purples and blues

Spring is definitely here now the wisteria is in flower. This gorgeous one is in our back garden and because we're moving soon (when?) I was motivated to take some photos of it this week. Anyone who has ever had wisteria in their garden knows it's an amazingly fast grower with strong winding branches that get so thick that they can start to pull part of your house down - true! I've been vicious about chopping this one back every winter. And it still gets up the strength to flower like this every September.

On a printmaking note, I've just changed my mind about European printing papers. I'm pretty much a paper snob and until now have only really liked to print on good quality Japanese paper. But because I don't live there anymore and my Japanese paper supplies are starting to dwindle, I've decided to investigate and try out some of the European papers available in Melbourne art shops. Tonight I printed my little blue dragonfly print on thick, white paper from Italy and I think I like the way it worked out. It had this lovely way of merging with the block while I was printing. So I think I'm going to lose some of my paper snobbery and try some Stonehenge paper I bought yesterday and see how that turns out too.

pods and things

I've been printing all afternoon (sore shoulder to prove it) off this block for a print exchange with print exchange five so that I can make the deadline. I loved the sepia tone of the wet block as I was printing so I took a few photos. Sometimes I prefer the colour on the block more than the colour that prints on the paper. Here a few small pods I printed off the block when I was finished:

It's hard going with printing at the moment. Half our stuff is packed away and in the shed ready for our move as we sold our house last weekend. It takes me so much longer to prep paper and print as I try to remember where everything is and improvise by printing without my big red laminex printing table. All will be better once we find another house and I can set up my studio space again.

wild things

Over the Ridge. Drypoint etching by Robyn Rayner.

I just love the prints of Robyn Rayner, a Melbourne printmaker who documents in her work the ordinary weeds and wild surroundings of the western suburbs, as well as the wider landscapes of rural Victoria. Her work is full of the delicate lines and plants and things growing from the earth amongst shadows and clouds and the landscape of south-eastern Australia. I am a proud owner of one her prints, Shady, a group of 16 small prints together. It kind of looks a bit like this one


Neck of the Woods, but the one I have has more trees and weedy things, so generally more lines in it, which I like very much. I also love the colours she uses: soft greys, washed out blues, and pale earthy colours. And I've just found a few more of her prints here at the Framers Gallery website including the one I have, Shady, so I've decided to include it here for you to enjoy:

Shady, Etching by Robyn Rayner.