Not long now...

Just received a copy of the Derby Museum Guide for July - December and really pleased to see one of my drawings on the cover. I've had to concentrate on doing other things over the last few weeks and it's good to bring the focus back to my real work!

Jerwood Drawing - bit of a rant.

Every year I say never again - and every year I relent....this year is the final time though unless it becomes more Midlands friendly! I decided this year to send work via Edinburgh - my sister has a Wasp studio and just has to go downstairs to drop off work. Mum and Dad visited her last month and she was in the Midlands yesterday so in theory I could have avoided any transport costs and had it there in plenty of time. No, that would be too easy - I went online back in May, paid my £18 and then realised the work submission form and labels weren't available until after 5pm today (4 days before the work will be picked up??). I rang to see if there was any way I could get them earlier - as far as I know they are identical every year - No, not possible. So, I've just got back from work all ready to download, pack and prepare for posting tomorrow. The work submission form is online but I can't find the work labels anywhere? So I just have to hope they are online tomorrow morning. Do these people not realise some of us have jobs or other commitments which mean we need to organise in advance. Why can't we have a Midlands pick up??Aghhhh!

If you're in Liverpool...

Not only is the above exhibition on but Drawing Papers # 3 is now available. Drawing Papers is a project initiated by 2 Liverpool based artists - Jon Barraclough and Mike Carney, (who are both showing at the above exhibition) so you could see the show and pick up a copy! I should have some to distribute in Derby and surrounding areas at some point - alternatively get a copy posted from http://drawing-paper.tumblr.com/ or an online version at www.issuu.com/mikecarney/docs/dp3_singles.

Small stuff: samples and surfaces

Recently I've been doing a number of small digital drawings so I can try ideas out on an affordable scale and also so that the work is portable enough to go wherever I need to in the country to try out laser etching etc.. In order to test different surfaces (both for printing onto and using to produce drawings and printing plates) I have ordered lots of samples at 10 and 25 cm square and now have a pile to start experimenting with later in the year (I just so love getting new materials to play with!). If I do manage to get any done before my upcoming exhibitions they will be shown as part of  the collection of small works which I use as a means of representing the 'now'. Long term I'm hoping some of these ideas can then be executed on a much larger scale.....

Contemporary Drawing at The Bohemia Space, Liverpool

I will be showing drawings at the Contemporary Drawing Exhibition, The Bohemia Space in Liverpool from 27th May - 16th July 2011. This will be the first showing of one of my large digital drawings (as well as some smaller pencil drawings). 

Catalogues....

I've spent the last couple of days working my catalogue and although I still have a way to go I'm pleased that at least I've made a start. A course on graphic design at QUAD earlier this week was a great help as it gave me an introduction to InDesign. I've had the software for a while but didn't feel very confident about using it as previously I've mainly used Quark. It was actually really straightforward and I learnt loads so it was 2 days well spent. Researching printers I came across Inky Little Fingers which appealed to me - it seemed kind of appropriate given the nature of my drawings?