The Making of 'Staying Local' for TAE22

This year I have been a volunteer blogger for Twitter Art Exhibit (TAE), writing about other artists and their work whenever I've had the time. So I know the 2022 exhibition and charity sale of original artwork is coming up fast! All work is donated by artists from across the globe, for a great cause. In 2022, that's the Encephalitis Society - and the exhibition takes place in York on 25 June, and then online. 

In other years I've submitted a linocut. I usually experiment, as all works are one-offs, so need to be monoprints, in printmaking terms. For me it always feels like a great opportunity to try something new. So this year, I decided to create a hand-coloured etching, based on some of the very local sketches I have been doing during lockdowns in Manchester. 'Staying Local' is an etching with watercolour spot colour. 

'Staying Local' by Carolyn Murphy

Decision between options

First I created the etching plate, working with acid at Prospect Studio in Rossendale. Then I experimented with the plate, adding watercolour to varying degrees. After a few tests, it came down to a decision between two and I chose the one above (on the left here). I preferred the more minimalistic spot colour to bring the natural environment to the fore in a very urban setting.

Other local sketches took me as far as the end of the street or to different angles on the shared garden or 'croft' behind us. This is the scene 'Staying Local' is based on - but with fewer Autumn leaves.

An Autumn view

I hope 'Staying Local' proves popular and raising much-needed funds in June. It's always a pleasure to take part. If you want to know more about Twitter Art Exhibit, their website link is here.

My Fifth Year in the Twitter Art Exhibition -

Twitter Art Exhibit asks artists worldwide to donate postcard-sized handmade original artwork so that "through art, we can change the world". It's a fantastic idea and has caught the imagination of many artists. Each year funds from the charity sale go to support a great cause. This year it's The Leukaemia and Intensive Chemotherapy fund and the sale is on Saturday July 3rd 2021 at Cheltenham race course. This is my fifth year, but the Twitter Art Exhibition has been going longer. 

#TAE21 linocut 'Hebden'

I haven't yet go to the opening night charity sale - but may do this year! They've been held in Stratford-on Avon, Canberra, Edinburgh, Myrtle Beach in previous years, so this one is not too far away, if we are allowed to travel! After the first night sale, in previous years, work has been sold at the exhibition and then online.

Why do I take part each year? I think it's a mix of things. Firstly, I love the concept - making a difference through art. So far the website notes that TAE has raised $104,000 for 10 great charities.

My first submission in 2017 'Sticky Feet'

Secondly, it's the sense of community. Around a thousand artists from all over the world contribute work and come together on Twitter to support each other too. 

Finally, I love to see all the amazing work that is shared - and enjoy seeing my own work on this online stage. It's become part of the pattern of my year and I often use it to experiment and play. My 2019 postcard was selected as a Board's Choice, which was wonderful.

 

I'm proud that all my postcards have sold for a great cause. It would be lovely to know where in the world they are now! Other postcards below. Do get in touch if you have one on your wall!

To learn more about my work, please check out my website www.carolynmurphy.co.uk where you'll find my gallery, online shop and links to my social media.

Behind the Scenes on my Twitter Art Exhibition Postcard 2019

2019 was my third year of contributing art to support the Twitter Art Exhibition and its chosen charities.

Here I'll show you more about the development of this year's work, 'Above Ullswater' - an original one-off piece of work, from a one plate linocut, printed onto a monoprint background. 

Let's start with the location itself. It's high on the fells in an exposed spot. We visited friends nearby and walked up right from their door. 

Ullswater in the distance

I decided to explore this image and the composition initially in a drypoint 'sketch', before going on to cut the lino plate itself and play with mono-printing backgrounds.

Exploring the subject in drypoint

Testing out ways to mono print backgrounds

These were some I felt worked best for starters

In the studio I tried a range of mono printed backgrounds, drawing on the colours of the landscape, some redder, some darker. I then selected one image for my Twitter Art Exhibition 2019 submission - and posted it off.

Exploring backgrounds

A range from which to select the one

My #TAE19 donation 'Above Ullswater'

I was very excited to find out later that my work featured as a Board's Choice in the exhibition catalogue and that David Sandum, the founder of the Twitter Art Exhibition, had selected it and explained why. What an honour!

'Above Ullswater' in the 2019 #TAE19 catalogue

The full page with Board's Choice text

If you would like a very quick flick into the catalogue, to see some other favourites, you can see a bit more in this short video:

To learn more about my work, please check out my website www.carolynmurphy.co.uk where you'll find my gallery, online shop and links to my social media.

My Twitter Art Exhibition (TAE18) Postcard

Last year I entered the Twitter Art Exhibition for the first time and loved it. I couldn't resist taking part again this year for TAE18. My work 'Strumble Head' (16 x 12 cm) went all the way to Canberra in Australia to find a new home and it raised 48 AUS$ for Pegusus as a result.

'Strumble Head' by Carolyn Murphy for TAE18

The Twitter Art Exhibition manages to create a great sense of community with artists all around the world and every year there's a fabulous cause. It works like this... Each artist contributes one original signed postcard-sized piece of work. An exhibition is created and all work is sold at a fixed price per card to raise money for a great charity.

Last year the sale was in Stratford-upon-Avon and it raised £18,000 for children's charity Molly Olly's Wishes. This year the exhibition was in Canberra and on Saturday 7 April the charity sale took place, followed by an online sale, all to raise money for Pegasus Riding for the Disabled, this year's  fantastic local charity. Original works are currently still available to buy on the Pegasus RDA website.

I decided to submit a relief print this year, based on a sketch I'd done a few years ago of Strumble Head lighthouse in Pembrokeshire. I created the image using 3 plates, a mixture of lino and wood for a change.

Below I've included the stages so that you can see the image build up. The first 2 colours are using linocut, whilst the final plate is a woodcut, using Japanese plywood.

Stage 1

Stage 2

The edges were left rough, as I trimmed the image down to the standard size of 16 x 12 cm. I also took a very rough early proof of the woodcut block, to see how that was coming along. This image is below:

Woodcut block work in progress proof

 

I then went on to continue cutting the wood until I was happy. Once I'd created this one-off piece I packed it carefully and sent it to Australia. I don't know who has bought my postcard - but I do hope they enjoy it and perhaps they'll also like seeing it as it developed.

To see more of my work, please check out my website: www.carolynmurphy.co.uk where you will also find an online Shop with currently available work. Thanks!

My Print for Twitter Art Exhibition 2017 (#TAE17)

This year's Twitter Art Exhibition raises money for a UK children's charity Molly Olly's Wishes. The charity art sale is on Saturday 1 April - and I'm hoping my gecko linocut will help the cause.
I've included below some images of the postcard in development. Entitled 'Sticky Feet', rather unusually for me, it is a multi-plate reduction: 2 plates and 4 colours. I hadn't combined the multi-plate and reduction techniques before, so it was a little high risk! Fortunately I didn't have to resort to plan B and my gecko arrived safe and well in Stratford-on-Avon on time.

Above is the finished postcard, with all 4 colours. Process shots and some of the earlier stage images are below:

I printed on 300gsm card and cut the border off at the end to achieve and image 16 x 12 cm (postcard size) to allow for easier printing. The ink I'm using here is water soluble Graphic Chemical ink. I hope you enjoy seeing the image emerge bit by bit. The idea was prompted by the butterfly in the Molly Olly's Wishes logo. It reminded me of a trip to a butterfly house, where a gorgeous green gecko was looking on through glass. Later I looked into what geckos enjoy eating - you guessed it, butterflies were on the list!

To see more of my work, please check out my website: www.carolynmurphy.co.uk where you will also find an online Shop with currently available work. Thanks!