February ... 2015

I'm sure we haven't seen the last of summer in the sub-tropics but its been a most pleasant week or so here... cooler and easier for trying to concentrate on work. 

I've started work in earnest on the book that's been on the cards for ages.

Today I collected a Limited Edition print which had been ordered for a client and thought I would post it here.

The image below is a stretched Limited Edition print on canvas for a client last year. The artwork was wrapped around the wooden stretched frame... a mirror image of the artwork that is. I particularly liked the way this worked in real life. 

However this work below which was painted last winter... an unframed work on linen, 200 cm x 100 cm, required a different approach for the Limited Edition print.

“Homage to our common inheritance” by Sophie Munns, 2 m x 1 m 

 PLEASE NB: COPYRIGHT Sophie Munns

The original artwork has a frayed selvage that I stitched in natural linen to strengthen. The work was given a layer of an Atelier varnish to seal the ink and paint surface on linen in addition to the surface having been sealed as an undercoat prior to working on this piece.

On this framed print the frayed edge is revealed on the front of the work rather than attempting to wrap the design around the frame.

Making a print from a work this large required professional scanning at an extremely high resolution which thankfully has produced an excellent quality print. 

Unfortunately the lighting on the work was not ideal for taking images this evening ... it seems to have thrown a warm glow on most of the images thus affecting the authentic colours. Apologies for this somewhat annoying problem.

These close-ups give some idea of the effect of the print at least.

The image below is ironically more true to the colours... 

however its not a good image or resolution.

The other task of the moment I am very focused on is the book project that has been gestating for a few years.

The weekend just passed was spent working on a draft of sorts! The computer clearly was useless for trying to capture essential material for a book which will rely heavily on text, image and a somewhat unorthodox composition of concepts... (hopefully)!

Instead I've gone for watercolour paper ... It comes in 50 sheets per pack... 300gms, acid-free , cold pressed, 210mm x 100mm + using pigmented ink pens, lightproof, permanent + waterproof.

I've tried books of every size, cheap A4 paper, computer, a private blog, post-it stickers... you name it.

And this time it's working the way I need it to!

One of my favourite painting projects was carried out on these excellent paper sheets. Once this stage is completed and I begin to transform material into pages on my computer I could paint over work on these cards if I don't wish to save them.

I'm reminded how reliant my process can be on shifting between idea, text and image. Images are not purely illustrations and diagrams... articulating far more than words at times. It's filmic in some ways... and this is the Story-board. I can't be concerned with how it flows or comes together yet... all that matters is managing to assemble the disparate parts of something that's been long gestating.

Capturing the key themes, musing on stages of one's Art Practice over decades offers much to consider. The challenge to pare back... to lift out what is essential. The search for central motifs and the leading thoughts is everything at the moment.

I hope February is proving stimulating for you... with good challenges that are enriching.

Cheers,

Sophie