Didsbury Arts Festival 2013

Didsbury Arts Festival in Manchester is coming up soon - having moved to earlier in the year. It starts on Saturday 22 June and runs until Sunday 30 June. I took part last year and really enjoyed it. If you are in the area it is well worth getting involved or going along to.

Unfortunately I'll be away on holiday for some of the Festival this year, so will just have to enjoy the bits I'm here for and take part in 2014.

Here's a link to all the details: Didsbury Arts Festival 2013.

Until 26 October!

Thank you to the lovely people at Didsbury's Cheese Hamlet!

Our work will now be on display in their window on Wilmslow Road in Didsbury village right through until 26 October, when they will be filling the window with Christmas stock! This is a fantastic extension to the Didsbury Arts Festival's 'Art over the Counter' event and we have had some great interest as a result.

Below are some pictures of our work - Cathy Gibson's and my own - in the window. We loved being there and really appreciate the help from the Cheese Hamlet team.

Didsbury Arts Festival Countdown!

I have had a few weeks without posting, as I've been busy printing more items and preparing for Didsbury Arts Festival, which starts on Saturday 24 September 2011, less than a week away!

From this Wednesday Cathy Gibson, fellow printmaker, and I will have our work on show in the window of the Cheese Hamlet on Wilmslow Road in Didsbury Village. I have selected 4 of my linocuts to go in: Scottish Sheep, Rooftop, Barn Owl and Manchester Old & New I. And Cathy has created a "Say Cheese" 3 colour reduction linocut print specially for the occasion. It sounds as though we will be taking over much of the window space - and we can't wait to fix things up Wednesday morning, with the help of the Cheese Hamlet team.

On Sunday 25 September we will be taking part in Craft Cafe at the Northern Lawn Tennis Club on Palatine Road (corner with Lapwing Lane). Entrance to the Craft Fair is £1 and it opens from 10 am until 4 pm. As this is going to be our first ever craft stall, we have a lot to learn and plenty to prepare. With the help and advice of friends - and the loan of quite a few items - we will be all set for next Sunday! I really hope you can get along to Craft Cafe - and please tell all your friends too!

Finally, weather permitting, we will also have work on display on the same Sunday afternoon from 1pm until 5pm, as part of Art on the Railings in Fletcher Moss Park, close to Didsbury Arts Festival's Creative Space - near the Cafe and Botanical Gardens.The full DAF 2011 programme is out now at www.didsburyartsfestival.org

Grizz gets ready for Didsbury Arts Festival

This week Didsbury Arts Festival programme was released. The Festival starts on Saturday 24 September and is in its third year. It’s the first time that I’ve been involved and I can’t wait to take part, with fellow printmaker Cathy Gibson. You can meet us at our stall in the ‘Craft Cafe’ at the Northern Lawn Tennis Club between 10 am and 4pm. And later the same day we’ll have work on the railings of Fletcher Moss park in ‘Arts in the Park’- both on Sunday 25 September. We’ve also now heard that we’ve been teamed up with the wonderful Cheese Hamlet in Didsbury village. Our linocut prints will be in the window of Didsbury’s Cheese Hamlet for the duration of the Festival as part of the ‘Arts Over the Counter’ event, along with scrummy chutneys and lots more.

Just 7 weeks to go! Plenty to prepare for, including some new work for the Festival. I’ve been busy lino cutting and printing some first tests, including this one of “Grizz”, aimed more at the kids.

I’ve noticed how interested people are in the printing ‘block’ as much as the print it makes.  This is a simple mono wood block. It’s been cut but not yet inked. You can see how hard it is to see how it’ll turn out at this point.

As soon as you ink up the block, you get an immediate impression of the image. It brings it to life and you find out if you like it. I was really pleased that the strange shadows made by the bedside lamp contrasted well with the sketchy solid feel of “Grizz” the teddy bear. At this point the image you see is the reverse of the final print.

The first print from the press gives you a really good idea of how the design will work – it’s like a first draft. You get a feel for contrasts, boldness and detail. It also shows you which bits need some tweaking and refinement. Some small adjustments are still needed – but Grizz is looking fairly pleased with himself so far!