Back from France

Hello!

Been away for a rather glorious week in the Dordogne, France - lots of sunshine, French wine and cheese! Managed a little bit of sketching, so here's a quick on of the wisteria growing around the doors and windows of the house we rented...

Lots of inspiration, and lots of photos!

Another foxy drypoint

Another couple of prints, again taken from my first drypoint plate. This time I left more ink on the surface of the plate. Lots of fun experimenting!

New etching press!

I've had a bit of a splurge and treated myself to a baby etching press (FOME school press) - very small, but it will let me try out some stuff I've been keen to do ever since the Curwen Press workshops last summer...

So, here's the first effort...

First is the first drypoint print, done on an acetate sheet. Next is the 'ghost print' - the plate went through the press a second time with no additional inking. Then, when these had dried, I added watercolour to the ghost print. Just to see, you know...

Stuff I used: Caligo safe wash oil-based etching ink, Fabriano Rosapina paper, W&N watercolours. Plate size was about 6 by 8".

Natural world - asparagus

The next page in the natural world sketchbook - pencil and watercolour sketch of some asparagus spears from my raised beds in the garden. Shortly before they were eaten. Yum...

Asparagus spears, in S&B sketchbook.