Happy, happy, happy!

T'was with an elevated heart beat that I scanned the lists a week ago to see if my name was there on the offers under 'Print'.  All around me fashionistas and painters were screaming, shrieking and crying.  Last September seemed so long ago and suddenly everything had come to this point. 

During the ranking I heard tales of people in other subjects starving, not sleeping and passing out and yet even on the last day of Print, when the ink was flying, white spirits weren't to be had for love nor money and everyone was queuing for the presses, I listened for a second and all I could hear was music and the buzz of conversation.  No-one was assured of a place and yet the atmosphere was brilliant all the way through.  This is down to Des and the whole Print crew who fortunately create a bullshit-free zone where work is (whisper it) enjoyable.  There it is folks ... the E word.  I enjoyed the whole 4 weeks, from the research to the last wipe down with a clean rag.  I wasn't overjoyed with any of my prints (and I still can't open the tins of litho ink) but I hoped I'd done enough to get in. 

Well hallelujah my name was there and so I'm set for 3 years in happy, happy, happy Print.

Here are a few early prints, in the excitement this is all I remembered to photograph but I'll upload some more later:-

Collagraph made with insulating tape, 2 colours

Insulating tape collagraph over etching, 3 colours

Single colour collagraph



This was my finished space, I kept it minimal and also made some of the prints into books.  Our project brief was identity and I used the idea of my father and myself sharing a lot of the same traits and this being expressed in small, almost insignificant ways.

I also got some lovely, random effects on my lab coat but this is an ongoing project ...