All patched up: new original monotypes
I'm excited to share with you my latest creations! I've been working on these original monotypes since December. My patchwork landscapes are very detailed and take a long time. There's a lot of different stages and they can't be rushed. They're not paintings but they are unique works of art. The video below gives some glimpses into the process of printing the image above. (Video made by my 13 year-old son!)
Last month, I posted some progress photos of these works and I'm pleased and relieved that they've turned out well. You'll see that I've returned to the patchwork landscapes that I've become known for. I felt there was still more exploring to do with this theme and I had new skills and ideas I could apply.
These two tall ones were a joy to work on, as the compositions flowed. You may remember my square image "Hidden Sands". This has been incredibly popular as a card and print so I wanted to try again with a tall format. It's important to me that each element of a composition is balanced with every other element so I spent some time drawing and re-drawing to get those harmonious relationships working.
I know people will ask if the one above is a real place on the coast. It isn't but I've looked at a lot of pictures of the well-known sea-arch, Durdle Door, on the Dorset coast and perhaps that has influenced me. But none of these images are based on real places - they are idealized views created imaginatively.
I particularly enjoyed working on the one above as the soft, natural colours seemed very evocative of my local area in Northumberland. The grasses and seed heads are very stylized but they call to mind the complexity of the field edge habitat.
With the more colourful patchwork landscapes, I threw caution to the wind and indulged in rich tapestry colours that you wouldn't find in nature but have a warm, joyful glow. I used the foreground textures to indicate some perspective over the field towards the trees. I do plan out the direction of lines beforehand as it's not easy to keep sight of them through the overlapping layers of colour. These landscapes have been through the printing press about 9 times with the trees a 10th drawn layer which doesn't involve the press.
The back-lit seed heads image above followed a different path from the others: it combined my sunset sky style with crisp plant silhouettes. You can see a video about the making of this one in my previous post.
These originals are now available for sale. They are not yet listed in my website shop so if you wish to purchase, please get in touch by phone (07717 256169) or email. You can choose between framed, mounted & wrapped and unmounted. For international delivery please choose unmounted. Delivery is not included in the prices shown but I can pack and send one to you by courier. You can also collect from my studio. Here's an example of the framing and double mount.
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