Serene Loch Duich

Last weekend our kayak club had a trip planned to Loch Duich near Kintail, West of Scotland, a 4-hour drive from our house. It's a long way for just two days but it was worth it as we couldn't have had any better weather. High pressure, freezing, wall to wall sunshine and no wind on the Saturday. Kintail Outdoor Centre was our base for the weekend.

Map of our kayak route on Loch Duich ©Fenfolio2017

We launched our kayaks at the bridge of Dornie, just around the corner from iconic Eilean Donan castle. From the moment we arrived, most of us were more involved in taking photos of the stunning scenery in golden light than preparing all our equipment!

Eilean Donan Castle at dawn ©Fenfolio2017

Eilean Donan Castle at dawn ©Fenfolio2017

Eilean Donan Castle at dawn ©Fenfolio2017

Getting ready to launch ©Fenfolio2017

A perfect start of the day! ©Fenfolio2017

 
It was actually more of a photography trip on the water than a kayak trip. Well, at least for me! I had to pinch myself regularly because it was as if we were paddling in a fantasy world.

Paddling towards Eilean Donan castle ©Fenfolio2017

Dornie bridge ©Fenfolio2017

Inspecting Eilean Donan Castle from Loch Duich ©Fenfolio2017

Is this for real? ©Fenfolio2017

Loch Duich and the five sisters of Kintail ©Fenfolio2017

Splendid scenery from Loch Duich ©Fenfolio2017

Approaching Heaven ©Fenfolio2017

The tops of the 5 sisters of Kintail can been seen in the background
©Fenfolio2017

Synchronicity ©Fenfolio2017

Happy paddlers on Loch Duich ©Fenfolio2017

The perfect reflection ©Fenfolio2017

Pure bliss! ©Fenfolio2017

The 5 sisters of Kintail ©Fenfolio2017

Paddlers in Paradise ©Fenfolio2017

Breaking the thin layer of ice was fun and noisy! ©Fenfolio2017

Ice layer ©Fenfolio2017

On our way back again ©Fenfolio2017

View of Eilean Donan castle from other side of Loch Duich ©Fenfolio2017

Paddling underneath bridge that leads to castle ©Fenfolio2017

Artistic Explorations: Figurative study (3)

My latest work I created during the Figurative Study course at Grays School of Art is called "Contemplation".

Figure painting "Contemplation" ©Fenfolio2015

First I collected scraps of paper which I covered with acrylic paint leftover after each art session (because I don't want to waste anything!). Over the years I had quite a pile! I used this as a collage background and glued it on an A2 greyboard. Unfortunately I didn't take a photo of this. It was relatively dark, highly textured due to the layers of paint and had a wide variety of strong colours. Once dry and in the classroom I painted the model in acrylic paint and gesso. I painted the negative space around her first with gesso, then added dark and light tones in the model.

Close-up of "Contemplation" ©Fenfolio2015

Close-up of "Contemplation" ©Fenfolio2015

Close-up of "Contemplation" ©Fenfolio2015

This process of starting with a very busy background and then "pulling" the model out, is really up to my street because it's very liberating! More will follow here soon...

Artistic Explorations: Relief Printmaking (2)

Next year Jaap is planning to do a solo circumnavigation around the house by kayak, paddling down the River Dee to Aberdeen, following the coastline to Edinburgh, then take various rivers, canals and (sea)lakes via Fort William to Inverness and then make his way along the Moray and Aberdeenshire coast back home.

For his birthday in November I had plenty of ideas what to give him. The most important item of course was a GPS tracker so I know exactly where he is during this expedition! But I also wanted to give him something personal in the form of a card or print.

Inspiration came from one of the photos I took of him in 2013 while kayaking around Soay, an island next to Isle of Skye.

Jaap kayaking along coastline of Isle of Skye ©Fenfolio2013

The initial image was cropped into a square format and reversed in Photoshop so that the composition of the print is the same as the photo. I then traced the outlines of the mountains and kayaker. As I had plenty of soft lino and block printing ink available I wanted to create a reductive lino print. This is a process where all colours are being developed from the same block. For each colour layer more material is being removed from the block. Each color is then printed on top of the previous.Unfortunately I didn't have time to take photos of each printed stage as I was really working on a tight deadline to have it ready on his birthday!

For the best results a printing press (for relief printing) is being used but as I don't have one at home and didn't have time to go into town to print at Peacock Visual Arts I decided to try it just by hand. To register the block correctly during each printing process I first made a registration board (from mountboard and pieces of card) so I could align paper and block in the same way each time.

My work process:
1. I first took away the hull of the kayak and sleeve and printed in light blue. This revealed the white areas.
2. The sky was removed and some areas in the water. Then I printed in light purple. This revealed the sky and some water ripples in the back. The top of the hull in light blue is a very lucky error as I forgot to take away that area. It was created due to a slight misalignment while burnishing by hand!
3. The distant mountains and some other areas in the water were removed. It was then printed in dark blue. This revealed the light purple areas.
4. I removed more areas near the horizon and some ripples in the foreground. This revealed the dark blue.
5. During the last stage I removed most of the water that was left, the paddle shaft and spraydeck. Then I printed in orange to reveal top of kayak, buoyancy aid, glove, hat, paddle blade and some ripples.

This is the final result:

Reductive linocut print in 6 colours ©Fenfolio2015

Because 5 colours (except white) were placed on top of eachother it was slightly darker than I planned for. I was also not very happy with the grainy effect due to the burnishing by hand only. After I took a photo of the print I cleaned it in Photoshop and replaced the colours into more vibrant ones which Jaap prefers.

This is the result:

Photoshopped version of reductive linocut print ©Fenfolio2015

Finally, I manipulated a bit further as I wanted to have a more generic design that could suit any kayaker. The image was changed into greyscale and a posterize filter was applied. This design will be used as a Christmas card for all our kayak friends!

Photoshopped version of linocut in greyscale ©Fenfolio2015

Artistic Explorations: Monotype Printmaking (1)

As you know I have been printmaking since last year. Recently I signed up for the follow-up course at Grays School of Art which runs from October until March. When I saw a printmaking course advertised by Bridge House Art, owned by Eleanor White who I met a few years ago during another workshop, I realised I didn't want to wait that long!

Entrance of Bridge House Art ©Fenfolio2015

So from 13 until 17 July I travelled to Ullapool and learned all about monotype printing from printmaking artist Kittie Jones who was our tutor. The course was very well organised. They had given each of us (10 ladies in total) their own art box. Every day we started with a slideshow of work by various artists to give us an insight in their processes and inspire us. We then had a coffee break with freshly made cake and for lunch (mostly outside!) we had delicious homemade soup and salad. The use of the printing studio was also included and was a great space because it used to be a petrol station/garage!

Etching press in printmaking studio ©Fenfolio2015

Old etching press in printmaking studio ©Fenfolio2015

The studio is a converted petrol station ©Fenfolio2015

Vintage petrol station in front of studio ©Fenfolio2015

We were really lucky with the weather and it rained just one night only! Every morning I walked to the studio and back along the sea and river and enjoyed the wonderful views. Perfect to tune in for a creative day but also for winding down after a day of focussed work.

Great views during my morning walk ©Fenfolio2015

Ullapool ©Fenfolio2015

A lovely footpath along the river ©Fenfolio2015

On the first day we travelled to Rhue, North of Ullapool, for some sketching exercises en plein air such as blind contour drawing, continuous line drawing, gesture drawing and drawing from memory.

En plein air at Ardmair Bay ©Fenfolio2015

My office at Ardmair Bay ©Fenfolio2015

Sketch I made in charcoal and ink on concertina booklet ©Fenfolio2015

Close-up of sketch in charcoal and ink ©Fenfolio2015

Close-up of sketch in charcoal and ink ©Fenfolio2015

Unfinished sketches on back of concertina booklet ©Fenfolio2015

One of my gesture drawings ©Fenfolio2015

On the third day we travelled to Ardmair Bay for some colour exercises. Some how I really struggled with that. We were supposed to focus on large shape sand colours, but instead my attention was on every detail I saw in the landscape. In the end I was very frustrated (and I was not the only one) and destroyed my sketches and paintings. A glass of wine is then the only remedy to relax again!

The perfect remedy after a frustrating session ©Fenfolio2015

Kittie showed us the process of monotype printing with and without press and intaglio printmaking with a collagraph plate. Here she demonstrates how to make a hand burnished monotype print with a perspex plate, oil-based ink or oil paint, linseed oil, Zest-it, a brush and a cloth. This method gives a painterly effect and is very easy to do at home.

Kittie demonstrates application of paint onto perspex
©Fenfolio2015

Kittie demonstrates markmaking in paint
©Fenfolio2015

Kittie demonstrates pulling print and making adjustments
©Fenfolio2015

Guided by our sketches from the days before we started working. Here are a few of my monochrome prints.

Printed with oil-based ink and hand burnished from perspex
©Fenfolio2015

Printed with oil-based ink, chine collé and hand burnished
©Fenfolio2015

Collagraph print, run through press ©Fenfolio2015

Display of work from participants ©Fenfolio2015

After we finished our colour exercises outside we went to the studio for monotype printing with oil-based etching ink, rollers, masks/stencils, hand burnishing and etching press.

Inking table ©Fenfolio 2015

Hard at work in studio ©Fenfolio2015

Here are a few multi-layer monotype prints I created without the press.

Multi-layer monotype print, hand burnished ©Fenfolio 2015

Mult-layer monotype print, hand burnished ©Fenfolio 2015

And these are my multi-layer prints that have been run through the etching press. I also made some ghost prints (more transparent due to less ink) after I had run the first print (opaque ink). For both prints I then added a new layer in a different colour with new marks and different masks.

Mult-layer monotype print, run through press ©Fenfolio 2015

Multi-layer monotype ghost print, run through press ©Fenfolio 2015

Multi-layer monotype print, run through press ©Fenfolio 2015

Multi-layer monotype ghost print, run through press ©Fenfolio 2015

At the end of the week we were asked to set up a small exhibition in the workshop so that we could see everyone's work and get feedback from Kittie. It was quite overwhelming to see so many beautiful prints in different styles and hear the positive feedback from the expert!

I love the abstract style in Cath's work ©Fenfolio 2015

Beautiful colours and markmaking in Jennie's prints ©Fenfolio 2015

Attention to detail is Margaret's forte ©Fenfolio 2015

Julia's prints are captivating ©Fenfolio 2015

Hilary's style is very expressive ©Fenfolio2015

Painterly quality in Val's prints ©Fenfolio 2015

This print (hand burnished) created by Jane is my favourite of all!
©Fenfolio2015

After a very intense and fantastic creative week I was exhausted but also very inspired to continue experimenting with this medium in my own studio and at Peacock Visual Arts in Aberdeen. I might even have a few new prints ready for North East Open Studios which is coming soon now!