Hi there! In this newsletter edition I wanted to share a bit about a course I am currently undertaking and some recent material play from the studio. Things feel pretty exploratory in terms of image-making at the moment, and Iβm enjoying testing out new ways of working without too much expectation of where they might end up.
RHS Principles of Plant Growth and Development
For a few months now, I have been studying towards the RHS Level 2 qualification in the Principles of Plant Growth and Development. Having cultivated and nurtured an allotment space for just over 7 years, and gardened for longer that, itβs felt exciting to formalise and deepen the understanding and knowledge that has come from that experience. This introductory course focuses on the fundamentals of how plants live, grow, reproduce, decay and the contributing factors of nutrition, environment, disease and cultivation that can help plants to thrive. Iβve really been enjoying revisiting some GCSE science and better understanding the intricacies of the internal and relational structures at play.
As a bit of a revision-aid, Iβve been spending time reworking diagrams of different plant structures below.
Tetra-pak Printing
Things have gotten a little bit crafty in the studio of-late. Iβve been testing out Tetra-pak etching with a pasta machine and I feel as though these initial sketches are promising and worth exploring further. The limitation of scale is really nice as itβs both quick to make and difficult to finesse too much.
Gelli Printing
Similarly, Gelli printing has also provided a space to get images out quickly and embrace a rougher, more unwiedly quality. Itβs essentially monoprinting, but the plate has a hard jelly texture that allows the ink applied to be pulled away much more effectively. Iβve enjoyed taking a more painterly approach with these, applying the ink to the plate with a brush quite thickly, or with quite a bit of oil, so that when itβs printed the colours smear and blend without too much assistance.
The quick pace of the process feels like good way to reflect these really brief moments in Spring as the air temperatures rise and the fruit trees and bushes start coming into flower. Signalling everything thatβs to come.