continued making over the summer

i just thought i’d post about a few things that i have been up over the summer so far. perhaps not working to the same intensity that i had been during term time but keeping thing moving all the same.

‘impressions’ print biennale: one of the first things that came up was being selected to show one of my ‘stereograph’ screen prints in ‘impressions’ print biennale in Galway for Galway Art Festival. i had to send a digital image first for initial consideration and then had to deliver my work framed for second selection consideration. i managed to pass through both of these selection processes, all though for one of my stereographs and not two as i initially submitted. turns out the selection was juried by architect Ian Richie who is also a print-maker. anyway, i’m glad i got to the opening as it was a lovely celebration of print making with a poignant speech made by one of the organisers about the value of printmaking and following your interests no matter how individual. i did think my ‘stereograph’ looked kind of odd on its own and without any context of my work but maybe that’s why it was selected. delighted to be part of this all the same.

impressions print biennale

animation and digital media workshop: i spent a week in NCAD doing a cpd course on stop/go animation, video and photograph editing. although i did this course to develop ideas for my teaching practice, i reckon stop/go animation might be relevant and fun to try out in relation to landscape and image making and lots of ideas came to mind. i was pretty familiar with other areas covered in terms of editing video and photographs but it was good to try some new editing programmes for the classroom.

foraging, landscape and screen printing: it was lovely to return to screen printing after a few weeks off. my last screen printing sessions left me wanting to continue using  physical objects rather than images for screen printing so i foraged around in the hedgerows in tipp and gathered up a selection to make stencils with. as ever, i decided to work towards an open call brief for a print exchange in oregon and have now sent them off to. i also created a brief of my own and printed a very small edition for someone connected to this landscape and place. i think the combination of object and image in terms of landscape might be an interesting next step. i think the notion of connection and contact is also something to think about.

screen print using landscape/hedgerow in gortussa

 summer hedgerow screen print edition of 12 for whiteaker print exchange oregon

black and white photo processing: i set myself the challenge over the summer to test out analogue processes re image making. testing my slr and b & w film and photo developing was something that cropped up during last year and although it has been 20 years since i did film developing it all felt kind of familiar in the dark room – especially the distinct smell of the chemicals. i signed up for a one day course with ‘the darkroom’ studios as a way to re-familiarise myself with development times, chemicals and basic dos and don’ts. it was a great day and although i couldn’t get my slr working (needs a new and unusual type of battery) i borrowed a nice nikon and we went out and about shooting the area. we developed the film and had time to develop a couple of images too. it was also nice to meet like minded people and i picked up lots of information which i hope i recall once my slr is up and running again. the printed photo is so physical, having gone through the hand turning, bathing and washing process. even the format of the strips of negative images hanging seemed to connect with my ‘contact’ screen print work.

workshop: black and white analogue processes

ambos lados: both sides (of the border): yesterday i got a nice surprise in the post –  a publication of a project/print exchange that i took part in between mexico and el paso. nice to see my work featured in this project where print makers reached out to each other across a contentious border.

ambos lados: both sides (of the border) featuring one of my screen prints

lots of other half baked ideas rattling around in my head which may take form over the the summer break. am also doing a (slow) decluttering of my studio which may also take all summer ….. to be continued