It was a gloriously sunny day in Liverpool last friday and I was off to catch up with my printmaker friend Laura Weston. I’ve blogged about Laura’s work previously here. I got a little distracted by a visit to see Grand Central. Formally a Methodist church, it now houses a collection of small businesses who keep the student goths, punks and indie / vintage hipsters happy. It’s quite a building inside, with a strong nod to the Art Nouveau movement.
From there I went to Bluecoat Display Centre and saw a rather wonderful collection of the work of glassmaker Peter Layton. I hadn’t come across his work before and marvelled at his amazing use of colour and form.
Upstairs in the Bluecoat I caught up with artist Laura Weston and Studio Manager, Frances Disley who has recently taken over the running of all the print facilities there. They have a well organised Intaglio studio…
and a second room where you can do screen printing. It’s a wonderful resource and Frances mentioned that they try to be a very green thinking space, using only water based products to print with.
Very kindly, Laura let me take a few shots of her inking up one of her engraved plates, and printing off a small edition. It was fascinating. The plate is cleaned and then inked. The scrunched up cloths above are called Scrim, and using a rotating movement, help to ease the ink into the engraved design on the plate. The excess ink is then cleaned off, using various pieces of paper and finally, a fine tissue paper. The plate is then ready to print with. The paper to be printed has previously been soaking in a water bath and is the excess water is squeegeed off and then placed between stacks of blotting paper, to take off the final moisture.
The plate is placed face up onto the bed of the press and the paper is placed on top. A variety of firm blankets are then layered over the top and the whole collection then runs through the printing press. You can see Laura spinning the wheel, it looks quite an energetic process.
The moment of truth when the print is revealed. Laura showed me a second process called Chine-collé which is a special technique in printmaking, in which the image is transferred to a surface that is bonded to a heavier support in the printing process. In this case it was two yellow pieces of Japanese tissue paper, that were glued and then carefully placed glue side up onto the inked plate. The idea being that the force of the press glues the tissue to the watercolour paper and then the ink is printed on top. It’s quite a delicate and tricky process. Laura seemed to master the technique well and her prints looked amazing.
Here’s a few more of her beautiful prints, available from places like Staacks Gallery in West Kirby or from Laura directly. If you want to find out more about printing in Liverpool’s Bluecoat then contact Francis Disley using print@thebluecoat.org.uk or check out their programme of print related classes and events on their site here. Thanks to both Laura and Francis for the guided tour through the print studios and techniques.
Ryo Takemasa . Japanese Illustrator
Born in 1981, and based in Tokyo, Japan. Ryo Takemasa graduated from Musashino Art School.
He has been a freelance illustrator since 2010, and his work is used for books, magazines and advertising etc
He’s as comfortable advertising architectural townscapes …
Or sports.
As he is Food,
Or the outdoors.
He can easily turn his hand to products and places,
As our daily lives and travel plans.
I love this rainy taxi rank, there’s a subtle nod to Miroslav Sasek and earlier Charley Harper there too. Lovely work.
Helen Borten Illustration Heaven Part 2
Helen Borten’s work is a firm favourite of mine. Here are a few more illustrations from books I’ve recently acquired. Some lovely effects here and as usual, such great diversity in Helen’s work.
Another book, another style.
Lastly ‘ Do You Know What I Know ? ‘
Two of my designs created from a hybrid of mine and Helen’s work.. just for fun.
‘ Insitu ‘ Achitectural Salvage in Manchester
I had the unenviable task of taking the car for it’s M.O.T which was booked in a remote part of Manchester. I had an hour to kill so I set off for a stroll to explore the local area. As luck would have it, I came across Insitu an Arcitectural Salvage place that also specialised in Vintage items from Planet Vintage Girl. What a lucky find. Let me give you a flavour.
It’s such an Aladdin’s cave of wonderful things for all parts of the home, that I’d defy any vintage mind to not find something of interest. Lovely ceramics from the 60’s and 70’s.
Door knockers, handles, stained glass and statues for all occasions.
Some to even keep guard ! All kinds and styles of doors.
Pictures, paintings, tapestries and even weird and wonderful finds, can be found.
There’s a whole three floors worth and plenty of nooks and crannies to explore, it’s quite a building.
More ceramics and vintage clothing too.
Fireplaces of all kinds.
These wonderful Ercol 1960’s day beds would look amazing with a vintage print foam cushions on it.
Stained glass reclaimed from the windows of houses, shops and churches alike.
You never quite know what’s lurking around the corner.
A breath of fresh, or rather vintage air and definitely not one to be missed if you’re after that something quirky or unique for your home. Many thanks to the owners for letting me take some shots to show you all too. An hour well spent, I’ll come back again.
Fishink in Edinburgh. Part 2
Continuing on from my trip to Edinburgh last weekend. I popped into the Dovecot Studios to see what exhibitions were currently on.
To celebrate the centenary of the studios in 2012 an ambitious project was undertaken to create a tapestry entirely from un-dyed wool. After some 12 mths of painstaking liason and talks with suppliers of un-dyed wools, a range of providers and craftsmen, spinners and growers, careful collaboration with the artist Victoria Crowe (who created the original oil painting that the tapestry was taken from) and the extraordinary diligence, concentration and expertise of the Dovecot Weavers, the Large Tree Group Tapestry is now complete. It was stunning in its size alone.
Here’s some details and close ups from the process.
On the reverse of the tapestry all of the 70 different producers of wool that helped to form this wonderful piece have been named.
Upstairs you can walk onto the balcony which overlooks the main weaving studios. It’s a wonderful space and I thought that the weavers here must have amazing patience and concentration to painstakingly create these works of art so beautifully.
A few of their previous commissions hang on the walls overlooking the studio itself.
There’s a great shop with textile books, giftwrap and a cafe to keep everyone happy.
Afterwards we headed out towards North Berwick, stopping off for lunch in a sweetshop / cafe in East Linton which also sold books and second-hand hoovers !
The staff were very warm and welcoming all the same, and I can testify that they make great chickpea soup too lol
I went to the area to catch up with an old friend of mine, Richard Gregory who is a glassmaker. Richard has set up a wonderful company with fellow glass artist Nicola Cairns. Together they run Rebott (website under construction at the moment), which creates a range of contemporary glassware made from post consumer glass, reclaimed from the public and local businesses. Lovely shapes and textures too. Bass Rock (above) is on Richard’s doorstep and the beach is his hangout for lunch.. lucky for some eh ! You can follow them on Facebook too here.
Thanks again to all of our Scottish friends who we managed to spend time with over the weekend. We had a fabulous trip.
Fishink in Edinburgh. Part 1
I’ve just discovered that today is my twitter third birthday (@wwwfishinkcouk) so Happy day to me : ) , do follow too !
We were in Edinburgh for the long weekend, catching up with friends and galleries in the area. In this city of chimney pots and Georgian style houses, I discovered this lovely Lion sculpture in St Andrews Square by sculptor Ronal Rae. Apparently this 20 tonne granite wildcat is available to buy, if only my garden was big enough.
Heading over to the Royal Scottish Academy where the acclaimed Peter Doig exhibition is on, I also came across a small collection of Children’s artwork.
Organised by Tesco, the Bank Art Competition for schools showed some great winning pieces.
The above Clarice Dow illustration wouldn’t be out of place in a Chagall exhibition, and Alex Adamson’s piece is so wonderfully textural and 3-D it falls out of the frame at you ! I liked them all.
Also at the Royal Scottish Academy, a smaller, quite breathtaking exhibition of the work of landscape artist Kate Downie was taking place. Working in Beijing and Shanghai, Kate had created a number of wall size hangings, painted on paper and canvas in a chinese brush style. There were beautiful tones of silvery greys and strong textural blacks giving her work depth and a mystical quality that suited it’s subject matter very well. It’s on until the 6th October, free to see and well worth a look.
Moving from there to the National Museum of Scotland, after it’s refurbishment it must be one of the most beautiful museums I’ve visited for quite some time.
With an amazing exhibition by Ilana Halperin.
Contemporary artist Ilana Halperin explores notions of time in The Library, a new exhibition that presents rocks, minerals and geological artefacts in a new and remarkable light. Tracing a thin and permeable line between geology and biology, culture and nature, Halperin introduces visitors to the alphabet of geology: including agates that share the artist’s birthday, minerals that record the collision of Earth and outer space, and artworks slowly formed in caves and geothermal springs. At the heart of the exhibition is the artist’s most ambitious project to date: a 1.3 ton stone library featuring ‘books’ of the mineral mica.
Originally from New York, Halperin trained as a stone carver before her growing fascination and interest in geology drew her to Scotland, recognised as the birthplace of geology. Now based in Glasgow, Halperin is the first recipient of an Artist’s Fellowship at National Museums Scotland, during which she has been researching the Museums’ own collections and exploring geological phenomena in the wider world. Her research has taken her from the Blue Lagoon and active volcanoes in Iceland to the Fontaines Petrifiantes, Eric Papon’s family-owned petrifying caves in France.
In a normal limestone cave it takes 100 years for a stalactite to grow one centimetre, in the Fontaines Petrifiantes, one centimetre will grow in a year. Through an elaborate process, carbon-rich waterfalls are directed over 25 meter-high ‘casting ladders’ located inside a volcanic mountain. Eric places objects on the rungs of each ladder. Quickly objects become covered in a new layer of calcium carbonate – Limestone. These finger-like sculptures below were formed over the course of four months.
The layout and structure of the museum was really well thought out. I fell in love with quite a few animals during my trip, some looked a little healthier than others lol.
A few other random bits and pieces that caught my eye.
I’m currently re-reading the children’s series of 5 books ‘The Dark is Rising’ by Susan Cooper and this belt reminded me of the one mentioned in the book. (Don’t bother with the film, the books are far far superior).
A small child approached this ‘Atom Smasher’ with his grandmother, he looked up at the towering structure and confidently proclaimed to his Nanna ‘That’s a Robot’
It did make me smile, and at that age, what else could it possibly have been ?
I had to wait a while with the families and small children to have a turn on the rather creative weighing machine. For those of you who are remotely interested. I weigh somewhere between a Chimpanzee and a Harbour Porpoise, I feel that it’s always useful to know these things : )
Wonderful discoveries in the minerals and space room.
Stars, Planets and all kinds of gadgets to measure and record them too.
Such a great museum and there is plenty more to see and more restorations continuing as I type. Do go and visit. it’s a great day out. More to follow about Edinburgh in a couple of days.
Fishink Artwork at the Platform Gallery, Clitheroe
I’ve been invited to exhibit some illustration work, for show in the Winter Crafts Exhibition at the Platform Gallery in Clitheroe. This will run from October 12th until early Jan 2014. I felt rather honoured because they only invite 100 makers from the whole of the UK and my work was selected from the hundreds of entries submitted. This years theme is loosely based around childhood and child-centered imagery and is called ” Winter In The Valley “. It should be an amazing exhibition and you can find out how to locate the gallery, opening times, etc here. Some of the images below may well be amongst the selected pieces on show, so you’re getting a sneak preview : )
My current work available for sale can be found here on Pinterest. Let’s start with a few birds in a spiral flight.
These dogs seem to be enjoying their exercise routine and showing off their balancing skills.
Dogs playing fetch in the park and a less energetic pup finding a rather psychedelic colourful meadow for an afternoon snooze.
I created a couple of pattern repeats from the work whilst I was assembling the illustrations. Grass and jungle leaves. I liked the softer background imagery used to suggest depth and density.
This crocodile appears to be friendly, but you never can tell and the last one is a little more serene !
Here’s a quick interior of the gallery I took when I dropped the artwork off, looks like a lovely space.
Most of the above illustrations are finished with a cream mount-board card frame and measure 10 x 12 inches. They are original collages, hand-made by myself and selling for just £50 each (plus p&p). If you’re interested in buying an original Fishink illustration then please get in touch. Craig@fishink.co.uk, and as ever, please do pass this onto your friends and spread the word about Fishink Blog. Many thanks.
Este MacLeod Ceramist, Glassmaker, Artist
I recently came across the wonderful work of Este MacLeod, got in touch and discovered her world of multidisciplinary talents. She works in ceramics and glass and has recently completed and MA in Contemporary Crafts (specialising in Jewellery) as well as being a very talented artist and fine art painter.
These reminded me of an earlier blog I did about Claire Loder. Love the birds and calm expressions.
A glimpse into Este’s beautiful glass work. They’re like mini paintings in themselves.
Then we get to explore more of the landscapes.
Este is also a textile designer. I can see her eye for colour and detail in these rolling hills and the tapestry-esque fields of flowers.
There are mood changes too. Subtle still life’s in blues, greens and creams. Again the pattern comes into play to flirt with the eye and enhance the level of detail within the painting.
How beautiful are these dotty canvasses ?
Great florals interact with swathes of colour and slightly cubist worlds
My absolute favourites are these patchwork landscapes. I love Este’s scratchy scraper board work and the ariel view of these environments. I could imagine the middle painting to be a wonderful duvet cover.
What do you think readers any takers ? Beautiful work Este, look forward to seeing which direction your creative path travels next. You see more of Este’s painterly collection here on Pinterest.
Ted Schaap / Scapa Illustrator from the 1960’s and still creating.
Image © Punkt
Ted Scapa (born January 17, 1931 in Amsterdam, as Edward Schaap) is a Dutch/Swiss contemporary artist, former publisher and television presenter. Sometime during his life Ted changed his name from Schaap to Scapa, hence there are designs with both surnames.
Here are some of his record cover designs for children.
After studying graphic art at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and two years of military service as an officer in the Guards, Ted Scapa spent several years working abroad, including in India , Indonesia , Hong Kong and the United States . He illustrated as a cartoonist for various international newspapers and magazines such as Punch in England or the Nebelspalter in Switzerland , and has published numerous children’s books and collections of cartoons, like this called ‘Sisters and Brothers’.
In 1962 he settled in Switzerland and married Benteli Meret Meyer, the daughter of the publisher Hans Meyer Benteli. He spent nearly thirty years the Benteli publishing in Bern and the associated printing. Ted Scapa was also a presenter of the children’s TV playhouse on Swiss television, and was nationally known in the 1960s and 1970s, as the principal figure. In 1991 he handed over the leadership to his son Publisher Till Schaap.
He has since resigned from the publishing, and still works as a freelance illustrator and designer . He draws, paints, designs carpets, created sculptures, objects and lampshades. He is also a designer of numerous posters and Pro Juventute known stamps. 8 July 2009, he has opened his own restaurant Scapa. In 2010 he opened his first and only museum: the “mini-museum Scapa” in the form of a showcase at the Children’s Museum Creaviva in the Zentrum Paul Klee . Here he is popular whilst running childrens and adult workshops .
Ted Scapa is married, a father of three and grandfather of five. He lives at Castle Vallamand on Lake Murten .
His work has been awarded several international prizes and he’s still painting today and creating watch straps for companies like Swatch. He also regularly contributes his time and energy to doing charity work. Well done Ted !
How kind, just noticed that Ted has shared this with his friends on facebook today ! Cool.
Bengt & Lotta Stylish Contemporary Design
Do you ever have one of those days when one thing seems to draw you to another as if it’s a secret to be discovered ? Today was one of those days for me. I came across some fabric that my friend’s German mother had given to him. It strongly reminded me of something that I had seen a while ago on the internet.
And I soon discovered, it was this lovely tea towel by illustrator Lotta Glava, but it wasn’t German or even Austrian but Swedish. I then looked into the work of Lotta and her partner Bengt and discovered a whole new world of beautiful and stylish Swedish design.
Bengt Lindberg and Lotta Glave were a couple already at university, studying graphic art and illustration.
After graduating, Lotta got a job at one of Sweden’s main newspapers, Dagens Nyheter and Bengt at an ad agency that turned out to be a pretty boring job. Neither of them could resist the flow of creative ideas that kept coming. For Bengt, it all started with a cow, which became a cast iron candleholder. The cow was soon accompanied by a sheep, a horse and an elk, all produced in Småland, Bengt’s home county. Bengt made sure to launch them in all the right stores and as for the elk, it coincided with the enormous interest in elks from German tourists who would even steal the road signs of elks when visiting Sweden! The four classics are still in production and have spread all over the globe, from Sweden and Germany to the US and Japan. But it didn’t stop there; the animals soon also populated printed fabrics, blankets and notebooks. Here’s just a taster.
Bengt was born in Värnamo, in Sweden but his grandparents had a farm in Skåne, filled with objects of art, handicrafts and nick-nacks. I have always loved old things, says Bengt, especially the slightly naïve, clumsy folk art stuff. When things are too perfect they also get to be boring. The ironwork on their company site is fun and quirky.
Lotta Glave, who stems from Malmö believes a lot of her inspiration comes from her Austrian grandmother who worked as an illustrator and bookbinder. Their home was always filled with fun, homemade creations like fantastic doll’s houses made out of lacquered paper! I love stuff that is fun, different and makes you happy, says Lotta who got drawn into the family business when Bengt asked her to draw an angel. Like Bengt’s animals, Lotta’s angel has spread from candleholders and Christmas tree decorations to necklaces and fabrics. Nowadays, Lotta designs most of the patterns; designs that are appreciated all over the world, not least in Japan and the U.K.
Today, the couples creations are represented at Nordiska Muséet in Stockholm, Kulturen in Lund and at Växjö Glass Museum. And if you visit their little store in Stockholm you will find them surrounded by hundreds of other items; trays, lamps, furniture, porcelain, serviettes, as well as thousands of ideas that haven’t
materialised yet. Here’s a couple of christmassy images of their shop…. this alone makes me want to go !
Many thanks for the info and images from Bengt & Lotta and Scandinavian design site Fjorn also well worth a look.
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