Brighton Open House starts Saturday 05 May. I will be exhibiting with 5 other artists, all 4 weekends in May. Here are two beauties, ready to go: check my shop for prices. 50x70 prints not including frame.
going bigger
if you’ve seen my shop prints area you’ll have seen this print in miniature and medium size. but now we went a little bigger! 5meter by 3meter! That’s my darling wonderful wife in the photo. she ordered the print to be painted large for a backfdrop to one of her theatre shows.
kiss me
kiss me is my new print. Originaly I meant to do it in time for valentines; but when is a man in his 50’s in time for valentines…..it doesn’t happen (in my life). So it came late (better than coming early!).
I threw summer into this one, and let my words float ontop of each other. - a hug and a kiss. What could go wrong?! It’s also bigger than other prints at around 1m x 70cm maybe. And although that was pushing the limits of my printing area, I so love the results. To be honest, I dream of putting texts down the sides of buildings, so i’d love to be able to look back and shrug saying “Hugh! You call that big?” But for now….
elvis is still in the building
it’s always nice when a happy customer sends photos of the print hanging on their wall.
This is the only time I ever printed someone else’s quote. not even sure where the quote comes from, I just saw it as a sticker, and a friend who does Elvis concerts wanted one, when I told him about it. The pleasing thing for me, is getting that flat blue evenly covered over the whole print. No small feat, from where I stand.
book sewing at Kroloftet
Just gave a lovely sewing workshop at Kroloftet, Oslo. They have a great building, and roughly a 100 renters at the moment, and room for more if you’re looking for a space to work. They are brilliant at gathering creatives, and now have a beautiful cafe as well.
We spent a good half day sewing classic European bindings, Asian bindings and how best to simply sew a small brochure together.
Quite a bit to cover in a few short hours, but it went smoothly, and most had time to grab a tasty sandwich too (except me!).
Next workshop is booked for mid February, where i’ll be poetry working with old books and young kids in Aker Sykehus. Arranged by Deichman.
christmas KIO prints
spontaneous collaboration with my wife and a short show she was doing in the academy of arts in Oslo. This poem “when will we be one?” got read out - and as a gift, was placed on each seat in the auditorium. Copies are available for sale in the shop section of this website.
framing thoughts
a friend of mind bought this print, then re-framed it so it looks much more beautiful than I had intended. The print is floating out in front of the background in a way which reminds me that it is a print on a leaf (from a book) which is forever falling to the ground now.
Christmas market came and went!
We had a great Christmas exhibit for sales. Sold enough to please myself. (who else needs pleasing in the end?
Great with Sagenekunstsmie’s own gallery space. Set up with 4 movable walls on wheels. Makes the space so dynamic and gives us so many options for each event and expo.
a friend who bought this print, reframed it and made it look ten times better than I had intended! You can’t see it here, but the print floats infont of the black background in a stunning way which reminds you how its an old leaf - printed on and forever gently falling to the ground.
Christmas prints available
Christmas market at Sagenekunstsmie in Oslo 4-5 December 12-17 both days. see you there!
nothing nicer than happy clients!
paper cutting versus positive prints
I use paper cutting to create positive for screen printing. I also use it to make paper cut artworks, although these are fewer than before.
using my silhouette cameo I can bring in images created in Illustrator or simply fonts brought into the silhouette program. Then cut cut cut!
This way I can avoid expensive printing of positives on see through plastics, for exposing fresh emulsion screens. I don’t have the kind of printers required for this brilliant quality prints, so that’s expensive for me. Having said that - this cutting method cannot realise really intricate dot exposures, such as I used extensively in my last book Yourself - see earlier blog posts.
new wonderful outlet
https://www.pigsty.no. will soon be representing me, selling their own digital prints of some of my chosen posters, in 3 sizes. “Check them out” if that’s not too cheesy to say!
30x40cm 50x70cm 70x100cm
expo
One year on from my exhibition of YOURSELF. Who would have thought we’d still be in lock down? But the book lives on…
too many prints - representation
Today I start a new collaboration with Oslo shop/gallery: TOO MANY PRINTS as they will start selling my prints. Please check out the site and their shop.
art is also fun & relaxing
An original paper cutout. I say original because I only ever make one paper cut out of an idea. If I like it (or others like it) enough, then I go ahead a produce a series in screen printed formats. I was working on this one when a client visited my studio - she bought it there and then, before it was finished.
Planning on some screen print versions before the summer.
Yourself the book
My latest hand made book
design
Designing via a computer screen is ok, but I like to do as much by hand as possible. That’s why I also use a paper cutter, silhouette cameo, where I can print out letters and shapes on physical paper and then play around moving the pieces around until i’m happy.
I combine the paper shuffle with the traditional positive prints for screen printing exposure. Blending hands on with digital gives me a blended game to play with.
recent work
although my work has a humorous element, it also means something concrete to me. And although the poet now writes pithy one liners. They still hold meaning. this one was written after I had been in a coma in hospital with blood poisoning. its simple, but honest. a statement of intent, which you can smile with, and sympathise with at the same time. Its this combo that I am happiest finding in my work.
new super size me screen!
After Christmas I got lucky at the studio; friends were moving out and throwing away some broken screens. I bought a large one on the spot.
I’ve been needing a screen that can tackle my normal full print size (70X50) and this is it. That will be a big help, being able to tackle full screen sizes in one ink pass. Previously I’ve had to break up images and have them on several screens which I put together like a mosaic on the final print.
Now with this screen I can layer - for example a whole background colour - or put down a base white layer on ALL the texts in one pull.
This should really enhance what I can tackle.
The image in this photo shows a print: when will we be one. Which is 24cm square, and can now fit comfortably on one screen. Whoopie!!
New poetry reading on zoom
Recently I was invited to give a reading to a poetry society - Zoomuse - I was surprised at the good quality of the camera and sound! Have a listen.
