Going Digital - Virtual Reality Drawings

Nearly 30 years ago, I envisaged artwork in Virtual Reality. I wanted to make paintings in virtual spaces, add sound to those digital marks and immerse myself in the creative process. I can happily say that it is now available as a process. I love it! Will eventually be matching sounds to images, using my percussion instruments and my my Korg Monotron... very excited!

Watch this space for further work.

End of the academic year...

... and that means I can devote a little time to my more traditional art practices in contrast to my research. I think that there is going to be a crossover point as I venture further into Virtual Reality - see earlier blog posts here and do visit my more academic research blog The Sexual Futurologist if you would like to know more... I have got Tiltbrush software for Virtual Reality and will start producing digital practice work during this summer.

But, in the meantime, I still really enjoy the visceral quality of lino cutting and printing - its something so simple and satisfying... my whole lino print studio is in a small carrier bag in the kitchen - I usually work on the lino in the living room - I just clear a  kitchen worktop and print away... rolling the ink over the finished cut, placing the paper over the inked lino, and burnishing each print by hand with the back of a metal spoon.

My most recent print, 'Hare on the hill' is a specific work I have made dedicated to the animal, as it has many sacred mythologies and traditions surrounding it. We see the hare in the foreground, having come from the surrounding hills. In the distance we can see a lightning tree. What has happened between the Hare and the tree is for you to decipher...

If you would like one of the prints please do message me for further information, or visit my Facebook page.

It has been a year...

...since my last post - to the day in fact.

So much has been going on with my academic work - BUT I have been very active when it comes to discovering something a bit new (ish)...

When I was an art student in London back in the early '90s, I was lucky enough to study for one term with print maker Norman Ackroyd. I did some formal acid etchings at the time, and had really forgotten about printmaking all together as some of the processes were a little arduous. Here in Portsmouth we do have a thriving arts community and I was inspired by the lino cuts of Chris Wood  and of my old school friend from  Warminster (who now works in Salisbury) Simon Howden. So I decided to have a go at some simple lino cut work myself. It was very liberating and brought out some graphic approaches to image making that I had long forgotten. The process is addictive and I can set up everything for printing in my kitchen! Below is a selection of work - some themed around the winter holiday, as they made nice keepsakes for family and friends. They are all in black and white  - some with a little hand panted colour on them.

I then tried to be more adventurous....

... and started making these....

Which turned into these!!

It was last weekend that I tried to create a larger work - the process was very rewarding...

This simple composition of oak tree with black bird, thrush and blue tit was fun to do and although fairly stylised, it was a great way to discover how to make a larger piece. I have been looking at other lino cut works by other artists and really want to expand on this further - so.. watch this space! 

The works are for sale if you would like one please get in touch below.