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?

http://drawing-paper.tumblr.com/

My digital drawings are currently on the drawing paper blog http://drawing-paper.tumblr.com/ (link also on sidebar).  I've mentioned it before as I was in the last printed Drawing Papers last year which is published by artists Mike Carney and Jon Barraclough. It's like a newspaper full of diverse drawings and info about the artists involved. Drawing Paper #3 will be out soon and I'm really looking forward to seeing it - I'll post again once it's available....

Twists and Turns...

Turn 2, Pencil on paper, 1016 x 1372 mm

I've just finished 'Turn 2' (above) which is the last drawing of the Touch/ Trace series. I shall still be doing large drawings but the emphasis has shifted to the digital so although the work will not change drastically in terms of how it looks (at least initially) there has been a definite shift in my thought process. I have been thinking a lot recently about the rhythm of working and how my current body of work has split naturally into series - Surface/ Space 2002- 2006, Touch/ Trace 2006 - 2010 and now Drawn/ Digital. Some changes seem a natural progression of ideas and others are unexpected - but there are core issues and concerns which recur over and over again. My current engagement with the digital came as a complete surprise yet has taken me in a circle back to a drawing/ print debate - the starting point of this body of work almost a decade ago now.

Research....

I have been searching for a while for drawing research into some of the issues I'm currently tackling without much success. Yesterday though I decided to see if there was any printmaking (as opposed to drawing) research and immediately came across a project The Personalised Surface within Fine Art Digital Printmaking which looks very relevant and I am very much looking forward to receiving the full report in the next few days.( The project is continuing to develop at Camberwell and Chelsea as FADE )