The Bookmarks XV Project

I participated in the 15th and final year of the Bookmarks Infiltrating the Library System project organised by the Centre for Book Arts at the University of the West of England in Bristol.  Over 50 artists took part and I have now received my contributor's set.  In addition, a number of sets will be sent out to institutions in Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, USA as well as the UK.

Details of the scheme and the various contributors over the years can be found here, with this year's bookmarks itemised on this page.

I started planning my contribution in October 2016 and worked on it in between other tasks.  I finally sent off my 100 bookmarks to the University in March this year.

I used full sheets of hot-pressed 140lb Bockingford watercolour paper, acrylic paint, inks and gesso. For each new full sheet I used a different set of colours to randomly paint and stamp an abstract  background.  These were subsequently hand printed with a linocut of a flower in white (a mixture of gesso and slow drying acrylic), plus a collage element designed to clip over a book page.  I couldn't resist a bit of "bling" and highlighted the flower petals with pen and gold acrylic ink before hand cutting, assembling and numbering the final bookmarks.

Deciding to produce each individual bookmark by hand involved a fair amount of work, but I enjoyed the challenge.

 Softcut printing blocks

To help line up the printing, I cut the large sheets into strips
 just a fraction over the height of the main lino block

100 bookmarks

Detail

The Sketchbook Project

Our local urban sketching group has decided to participate in this project  (see details here: www.sketchbookproject.com)

 A sketchbook has been purchased and we have until the end of March 2018 to complete and return it to the Brooklyn Library, NY.  The book measures 5” x 7” and contains 16 pages (i.e. 32 sides), this will be passed around the group with each participant using 2 or 3 sides. 

The paper is rather thin so care is needed if using watermedia – an alternative is for contributors to supply their sketches on separate paper which can then be glued into the book.

I wanted to include something particularly relevant to our locality, so decided to use the information and a couple of images I gathered when putting together my booklet on the fritillary nature reserve.  My third was a pencil portrait with added collage.

Left - collaged lino print on mulberry paper
Right - pen and watercolour sketch

Pencil, watercolour, collage and acrylic print

   

Steam train journey

To celebrate a special birthday earlier this year, my husband was given tickets for a trip on the famous steam locomotive Flying Scotsman which was running from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard on the West Somerset Heritage Railway.  The booking was for Tuesday last week and involved a coach trip to Bishops Lydeard station, by rail to Minehead on another steam train, with the return journey on the Flying Scotsman itself.  Good photographic opportunities of the famous engine were limited as it was surrounded by a crush of railway enthusiasts, but it was a memorable experience.

Apart from a sketch while waiting on the station platform, most of my efforts were tiny scribbles from the moving train.  I tried out continuous line drawing with a Micron pen; at first I found it required concentration to keep the pen on the page, but it's a technique I would like to practice more frequently.

Raveningham Hall steam locomotive

The Flying Scotsman

Micron pen sketches

Great Chalfield Manor

We visited the gardens of this late medieval manor house and church last week and were pleasantly surprised that there was plenty of late summer colour in the flowerbeds and borders.  There was so much to take in and I took loads of photos.  We did, however, find a quiet, sheltered spot for our picnic lunch so I made time for a very quick pen sketch, with colour added later at home.

Guided tours of the house were by timed ticket but we missed out as we spent so much time exploring outside - an excuse to make another trip, perhaps in the spring.

Pen, watercolour and gouache
in the Hahnemuhle Grey Book

Swindon Urban Sketchers

Last Saturday was the first anniversary of the Swindon sketch group and we met up in the grounds of the Richard Jefferies Museum* near Coate Water Park.  The weather was kind and there were plenty of picnic tables where we could comfortably sketch and enjoy a snack lunch, as well as a couple of glasses of wine.  (I am glad I was taking the bus home!)

*This was the birthplace of Richard Jefferies, a Victorian nature writer, noted for his depiction of English rural life.

Pen and watercolour over some random collage

Pen, watercolour and gouache

Both of these sketches were done in the Hahnemuhle Grey Book.