Throughout the posts I’ve outlined the progress of the project and the working processes that I adopted during my visits to Colne and Nelson and while developing the print-based work. Below I’ve compiled a series of images that document the two trips and the photos/sketches that I made. The images also show the collages that were made as a first response to each location, mark-making and painterly motifs, the plates, plans and some work in progress shots.
Above are maps and routes created for my trip to Colne – I photocopied OS maps from the library and used tracing paper to draw over random routes. I then followed them as closely as possible using Google Maps and wrote out directions to guide me on the day. I did follow some of the routes but I found it tricky at times to stick to them as a lot of the routes followed back and forward around the same streets.
Sketches made on the journey to Colne – I found it difficult to complete any drawings of people without them noticing.
Above are photos and sketches from Colne – when I got home I began developing these into collages and mixed media pieces taking shapes or patterns and distorted them or combined them with new marks.
After creating these mixed media pieces I wanted to remove the colour to continue to develop them as compositions that could then become print. I flattened the images by photocopying in black and white – I posted images of these earlier in the year. The next stage of the process was to work on metal and make the drypoint plates to print with. I didn’t want to recreate each composition and chose instead to combine the elements that stood out and used them to produce scenes or compositions that reflected my experience in Colne and my first impression of the town. I worked directly onto the plate with the tools without planning allowing new marks to come through alongside those lifted from the collages. Below are the plates from the Colne prints:
As explained in more detail in my blog post about Nelson my working methods during the visit were slightly different to those used in Colne. I took less photographs and sketches and instead wrote more and chose to work directly onto plates. As I had The Shop to work in I was able to return there in between walks and produce collages immediately.
I still created a few extra mixed media responses to the Nelson trip but I began working into plates at the same time – I cut out some of the development process that I used for Colne. Below are the collages and plates (the prints have been shown earlier in the blog).
After producing a number of drypoint plates I began working on mono-prints. This introduction of colour was really important as I wanted to establish a palette to represent the area from what I had seen. The colours that I used in the mono-print work have been developed and honed during the screen-printing process. Before beginning to work on the design for the screen-printed work I produced further drawings in response to Nelson which haven’t been used directly to print with.
I experimented with some of the plates at home using watercolour, acrylic and poster paints and burnishing by hand to create new marks and shapes to work with later in the project.
The next stage of the project began at the beginning of December when I found out about the closure of The Shop. The design for the printed booklet began to take shape quite quickly – once I’d decided on a format I made a rough plan and produced components to expose onto screens to build up a design that incorporated various elements from the printed work produced in response to my visits to Nelson and Colne.
After the design had been established and the screens made I began printing – I chose two different paper stocks; a thicker, higher quality grey paper for a short run and a thinner, more flexible cream paper for the prints to be distributed to the public. The results have been slightly different and it’s been a good learning experience to try out other papers and view the effect of the ink.
