happiness is a warm sun

Today is is the spring equinox, and nearly all this week the sun has been shining, with some record temperatures - mild, balmy, brighter and lighter days - and my little eggbox seedlings are surely pushing their way into the verdant world. Brighter days has helped with the etchings too, as I have been wearing magnifying glasses to draw the plates under a desk lamp...As I was sifting through the contents of a cupboard for some possible frames and mounts for my new etchings, I came across the last nine of the one hundred paintings that I began in November 2008... I hadn't scanned these until this week... and I noticed how, with a clean mount, the rustic, elemental nature of these little paintings became at once much more minimalist, dare I say smarter, cooler, that little bit more slick and stylish...click to view larger version on etsy...However, I'm not a fan of mats or mounts, as I like to see the raw edges... I see these little paintings as small fragments...[XCIV small abstract painting on paper]In reality they all look much like these six from behind... I tear the paper to the required size first, then begin the monoprinting (aka monotyping) and painting...[rear view of small paintings, aka verso]if any evidence were needed that layer upon layer is added or blotted back, all made by paint-covered hands...I remember once looking at the Tate's collection of Rothkos and noticing the rough edges of the canvas, and I wondered what they might look like as abstract paintings from the back, on the verso - he painted in very thin layers onto unprimed canvas that soaked into the fibres (one for the conservators). What about all those notes and amendments to details that we add to our the back of our work? I sometimes add a label to larger works that describes the idea behind the work, title, name and address, web and email, the year, month started and/or completed, or revised... I know some artists who never date their work (or at least obscure it) - in that way their work never looks old to gallery eyes...Here are the last nine scans of the series: XCII, XCIII, XCIV, XCV, XCVI, XCVII, XCVIII, XCIX and C...Here's the full one hundred paintings, I to C, aka chromatids, 2008-2009...One hundred paintings, I to C, mixed media on paperYou can read the very beginning of the one hundred paintings here...And finally, back to the printmaking (I seem to have lots of ongoing projects) - I had quite forgotten how long it might take to draw the lichenscape plates, so no finished prints to show today, but here is a sneak preview for avid followers of this blog (three, not counting my good self)...  I took a snapshot of one of the copper plates near the window...[copper plate etching]If there is one thing that I have missed over the last couple of weeks, it is drawing in my sketchbook outdoors.. so I will endeavour to get some sketching hours in the next week or two...