PAPER LITHOGRAPHY THE BOOK

I can't quite believe that it has been a year since my book Paper Lithography was published.

Thanks to the support and guidance of the publishers Crowood Press who helped me through the whole business.

The book is full of tips and tricks to show you how to make successful paper lithography prints

using black and white photocopies and gum arabic.

It will take you through the whole process and I even cover the problems you might encounter.

It's not an expensive technique to explore, but it is tremendously flexible and can be used straight into a sketchbook, onto fabric or as a stand alone printmaking process.

The book is available from Crowood Press and I run workshops at the yard:ARTspace, Cheltenham in this printmaking process together with other ink based techniques. Checkout www.theyardartspace.com
 

 KEEP ON KEEPING ON.

Welcome to my blog a neglected platform, but a useful communication tool.

I want to introduce myself to those of you who have just found me.

I am Sue Brown, an artist who tells stories about our relationship with nature in our urban environment using printmaking and mixed media. 

I teach workshops at the yard:ARTspace, Cheltenham.

The details of all my workshops and courses can be found at www.theyardartspace.com

Before my summer term starts I will be resident at Nature in Art between 16-21 April where I will be demonstrating various printmaking techniques and working on my sketchbook practice. 

It would be lovely to see you.

There is a lot happening in the summer term at the yard:ARTspace. Catherine Kingzett will be joining the studio. She is basing her textile practice at the yard and will be running workshops later in the year.

Keep an eye on Cath's website for details, HERE

I am planning an Open Studio event so pop July 13-14 in your diary as the yard:ARTspace and 

8 Commercial Street will be open showing prints, textiles, sculptures, jewellery and puppets.

Looking forward to seeing you then.

For more details and to keep in touch with all my artistic activities head over to my Instagram page HERE

PRINTFEST 2022

I have been a printmaker for longer than I care to remember and as part of the job of being an artist there is the important task of getting work out there and meeting the public to explain what I do.

Printfest in Ulverston is the only artist led printmaking event in the country and I was lucky enough to be selected for the 2020 show. Well we all know what happened then, but after a couple of postponements it took place this year.

45 printmakers showing every conceivable printmaking process gathered at the Coronation Hall, Ulverston to talk about printmaking and show art.

I have to admit, making the work is the easy part, choosing what to show and hanging it is so nerve raking.

Also standing with my work and chatting to people about it is daunting, but tremendously rewarding. I love to hear about other peoples artistic journeys.

Over the 2 days of the event I met interested and interesting people and had lovely technical chats with fellow printmakers.

If you missed Printfest, it will be back next year. Just pop it in your diary for the May bank holiday weekend.

Daily posts from the show can be seen on my Instagram feed, sb.brown21

For updates for other shows I take part in, join my mailing list HERE

 

LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF

I have new followers on Instagram and I am beginning to get out & about, getting my collagraphs into Printfest, SGFA Annual Open Exhibition and stocking galleries with new work.

So I thought it would be the right moment to introduce myself and my work...so hello, I'm Sue Brown!

I have been a printmaker for as long as I can remember and have been making collagraphs for around 25 years. Still learning...! I have a shed in my garden where I draw extensively developing ideas for my printmaking with the help of Iris.

  

I am inspired by process as much as nature. My work springs from the pages of my sketchbooks where I will use mixed media techniques to create rich surfaces. Paper lithography, paint and ink are layered until my images emerge.

I explore the relationships we have with our garden visitors and I am fascinated by all things ornithological and entomological. From the many moths and beetles that share our environment to

the smallest garden birds and characterful corvids.

From my sketchbook experiments I then create collagraph plates.

A collagraph is an intaglio plate made from card and textured materials that will leave an embossed image on paper when inked up and passed through an etching press.

Inking and printing happens down the road from my shed in the yard:ARTspace, Cheltenham. This is the studio where I teach Courses and Workshops in printmaking and mixed media techniques throughout the year.

The work I make are very limited editions of no more than 30 and you will find a selection of my work in  Montpelier Gallery, Stratford on Avon, Moss Prints , Cheltenham

Sky Blue Framing, Bristol and Oxenham Gallery, Leominster.

This is a brief version of what's happening in my printmaking life at the moment. I hope to see you at the yard:ARTspace or one of the events that are happening this month?

 

HELLO - I'M STILL HERE

It is a very busy time at the moment. There appears to be an explosion of artistic events after the giant pause of 2020. 

I am looking forward to heading off to the Lake District, Ulverston to be precise, to take part in Printfest. This has been an annual festival of printmaking in the past. But of course, like so many events has been postponed twice.

Finally it is back up and running and is full of talented printmakers. I know I am looking forward to chatting about printmaking to anyone who cares to listen. I will be on stand 38 if you are in Ulverston for the bank holiday weekend? 30 April - 1 May, check out the website for opening times.

If you are in London between 17 - 21 May pop over to the Mall and the Mall Gallery where there is the Society of Graphic Fine Arts annual Open Exhibition. I am delighted to say that I have had my collagraph, It's a Crow accepted. 

May is proving to be quite a busy time for me.

The summer term at the yard:ARTspace, Cheltenham starts on the 11 May and I will be running three, 10 week courses in mixed media sketchbook techniques and collagraph printmaking.

 Wednesday mornings will start with the  sketchbook class where I will be encouraging the filling up of pages with delicious mixed media techniques using paint, ink and paper lithography. But this term I will be adding botanical contact printed paper to the mix. There are a few places left, so head over to www.theyardartspace.com for booking information.

There are also a few places left on the collagraph courses. I will be combining the beauty of botanical contact printed paper with the textural effects achieved with plaster and glue in collagraph plate making.

Several inking techniques will also be explored, so lots to look forward to.

Details and booking can be found HERE

There is also a full program of weekend workshops planned at the yard:ARTspace for both the summer and autumn terms, head over to the website, www.theyardartspace.com and learn a new skill over the summer.

Want to be on the yard:ARTspace mailing list and get news about workshops first? Go to the home page of the website and follow the link.

 

SAME SEA, DIFFERENT BOAT: HOW TO BE PART OF THE BIGGER PICTURE!

Same Sea, Different Boat was started in Mid May to give a creative voice to our lock down lives. It has come along way with over 400 printed/stitched squares stitched into a quilt straddling 5 panels. It has become a social documentation of our shared experiences...and of course this pandemic has not gone away, it is still effecting our day to day lives. With this in mind, Lousie, Liske and I have created spaces in the quilt for more of you to join in. How to become part of the bigger picture is outlined below.

Thank you to all of you who are part of this beautiful piece of work and for your support donating towards it.

This project is not in any way about profit and is not funded. All the work putting this art work together has been completely voluntary. To help towards material costs please make a small donation i.e £3, this is by no means compulsory to take part in the project: 

This can be done by sending a £3 cheque made payable to S. Brown with your plate or embroidered square or email me for BACs details. [email protected]

the yard:ARTspace, Hope & Elvis and Littleheath Barn Studio are proud to present a collaborative project which celebrates our creativity in a time of unexpected crisis.

It has been hard to find our creativity during lock down; we are all in the same sea but not necessarily the same boat!  We have all experienced the Covid pandemic in very different ways and Sue, Louise and Liske want to invite you to take part in an exciting combined project.

We have created a printed/stitched fabric quilt that explores your individual experiences, thoughts & emotions collectively about your time in lock down.

Become part of a bigger picture. 

Your contribution will be added to this amazing quilt, which will showcase beautifully your individual response to the global pandemic. The final piece will be displayed in various locations (dates and locations TBA) 

 The Project

·         Make a simple collagraph plate, 10cms x 10cms, using the instructions found HERE in a later blog post. These instructions have been put together especially for those who have never made a collagraph plate before. Express your lock down experience, figuratively or as an abstract using the suggested techniques.

      Put your name, address and email on the back of the completed collagraph plate and together with a SAE post it to:-

Sue Brown, the yard:ARTspace, Upper Bath Street, Cheltenham, GL50 2BA

 There is now an open ended deadline due to the popularity of the project, but please email me at [email protected] if you intend to take part. When I get your collagraph plate, it will be inked up and printed on fabric in Prussian Blue. As much as I would like to print you a separate copy of your collagraph, I am getting lots of plates to print for the project...!! Your plate will be returned in your SAE for you to print again later.

The fabric print will be sent back to you for stitching and embellishing in your provided SAE.

 Return finished square to Sue at the yard:ARTspace. When your square arrives Louise, Liske and Sue will add it to the quilt.

OR

·         Create a stitched, collage using only natural fabrics, embroider hand or machine as much as you like, expressing your lock down experience, figuratively or as an abstract.

·         Please make the image size 10cm x 10cm on a piece of fabric 15cm x 15cm so it will fit the other squares to make the quilt.

·         Send your completed square to Sue at the yard:ARTspace, address above, and Louise, Liske and Sue will add it to the quilt.  

If you would like to take part could you please 

e-mail me, [email protected] as soon as possible so we know how many collagraph plates and stitched squares to expect?   

 

Thank you and we look forward to receiving your collagraph plate or stitched square and being part of abigger picture. 

 

FIRST WORKSHOP AT the yard:ARTspace AFTER LOCK DOWN

It is so good to be back! The 14 August saw the first workshop at the yard:ARTspace, Cheltenham since March.

Every precaution was taken, cleaning, 

creating space and reducing the numbers of participants.

I hope I kept the spirit of the yard with an inspiring display of work.

A new edition is my favourite new thing, the Events Canopy. Set up in the yard itself creating a usable out door space.

Then we were set for 3 days of creating exciting sketch book pages.

Resists with embossing powder, oil pastel mono printing,

ink, bleach and of course

my statement technique

gum arabic transfer printing.

Over 3 days beautiful pages emerged

In a relaxed atmosphere.

The thing I really like about this workshop is sending people away with potential. It is ambitious to think you can finish a book in 3 days, but with the techniques learnt, there is scope to experiment at home.

I am very grateful to the people who came to the yard:ARTspace after such a break. The weekend was full of creativity, energy and fun.

The next Sketch Book Master class is in November, but there is only one place left.

But the yard:ARTspace, Cheltenham has lots of workshops and courses available check out www.theyardartspace.com for all the details.

I look forward to seeing you.