Over the last few weeks I've been slowly working on some new linocuts, and also on getting things ready for a new stockist. The new ones involve continuing with the small bottle oven at Gladstone Pottery Museum, the second colourway is now started with two colours down on what I hope will be a more naturalistic edition, with a light red-brick tone on the surrounding area, and a base yellow brick for the oven, kiln furniture which is to the side, and cobbles. Now that this version is done, I can cut out the areas where I want to keep these colours on the lino ready for the next layer.
The drawing for the Twyfords bottle kilns with scaffolding has gone on the back burner for now, with the Trentham Gardens image overtaking it - I had hoped to get it done to send off with my batch to the new place (more below) but it was not to be... However, progress has still been made, and the drawing is transferred to lino with the lines now having been drawn over with Indian Ink. It's curing for a while now so that when I clean it down with meths it should retain a good clear line still. When I've cleaned it down after only a couple of days in the past it's nearly removed the lot! A good week is much better if you can spare the time.
Josiah & Co at World of Wedgwood where I have a lot of my original bottle oven linocuts for sale has just had a massive expansion of premises, I'm looking forward very much to visiting soon! However, this week I was able to deliver a consignment of work that has been only ever been for sale on my Folksy shop , and three of my husband Ian's paintings, to a brand new shop / gallery /workshop in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, which is being set up and run by Angie from Made in Staffs called Two Silver Pennies. It's planned to be opening on April the 20th and will be selling work by a number of Staffordshire artists and craftspeople!
Last of all, but equally as exciting, I finally had a couple of sales on my Folksy store after a drought since last summer. I was too pleasantly shocked to do a happy dance! These are the pieces that were posted off to their new homes:
I hope you've enjoyed this update, more soon!