This Week

This really happened, and I thought I'd do a little cartoon for a change. Might make it a weekly thing - unless nothing happens to me of course!

Illustration Friday - "Cracked"

For the "cracked" theme I thought I would do a little illustration from "Bluebeard", where the girl is given an egg by her new husband and has to keep it perfect. But afterwards, I re-read the story and realised it's not an egg she is given at all, but a key. I'm cracking up I tell you!

It's just gouache and ink on a bit of brown paper.

No Willpower

It's been a stressful, busy and tiring few weeks, with family problems, a new job and the Open House all jostling for time and attention. I woke up this morning feeling really drained and achey!

Today is my usual printing day, and my first thought was to give it a miss this week and try and chill out a bit instead. But then I thought, "Well, it won't hurt to just pop in and collect my work." Then I thought, "It would be silly to just go and collect my work without taking a few prints off of my new plate." Then I thought, "If I don't prepare a new plate I'll have nothing to work on next time."

So I ended up staying about 3 hours, printing this and adding chine colle, and buying three new pieces of steel...


...my name is Liza and I'm an etchoholic.

Open House

Here are a few images from the Open House! You can click to enlarge all but the top two - I don't know why!

A 1920's Toy Theatre.

A fab automaton made by John Alden. It's called "Square Dance"!

Part of John's collection of wooden toys made by Yootha Rose.

My Curly Locks doll.

John's fabulous dolls house, created by him and his late partner. A real labour of love!

A lovely pendant of Karen Rayner's,

and just a small part of her work.

Here's my corner.

A Happy Event...any time now!

It's that time again...when the Peregrine Falcons nest on top of the Brighton tower block. This year the webcam is up and running as usual, so you can check and see if the eggs have hatched yet here!

Disasters narrowly missed and retching on the bus

Well I start my new job today so wish me luck! I have to admit I haven't got off to the greatest of starts - as I was on the bus to Brighton yesterday for a merry printing session, I got a phone call asking where I was - I was supposed to start yesterday! I felt sick with awfulness (in fact, I actually retched). But checking back, I found that they had typed the wrong date on my letter. I hadn't noticed the day at all.

After changing buses, I discovered that everyone in the local area had seemingly decided not to wash for 3 weeks and then join me for the rest of my journey. Pleasant. Retching on the bus twice in a day - that must be a first.

The lovely, odour-free people at BIP cheered me up as usual. Remember my Manatee print? My first ever etching? Well I thought I'd add aquatint to it last week and I thought it was a disaster - the plate went rusty within seconds of coming out of the acid. But I cleaned it off with Brasso and it turned out really well...
In fact I'd like to make a story around these two.

Anyway I should be dressing in my smart yet casual clothes. Bye!

Studying People

It's the Brighton Festival at the moment and as I mentioned in my last post I'm taking part in an Open House. I'm in the house of the lovely John Alden, who doesn't seem to have a website (I must ask him why not!) but who makes the most fab automata and miniatures and is also a hive of information about toys, and art and craft. Also at the house, showing her scrumptious enamelled silver and copper jewellery is Karen Rayner, a Bishopstone artist who has a studio near mine and is very talented. We have had quite a few visitors so far but unfortunately not many seem to have brought their wallets with them....


Anyway after leaving John's house today I had a coffee in Sainsburys cafe and did a little bit of sketching. I've noticed when I'm out sketching that the vast majority of people seem to look very stressed and miserable. The woman on the right side was doing a crossword and she really didn't seem to be enjoying it at all, she was holding her head in her hands at one point - I was getting quite concerned. I was disappointed that the woman at the bottom didn't stay long enough for me to draw her. I like drawing larger people.

These I did a few days ago - the left was on a train, the bottom right was at a bus stop.

Drawing standing up is difficult!

I've thought of something positive about the theft of Brad's car. It means I get more trains and buses, which means I sketch more. (I'm sure that's no consolation to Brad!)

Another Doll

It has been absolutely lovely Spring weather...I hope it stays like this for the weekend when the Brighton Festival begins. I'm going to be in an Open House in the Newhaven Art Trail. (I'm in the Badgers Hill Workshop.)

I've made a couple of new dolls to show at the Open House...here's the Earth one from the elements series I've been doing...

You can see some of my prints on my studio wall in the background - and my offer letter from uni!

Here are the pictures I took while I was making the doll. Unfortunately my camera battery ran out around the time I made the dress, but here are the early stages. Making a pattern...

Sewing the pieces together on my trusty Bernina (born the same year as me!) ...

Stuffing the head and covering with stocking material.

This part was done a couple of weeks ago - note that I'm wearing gloves because it's so cold in my studio!

I'm so-o-o tired...I have got far too much to do. I'm just going to staple a few peg doll packs together and then I will be collapsing in front of the tv.

Elements Doll

Just a couple of quick snaps of a doll I have been working on. There's an Earth one as well, which I haven't photographed yet.

Went to BIP yesterday to do some printing, and prepared a couple of plates to work on next week. That's all really!

G-Whizz it's party time!

Here are some pics of the "G" themed fancy dress party we went to last night. There were geeks, Gangsters,Gays,Greeks and Gladiators,

Gypsies & Gerrard,

Grotbags,
And of course the birthday boy...

GARIBALDI!

There were loads of great costumes I didn't get good pictures of...Jenny came as the Galaxy, and Kate Ginger spice, there was a Gold digger, a genie... even a Gynaecologist! It was great fun.

Looking forward to a day of artiness today with my friends Sandie and Kate. Have a great Sunday everyone! (By the way, it really is Sunday, despite it saying it's Saturday on the date of this post...don't quite know what's going on there....)

Two New Books!

Well, for those of you on the edge of your seats waiting to know which film we went to see...neither. Charlie chose 17 Again, but when we arrived at horrible Cineworld, there was a sign up saying they had a problem with the projector on that screen so it would be out of focus. So Charlie's next choice was Race To Witch Mountain, which was like ET but with two very bland teenagers in place of the cute alien. And it starred ex-wrestler The Rock. I voluntarily watched a film starring The Rock. We enjoyed ourselves anyway!

While I was waiting for Charlie to meet me in Brighton I happened to wander into Dave's Comics again. In fact I happened to stay in there for at least half an hour. I think I am turning into a nerd - and I like it! I eventually bought this...

...and genuinely wept with laughter when I read it later in the evening. And, a few days ago I ordered this...

...expecting a slim volume - and it's a really lavish hardback full of fantastic ETCHINGS! Of course I shan't allow myself to look at it properly until conditions are perfect (no children around, coffee to hand, lamp on, quiet music on in background). But it looks gorgeous and I can't wait to get stuck in. Yay!

In other news we are going to a friend's 40th birthday party on Saturday and have to go dressed as something beginning with G. Charlie is being a gangster, and possibly Joe too. I'd planned to be a goth, but I am now leaning towards a geek.

No Batteries

...in my digital camera still, so I can't show you the two dolls I've just about finished. I'm trying to do four, based on the elements...I've done Air and Earth so far.

Here's a little doodle I did while I was thinking about Air.

Hoping to take Charlie to the pictures tomorrow as it's good old Orange Wednesday. We can't decide between 17 Again, (with Zac Whatsit and Matthew Perry), or Let The Right One In, a Swedish film about a 12 year old boy who meets a vampire. Charlie's been reading Twilight and this is supposed to be a million times better - it's had great reviews and it's also showing at my favourite cinema. But, I am not great about gore, and apparently the gore is quite shocking. I think I'll just let Charlie decide!

Happy Easter!

Easter is usually my least favourite time of year. I have bad memories of Easters past, and the sight of fake daffodils and chicks in shop windows fills me with dread. When I worked in the bookshop I always offered to work instead of having the weekend off. But this year, so far, I have broken the cycle! I've had quite a good time, mostly involving chocolate, television and some art work. (And looking forward to my course of course!)

Here is the rather sad drawing I did the other day in preparation for an etching which I later ruined. I wanted a break from sewing, so I stretched some paper and thought I would try to complete it in watercolour and ink. I attempted to show the light in a Shaun Tan-esque way, but I think it ended up Liza-esque after all. Anyway instead of drawing the lines and painting in afterwards, I did loose washes first and heavily cross hatched over the top. I enjoyed it!

Now I am going to watch Desperate Housewives with a Chunky Kitkat. Bye!

HOORAY!

Guess what? My lovely mum has offered to lend me the money for my course fees! I can't believe I am actually GOING to university in September! It is so strange to wake up in the morning without the worry of finding the money and the fear of not being able to do the course hanging over my head...it's brilliant and I am so grateful to my mum.

Also I have got a new part time job working for a charity...it fits in with my course. (My course!) I start at the end of the month.

So it's hooray all round really. Hooray! (Isn't hooray a funny word..?)

Oh and here are a couple of sketches from my recent trip to London. Mostly on the train.

I ruined the plate of the sketch I did yesterday. But here's another one - it's hard ground, then soft ground and aquatint on steel.

Drowned my sorrows (well, had two glasses of wine!) with my good friend Sandie yesterday evening. Then cried and went to bed with Slumdog Millionaire. (The book, unfortunately, not a real one, or I wouldn't be in this situation in the first place!)

Feeling Blue

Well, I've been turned down for the funding I applied for. I got a letter this morning.

Here's the sketch I did for my new etching plate...I think it sums up the way I am feeling. I think I'll make it really dark and moody - put an aquatint on and use a lot of lines too.

My only hope now is a career development loan. I just hope they aren't means tested, because if they are I'm sunk...

Even More Printing

Here's another chine colle tree from my printing class...this time it's on zinc. Next week is my last week...sniff...but I've got a few hours owing to me because of the time we had snow. Then I can join, and use the studios on an open access basis. I've already bought myself some stopping-out varnish to show my commitment! I started work on a new plate which I really like so far so hopefully I'll be able to post the results next week. Hope to post some new doll pictures soon too, when I can afford batteries for my camera!

Ooh, and Brad got me this today in Dave's Comics...I just couldn't leave the shop without it! And I then had to be manhandled past Pen to Paper (and the Bead Shop, and the Oxfam Bookshop)!

You won't regret watching these!

Oh, this is such a lovely animation, so beautiful and moving. Apparently it's won an Oscar, and in his speech the creator, Kunio Kato thanked his pencil! It's so good I bothered to learn how to put a video in a post.

Not much to report really, just been spending time at the studio getting ready for the Open House I'm hopefully taking part in in May - more news nearer the time. And it's Spring! Hooray!