world is slowing coming out of lockdown again, the spell is being broken!

The Artist is in Residence - playing with drypoint

2020-04-21T12:47:00.001+10:00

Week 4 of lockdown and I'm getting more comfortable with my new 'normal' routine.

I think I can admit at this stage that having more time at home doesn't equate to a productive art studio. There's still plenty of distractions - beautiful weather, bike rides, kayaking adventures in local creeks, a large backyard habitat garden to maintain, art webinars, applying for funding, all those yummy recipes I've wanted to try, and neglected sewing projects that I was waiting for that spare time to tackle.

So for this week's artist in residence at home, I have only managed to play around with some drypoint printing of wrens and Willy Wag Tails. I had taken some photos of these cute birds at home and on past camping trips, so it was time to use the photos to make some small drypoints.

I like these simple prints, just a bird, no background, to bring out the bird's character and appeal.

As usual, not all goes to plan.....

Drawing on the plate using source photograph

Applying textures using sandpaper, this
holds the tone on the plate

First print from that plate....URGH!
Not at all the result I wanted, after a couple more prints
I decided that it was the plate that was the problem.
Time to start again.

The new plate in progress, just a simple outline to start with.

A print from the new plate, with the simple outline.
Needs a lot of work, but I've been distracted
gardening, sewing, cycling, kayaking etc etc.
Work in Progress!

A cute wren photograph I took on a camping trip

Print from my drypoint plate.

Willy Wag Tail in my garden.

Willy Wag Tail print.

Testing out hand colouring using watercolours on a photocopy.
Red? Green? Sepia?

Handcoloured print.
The yellow ochre paint helps to give the
print a lift and highlight the bird. So cute!

The Artist is in Residence - Exploring the Mangroves and Tidal Zones

2020-04-08T11:20:00.004+10:00

How's your lockdown/stay-at-home time going? I'm continuing with my self-residency @ home daydream.....

Since I 'returned' from my virtual lithographic residency in the mountain rainforest (see last week's POST), I've been lurking around tidal zones amongst the mangroves and mud. It's a favourite place of mine, with lots of childhood memories associated with it.

We've been out on our kayaks a couple of times in the past week, luckily kayaking for fitness is allowed under the lockdown laws!

So this week at my self-residency @ home I decided to finish off a project. It was intended for an exhibition in June, but that has of course been postponed, but its time I resolved the artwork.

To get you in the mood and so you can fully appreciate my headspace in this week's residency project, here's a short video of me out on the water in my kayak. It might give you a feel of the moment I'm blissfully just floating along listening to the birds. If the video doesn't play via your email feed, you can view it directly on my BLOG or Instagram feed.

The work I completed this week is some 3D sculptures of mangrove seeds. I wanted to have larger-than-life seeds to hang on the wall, featuring monoprints using leaves from the tidal zones. The scultpures will sit alongside some other works on paper that I started in this blog HERE.

So my first step was to print lots of monoprints on lightweight papers, such as tissue and japanese kozo. Its great fun and freeing to randomly print without worrying about composition. I used my oil-based inks and my Xcut press for maximum colour and detail. Here are a few samples:

The next step was to make the mangrove seeds. I created wire and paper frameworks then covered them in a product called Paper Magiclay. Its a lovely soft flexible product that air dries. It was a fun process recreating my large seed models based on the shapes of actual seed pods. I inserted small loops of wire on the back so the seeds can seamlessly hang on the wall, like they're floating.

I then tore my prints into small pieces and glued them onto the paper seeds, in a paper mache-like style. I used a mixture of Yamanto japanese glue and PVA. I painted the seed tips with acrylic paint and I also printed using my gelatine plate over the top in sections to add some more detail. More is better!

In progress

The final step this week was to apply encaustic wax, to seal the work and give it a rich dimensional look. This is a 2 step process - applying liquid wax then fixing it with a heat gun. Drippy, messy fun!

I melt my wax in tins in a skillet filled with water, on a low heat
setting. I use unrefined beeswax that I source from farmers markets.

Applying heat to the wax melts it into the paper
and makes it transparent.

The end result is some interesting representations of the mangrove seed. I like the layers of prints using leaves from the tidal zones on top of the seed structure, as a kind of representation of the connection of the different elements from the tidal zone.

I'm happy with the completed works, hopefully they will get selected and exhibited when the galleries are open again. In the meantime, they'll hang on my wall, assuming I manage to find a spot amongst all the other artworks!

The finished works.
The longest one measures 64cm.