BABE Arnolfini Art Gallery Bristol

It is late Sunday morning. The sun is shining. The air is cool. It's April and we are wearing scarves. People are steadily pouring into the Arnolfini art gallery. Inside crowds are gathering and huddling to fit in the spaces. We start at the bottom of the building. There are three floors, over 80 artists, bookmakers, and printers. Scarves are removed and layers are shed. Strange and familiar encounters. Observing and being observed. A quick scan across a table of books and a swift move before engaging eye contact or a gentle hello, the delicate hold of an object, the turn of a page, the making sense of... followed by a question. Responses vary. Some like tour guides jumping in with detailed descriptions of the process, the history, the essay, while others hide with heads down in a book or in conversation with their neighbour. And another stumbling upon the unexpected - complete resonance with a word or a line, a shape and then a meeting of souls, a gentle smile and understanding. A realisation. A moment of seeing.

I was moved by artist Gemma Lacey's work. Particularly her series of drawings and poetic text of a walk she made with her sister along the coast of Norfolk 'From Cromer to Hunstanton' in honour of her grandma who now suffers from dementia. "In this work prints, drawings and text are collected into a book form that reflects the coastline" Gemma Lacey's - blog

Gemma's response to her grandma's dementia resonates with my own experience of printing 'Venus' after my grandma died last year. I drew Venus in my grandma's home in between visits to the hospital. It helped to move through the feelings of sadness and loss through the process of drawing, carving and then finally printing.

“How does the artist breathe life into his work? By summoning the spirit of art that lives inside him. This is the same with all kinds of art. Power comes from the artist’s spirit, warmth from his tenderness, serenity from his prayers.”

— Shiko Munakata The Woodblock and the Artist - Edited by Souri Yanagi - Southbank Centre London 1991

I have taken home a small collection of business cards, leaflets, posters and books to remind me of some other inspiring and joyful exchanges throughout the day.

Bristol Arts Book Event - Arnolifini Gallery Bristol

Folded Gifts

There’s something very special about receiving post through the letterbox when so much communication takes place on the web these days.

Darwin Stamps

This morning I heard the flap of the letterbox springing into action. I usually find either a bank statement or pile of junk mail ready to line the compost bin. This morning I found a little brown envelope addressed to Ms. Mog Fry with a 1st class Darwin postage stamp in the corner. Three queens also stamped in 2p bottle green, 20p grass green and 10p rusty orange lined up next to Darwin. When the cost of postage had risen a fair bit, I can see why people are less enthusiastic about sending a small letter which almost amounts to one pound. It costs nothing to send an email (if you don’t include your broadband, electricity bill and possibly a few more pounds spent on trips to the optician or the osteopath). But how many emails can you tear open along the edge to find tangible gifts? (unless you have a 3D computer but then you have to wait at least 8 hours for the object to print before you can pick it up.) In the little brown envelope are two miniature paper objects - recycled magazines folded into delicate forms and a miniature book shaped eraser.

I am curious about the folded gift in the shape of a winged jacket. I open it up to reveal a dynamic world within. Black expressive marks within their own canvases. I’m curious to know who made these as only the name of the gallery is written by the side of the images and they feel so familiar. The Sabine Knust gallery doesn’t lead me to the artist so I enter the string of words printed in Italian next to the images. I type into google images - incisioni puntasecca e acquatinta firmate datate e numerate su Rives - which reveals lithographs and etchings by artist Emilio Vedova.

Emilio Vedova

Finding Emilio’s work in paper form and then discovering more about him on the web is where the wonderful dance between the physical and ethereal world meet. As I continue my exploration in cyberspace I find a film of Emilio’s work being installed by robotic shuttles at the Emilio e Annabianca Vedova Foundation, Venice.

“The main aim of Fondazione Emilio e Annabianca Vedova, created by the artist and his wife, is to promote the art and work of Vedova and to highlight his importance in the history of 20th century art through a series of initiatives, such as studies, research pro- jects, analyses, exhibitions, itineraries and teaching spaces, conferences, scholarships and prizes.”

— Fondazione Emilio e Annabianca Vedova

Thank you Lilla for your precision folded treasures which has opened the doors into chiaroscuroctic corridors of the 1900s.

See more of Lilla Duignan's explorations at www.seeingthings.me.uk/blog

Letterpress - Mermaids and Blacksmiths

Jess ward EP - 100 EP covers printed on the Adana 8x 5. Plum black ink on smooth white 100% recycled card stock.

Adana 8x5 check up-checked and all working fine and dandy!

Top Tips from Roy Caslon:

1. Make sure the chase base is the right height and sitting level with the bottom of the chase.

2. Check roller runners are the right way round and the correct diameter.

3. Make sure the laygauge is not touching the chase base.

Jess Ward - EP

Recent design and printed edition of 100 EP covers for wonderful folk singer and harpist, Jess Ward from Pembrokeshire. She has just released her four track EP, gleaming beautiful songs of mermaids & blacksmiths...

Jess Ward - EP

1. The Blacksmith 07:31

2. The Giddy Girl 05:49

3. The Mermaid's Lament 06:23

4. 3 Leaves 06:35

Thank You!

Update on Jo

A huge thank you everyone who contributed to helping to Bring Jo Home. Anna managed to raise $21,462.40 to help with the cost of bringing her mum ,Jo, back to New Zealand. Jo suffered traumatic brain injury in June 2012. They now have the funds to help bring Jo home to be with her family.

GiveALittle love work rest hugs

To raise money for Jo, I printed 5 limited edition unframed prints "Love Work Rest Hugs"

Hand printed on 130gms Japon Simili paper (approx 9.5" x 12.5") using wooden type on the Adana 8x5 and hand carved rubber stamp to print the flower.

All proceeds went to 'GiveALittle' to 'Bring Jo Home'

Donate via Givealittle

StampDuty - with guest artist Mel Shearsmith

Lilla offers her recycled Dorset Cereal boxes. These beautifully designed little boxes come with a small heart cut out to show the cereal inside the box. Meg brings some grey Lino to carve. I bring a Matisse cut-outs postcard from the Tate Modern for inspiration and off we go…

Using the cut-out hearts I mask off part of the lino cut making some fun hearty patterns leading into more hands-on finger smudging inksploration.

Hearty Inksplorations