I’ve just completed a new drawing based on the old stables at the Tanygrisiau Slate Mine in North Wales. The drawing was done in fine line ink pens and the washes with quink ink and watercolour. Last year I visited the area to explore the caverns and found the surrounding landscape just as fascinating. I liked the misty hills, large heaps of slate and the derelict buildings in the area; the remains of what was once a thriving industry. You can see ‘Old Stables’ in the Slate Caverns section of my website.
Experimental Drawing
I have been experimenting again with ink over the last couple of weeks. This time I’ve not used the pens as normal and instead focused on Quink ink. By wetting the paper and dropping in black Quink you can get some really interesting and unpredictable results. I’ve just completed a new drawing featuring Tanygrisiau, an area of North Wales that I visited in October when exploring the caverns there. Loose areas of ink on wet paper were added first and then more controlled brushed ink was added on afterwards. It’s an interesting technique and one which I plan to explore a little more.
You can find ‘Tanygrisiau’ in the ‘Small Works’ and ‘Slate Caverns’ sections of this website.
Ink Experiments
I have been experimenting again with quink ink and produced a new drawing that is both loose and descriptive at the same time. This time around I used a little blue ink alongside the black and white, finishing off with a thin brush to add details. The new piece is called ‘Glow’ and you can see it in the woodland section of this website.
At the moment I have no particular project in mind and so I am just enjoying playing with materials to see what I can come up with. The one thing I am sure about is that I want to create some work that is calm and peaceful. I tend to be drawn to quiet landscapes more than busy scenes.
Guard House wins the 'Belong Prize'
I’m really pleased to announce that my ink drawing, ‘Guard House’, has won the ‘Belong Prize’ at The Brampton Museum and Art Gallery Open Exhibition 2022. This drawing depicts one of the buildings at the derelict RAF Tilstock site. It’s a really good show in the new exhibition space and is well worth a visit. It runs until the 30th October.
Brampton Museum and Art Gallery Open
I’m pleased to announce that two of my ink drawings have been selected for The Brampton Museum and Art Gallery Open Exhibition 2022. The two pieces chosen are ‘Guard House’ and ‘Whiskey 13’, both featuring buildings at the RAF Upper Heyford Airbase site.
I’ve been using ink pen quite a lot over the last few years and was pleased with how these pieces worked out. The exhibition runs from the 24th September until the 30th October and is free to visit.
New work and Exhibitions
I’ve just completed a new drawing called ‘Milvale Street’. which is based on some derelict buildings I discovered whilst urban exploring in Middleport. For this one I used a new set of graphitint pencils which I have never tried before. I like the muted colours and the way I can build up textures and washes quite quickly. It’s a medium I think I will used again.
I also have an ink drawing and acrylic painting planned which will feature buildings from the same area. There are a few factories near the canal which have become abandoned but you can see traces of the past when the ceramics industry was thriving.
I have two ink drawings selected for the forthcoming Society of Graphic Fine Art Annual Exhibition which runs from the 17th to the 21st May at the Mall Galleries in London. My pieces include ‘The Igloo’ and ‘Whiskey 13’ which are both based on buildings from RAF Upper Heyford in Oxfordshire.
SGFA Open 2022
I’m pleased to announce that I have had two drawings selected for the forthcoming Society of Graphic Fine Art Open Exhibition 2022; ‘The Igloo’ and ‘Whiskey 13’. Both pieces depict buildings from RAF Upper Heyford, a disused airbase in Oxfordshire. The show will be held at the Mall Galleries in London from the 17th to the 21st May.
New Commission
I have just completed a new commission, this time featuring a cat called Henry. It is not the sort of thing I would normally use as subject matter but it was for a special occasion and so I decided to take it on board. This drawing is built up with multiple layers of ink pen to create the textures of the fur and a dash of watercolour to add tone and colour.
As I am a teacher it is useful to take on a variety of projects so that I gain new experiences which in turn feeds back into the art classes. Ink pen has featured many times in my more recent work and this project was an interesting diversion which I enjoyed.
Back to dereliction now……