Drypoint exploration

Drypoint is an intaglio printmaking process, which means the ink is printed from the depths of the plate - the areas cut away, rather than the surface. In that sense it's like etching - except that with drypoint you scratch directly into the plate, rather than using acid to bite the surface.

The lines created with drypoint are distinctive, because the ink is captured within the 'burr', the edge of the cut line. It is possible to use metal or perspex plates. In either instance the plats have a shorter life - because each printing serves to flatten the plate.

Enough of the background! Here are a couple of examples. To familiarise myself with my new Hawthorn etching press, I created a small drypoint image of Pittenweem on the Fife coast of Scotland. It's an atmospheric, beautiful fishing village - with cottages hiding from the sea down narrow alleys called 'wynds' which often connect to streets on other levels. My husbands family spent many holiday in the cottage on the right. It has been wonderful to revisit this beautiful area with him.

Test print - Pittenweem drypoint (perspex plate)

This image started as this little sketch, below:

Sometimes, I find I use drypoint to test a planned composition. This is a drypoint which I created as a little study for 'Above Ullswater' to see if I like the structure. I then went on to explore how to create this in a linocut. You can see more about this process in my blog on the topic here.

Initial drypoint test plate for 'Above Ullswater'

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.

A visit to Durer's House

While visiting good friends in Nuremberg, I was lucky enough to visit the house of Albrecht Durer in the atmospheric old town.  There is no original Durer work there, but it is a fascinating and beautifully preserved burgher house from the fifteenth century and the museum tells the story of Durer well. 

Albrecht Durer's house (on the right)

Inside, the highlight for me was the 'historical printing demonstration'. 

Inking up

Nobody is quite certain of the design of the Gutenberg press, but back in 1971 a working reconstruction was created based on a drawing by Durer. Today it's used for printing demonstrations and I was lucky enough to 'help' by putting my back into pulling a print of Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg, who visited Nuremberg in 1512, thanks to this lovely printmaker.

Inserting the arm

The reconstructed press ready to go

The printed image revealed

Inside the workshop

Carolyn with the printed poster of Maximilian

It was great fun and added to my knowledge and my day!

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.

Cutting Edge Linocuts

It's a rare treat to see so many Grosvenor School prints in one place, so I visited Dulwich Picture Gallery in London to see 'Cutting Edge - Modernist British Printmaking' exhibition this month. The Grosvenor School of Modern Art was a private art school in London founded in 1925. 

I am a big fan of the Grosvenor School printmakers and I was not disappointed! The exhibition was large and I bought the book, to take away and study more at my leisure.

Claude Flight taught at the Grosvenor School and he pioneered, popularised and promoted linocut printmaking, bringing affordable art to the masses and showed the versatility of this 'new' linoleum material. Students included Sybil Andrews, Cyril Power, Lill Tschudi and Ethel Spowers. 

'Speed', linocut by Claude Flight 

Here are just a few more images to act as a reminder for me - and to share with you. They show the wonderful movement, excitement and vibrant colours, typical of these modern printmakers. 

'The Merry-Go-Round', linocut by Cyril Power

'Concert Hall', linocut by Sybil Andrews

'The Eight', linocut by Cyril Power

'In Full Cry', linocut by Sybil Andrews

'Wet Afternoon', linocut by Ethel Spowers

It was an inspiring visit to a lovely gallery. I could have stayed for several weeks!

A Big Treat

I promised myself a big treat and it's here - and very heavy!

Special delivery - one press

You can see the size of the delivery, which somehow my husband managed to get into the house. This is my new Hawthorn etching press, which is now in my studio, up two flights of stairs (don't ask!)

The heaviest bit at the bottom of the stairs!

Assembling the parts

Pristine - on its stand

Thank you to everyone who helped; whether that's helping me to buy it or helping to get it up to the top of the house. I ran some test squares to get it printing lino evenly and then printed etchings of Malaga, as gifts for good friends on our trip in September 2019.  That's a whole different story and blog post!

First test squares

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.

20:20 Print Exchange 2018

This year, I submitted my 20:20 edition of 25 prints 20 cm x 20 cm with Prospect Studios, one of the 40 or more print workshops taking part. The 20:20 print exchange was created and is organised by Hot Bed Press in Salford. Every year, as it's grown and grown, their staff and volunteers face the huge task of sorting the work of around 500 artists, so that every one gets back a box with their own print and 19 other randomly sorted works from across the UK, and now internationally. This year print workshops in Iceland, Moscow and Melbourne, Australia took part.

The full collection of work can be seen on flickr - check out this link.

My 2018 print uses the same plates I cut for my 'Halo' linocut earlier in the year, for the 'Pennine' exhibition with Prospect Studios. Because it's a 3 plate multi-plate linocut, I returned to play with the colours and cut the finished print down to 20 x 20 cm, calling it 'Regenerating'.

I've included some pictures of its development below:

'Regenerating', 20:20 linocut by Carolyn Murphy

Three lino plates used to create 'Halo' and 'Regenerating' linocuts

'Halo' linocut by Carolyn Murphy, created for the Whitaker's Pennine exhibition

Printing plate 1 at Hot Bed Press

Using the Albion press

'Regeneratin' after printing one colour

'Regenerating' in the drying racks, after colour 2

Trimmed 20:20 prints ready to go for 2018!

It won't be long before I receive my box of prints. Fingers crossed for a box I really love! Having taken part since 2011 (sometimes for both Hot Bed Press and Prospect Studios)I have a great collection of 20 x 20 cm prints. Some are on my walls at home. Some have been on my office wall in the past. And I still can't resist picking up a few extras, when something jumps out at me, like yesterday at Hot Bed Press Open Studios, when I bought a print from Iceland's 2015 collection.

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.

New card designs

Following the North Wales Print Fair and some lovely feedback on some of my newer prints, I decided to add to my card range. My cards are produced by a fantastic charity called 'Love From The Artist', based in the South West of England. They aim to make it possible for artists to boost their income with cards, calendars and digital reproductions, producing these using digital technology and environmentally friendly paper stock. Check them out on the Love From The Artist website

New to my range are cards of my 'Halo' linocut, 'Little Boats' etching and 'Portnahaven' linocut. You can now buy these online

Halo

Little Boats

Portnahaven

It's fantastic to be able to choose suitable card sizes and shapes, rapidly set up new designs and order small quantities to test their appeal. With digital printing, there is no stock in the system, so when I order 5 cards of a new design, it's only 5 that are printed, making things more affordable and creating no waste.

The public can buy cards directly from the Love From the Artist website too, personalising the inside with messages and images (at no extra cost) if they want to. For Christmas cards, occasion cards or artists' cards of all types from a huge number of amazing artists, it's the place to go.

Love From The Artist also supported me with the Macmillan Cancer Support project earlier this year, creating a home for 'Serenity' cards and A3 reproduction prints, so that all profits go directly to the Macmillan Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital via their Serenity page

If you're thinking of creating digital cards from your own artwork, I'd highly recommend you consider the lovely team at Love From The Artist!

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!