Hopes for 2015

I am ending 2014 by painting again. I started painting again in early 2014, after a gap of 5 years, partly thanks to Hazel who taught the adult art classes at the Hatton Gallery where I started to regain a bit of confidence. I paused painting in late spring/early summer 2014 to concentrate on printmaking for a while, encouraged by Theresa Easton and Steph Mitchell, and the lovely Northern Print people.

Thanks to Theresa Easton, I tried making images on bricks for the first time, learned how to stitch a pamphlet and the basic Japanese stab stitch book binding method; saw a couple of my linocuts printed on a press for the first time in May, and discovered that helping people to print them was very rewarding.

Carousel 2 (viridian 2)

During 2015, I hope to learn a lot more about printing methods. I learned the basics of photo-lithography and drypoint printing during 2014. I remembered that I’d done some etching, screen printing, monoprinting and collagraphs in the dim and very distant past.

I need to try stretching what I’m doing with drypoint prints and maybe do some monoprints and collagraphs again. I’d also like to learn reductive lino printing (I have admired multi-coloured lino prints since I was a child), viscosity printing, and possibly either photo-etching or solar printing.

I have a long list of subjects for printing, including a number relating to Ouseburn, a series based on derelict buildings and structures, fairground rides, and railways.

I intend to do a lot more painting – in acrylics and oils, maybe watercolour – but am thinking about what I’m doing with paint,. The paintings will probably include more still life compositions, and it’s time I got back to landscapes. I’d love to do some portraits again.

In 2015, I would like to exhibit some of my work.  The problem currently is where – and what. I also need to sell some of my work, not least so I have space and money to do more work.

Striped mug with satsuma and lemon, acrylics on canvas.

Most of all, I need to push myself beyond my current boundaries in 2015. As I was in the middle of writing this, I finished a still life but was unsure about whether it worked. A very helpful friend, Joan Lawson, asked what the size of the painting was, because she thought it should be big. She’s almost certainly right. I need to be less cautious. I need to be bolder. I need to take risks.

I’m taking a deep breath to dive into 2015…