Oh you know 'the normal'. New Drawings and Plastic Fusion.

Thursday:

In yesterdays drawing session I did the simple work with echoes of Raoul Dufy in my head about printing not always being accurate and enjoying it for that. It has given me an idea for a future exhibition title 'Drawing/Not Drawing'. I quite often have the thought in the back of my head when drawing that some of the time I must be printing with a pen.....

Above is the second I did last evening and it is a direct reaction to the previous drawing which is on the other side of the page. I love using the bled ink from the other side sparking off the next idea related but different.

 This above is the inside cover of my now pretty much finished handmade book. I drew most of it last night and am unsure of whether to do more to it or not as yet.

Above is the drawing on the back inside cover of the handmade book and I also have to decide if it is finished. I have decided to not draw or really look at the whole book until tomorrow when I feel a bit more divorced from having worked on it for the last two or three weeks. So tonight I am going to start a new book project and start 'Obliterarty Volume 3'.

Today has been a mixed day of some admin work this morning and this afternoon we held a plastic fusion workshop at Barnoon and below you can see me planning out the pattern I was going to fashion out of old carrier bags.

 

Plastic Fusion

Above is the plastic fusion sheet that I finished up with, perhaps it will become another book cover for my next handmade book, who knows but it is quite possible at this point.

I am off to draw and get some thoughts together on what I need to do for future exhibition entries and also other plans for shows and events.

Cheers!

Art Drop, My First Book Of Bleeding Narrative and new drawings in a new book.

Saturday: A quietish day with a walk down town to pick some shopping up and to visit The Guildhall to see a bit of the Lit Fest Library event. The Deputy Mayor Colenso did the raffle and we had chats with Ann Kelley and many others, shame we got down there a bit late but better late than never.
We then went back up the hill and did a few bits towards promotion, new ideas and website work for our business. We were meant to be going to an opening party at The Sloop Arts and Craft Market and a private view at The Belgrave Gallery but by the time we had eaten it was too late to do either.

Above is one of the two new drawings I completed last evening, it is the start of a new work in my series of hand made books with plastic fusion covers.

Above is the second in the new book, the book has no title yet but I am sure one will reveal itself as the work gathers. So far I am happy.

As I did in yesterdays blog I am looking back nearly three years or more to My First Bleeding Narrative Book. So I am showing some of the work in it and it still surprises me with half forgotten drawings that once I look come flooding back to me with more of a feeling than cohesive thoughts. A few of the drawings in this book are wonderfully tainted and improved my a liquid ink pen I had at the time that seemed to bleed forever even hours after putting the mark on paper and it became one of the running themes through the work. I remember the thinking between each drawing being free form and exciting to see what arrived on the next page. I still try to keep this feeling in the way I work now, it is part of it.

Above is another drawing from the same book that is touched by the same ever bleeding pen from the reverse of this drawing and the gel pen dots added on each mark put on this side. Each dot is a decision in time and I love it's ordered disordered form.

This drawing about is also nicely tainted by that pen, I would love to get some more of them but cannot remember the make or type. If I saw one I would know but the name escapes me.

Above is the last bleeding narrative work in tonights blog and is pure 'Bleeding Narrative' and I just love and really respond to this bled side of the paper, something unexpected that I did but didn't quite intend or something like that.

Above is a little art drop done outside of The Guildhall yesterday that had gone when we passed it today. I wonder who picked them up? What have they done with them?

I am off to continue in my new book. Cheers.

Dots and stuff

Above is the reverse drawing I finished last evening, it took ages to do the double circles around each white gel dot and the almost unseen bled blue dots from the other side apart from in places where the ink flowed better.

Today we attended Stitch St Ives for Zoe to do a bit more Plastic Fusion and while that was happening I started this drawing. I like the way the ink has bled already, especially in the centre and want to add to it later.

Since returning home I have painted some cupboards to cheer them up, had my Sunday roasties worked on the Barnoon Workshop website and am now writing this listening to Tom Robinson on BBC 6 Music, good show too.

Whilst drawing in public I was told that my drawings were like aboriginal art from Australia. I did counter that I could sort of see that except I am not trying to tell a story or anything tangible. They are just patterns and the viewer can take away what ever they think when looking at them. When I re-view my drawings I see many things that range from:-

• It is just a pattern.
• I can see how long that took.
• It is a bit op-art
• They make me happy
• Remembering the process
• Colour/Monochrome
• How many dots on this?
• Realising I have done so many drawings
• Sold
• Where is it now?
• Universal form huge or minute.

 So I winder what I will be think whilst drawing tonight, could be anything once I have started. I could be having deep deep thoughts or paying some attention to a television program. I do hope there is a good art program on tonight, that always works for me whilst drawing. I don't always get so much time for reading books these days but I do read up stuff on other artists and show and movements on the net, especially if I don't know to much and find something I like.

Well I am off to and drawing and I will be 'thinking. not thinking' as the Martin Creed song goes.

Cheers!

Slight remix drawings, Plastic Fusion, A1 progress

Above is another of my updates to work in my now very nearly finished whole sketchbook, however I have found a complete black page so I will have to get that sorted and go through the book again for any adjustments and additions.

Above is another.....

Above is another.......

And above is another....

Today we had the last workshop of the week to do, my wife led a plastic fusion session and above is what I achieved, a new book cover for my next one off book all I need now is the paper to put in and the time to draw it to.

After the workshop we went to The Queens Hotel, then picked up supplies for this evening, food, cider and wine, well it is Saturday and we have worked hard this week on lots of new ideas both for the workshop and also for our work.

After getting home and doing some chores I have now settled in to my large scale A1 drawing that seems to be taking its time or is that me taking my time? Well a bit of both but it is hard to fit in with all the summer activities, workshops, meetings, family etc etc. It is growing though and I am certainly on the last third or so. I will know when it is done by that satisfying feeling I get when contentment sets it.
So above and below are two snap shots to give you an idea of what is going on, so rather than show you a blurry image of the whole thing that doesn't photo too well on my phone camera I have tried to illustrate what is going on with this idea of seeing what a large piece of paper looks like with very thin lines over a large area of an A1 sheet of fabriano 300gsm rough. It seems I am getting quite an op art vibe on this flat piece of paper. Will be happier when it is finished though and on to the next one it will be. I am still not sure whether it is compulsion or discipline, probably a mixture of both. I am so used to drawing for a few hours a day that I would certainly miss it if I couldn't and I am rewarded by what I have done.

Oh well nearly dinner time so I am off until tomorrow, Cheers!

Wood Paper Stone

Above is one of two wood drawings I completed last night all part of my nearly finished 'Graham's Conifer Series'

Above the other one. The reason the series is almost complete is due to the fact that I have nearly used all the the cuts of wood I had only a few to go.

I had another little go at honing my bio the other day, every now and again I re-write it so here is the latest one.

BOBBY WOTNOT

I am an abstract Artist living and working in St Ives, Cornwall. I started exhibiting in earnest around 15 years ago and had my first solo show in 2008/9, although I had been 
dabbling since the late 80's. Since then I have been in many group shows and quite a few solo shows.

My work is mainly drawing with small marks, dots, lines and grids. From small works on 'sea pottery' and stones that I use for 'art drops', to larger A1 size drawings on paper.

I was brought up in a few English towns and cities, my Father worked for Kodak which is where my fascination for dots must have started. Looking at photos and newsprint with a 
magnifying glass and seeing the whole world was made of dots.
I use concepts and processes to arrive at a set of rules for each drawing these might be as straight forward as I must try my new pens out to what would it look like if I did a whole 
A1 work using a very small nibbed pen.

Over the last year or so I have had gallery representation and am now trying to get my work further afield. I now do a daily blog www.bobbywotnot.blogspot.co.uk it is a very good 
discipline for me and my thought processes and a good platform for me to show what an artist does each day. I have started an irregular series of handmade 'Wotnot Art Books' and 
work mainly on Wood, Stone, Slate, Sea Pottery and Paper.

The above images from my art book 'Double Chill' that were taken by Jordan Laurence Jackson and sent off with that bio. He also has his photos used by Tate St Ives from time to time and does a fab job. www.flickr.com/jordanlaurencejackson.

Today I have helped facilitate a crystal resin workshop at The Barnoon Workshop, I also have been down to my framers to have a little alteration made to one of my frames for mine and Zoe's exhibition that opens on Monday at CafeArt St Ives.

Above and below are some close ups of an A1 size drawing I have embarked on which I was hoping would be done for the exhibition but now I very much doubt if it will be finished in time. The image above shows a timeline of probably nearly ten hours work done over five or six sessions, maybe it is more than ten hours, hey who's counting.....

Make of this what you will but you can see the toe ends of my Vans.

New works, new Jordan Jackson pix of my Work, Colin Birchall, 'art drop' and more.

Above is another in my 'Graham's Conifer' series, done with Letraset Pro-markers, uni-pin and white gel pen. I am very happy with this one but it won't get in my exhibition because I have already got eight framed.

Above is a small 'art drop' I did today near Barnoon Terrace, I wonder who will find them.

Today I went for a walk around town with my son and via the Moonmaid Ice Cream shop we then went up to see the Final Works exhibition of works by the late Colin Birchall. Colin was a real character around St Ives and did some lovely work. I was very proud to have him as a friend, unfortunately Colin passed away in January 2014 and I certainly miss him still. 

Above is a picture of Matthew and Jenny Birchall, son and ex wife, they are also nice people and Jenny is an artist too and exhibits in The New Craftsman Gallery, Fore Street St Ives.

I was so pleased I popped in to see Colin's work and remember a few of them from the shows that we put on in CafeArt a few years back. It all brought back many memories and emotions, Thanks for the conversations and the art Colin.

Below are all the photos that Jordan Jackson took for me on friday evening. I think you will all agree that they are better than the ones I take on my phone.

Above is the front cover of my book Double Chill that hopefully will be off to Dalston soon. The cover is made from fused plastic carrier bags and fun to make. www.flickr.com/jordanlaurencejackson

Above and below are a few pages of drawings from inside the book. I am very happy with the contents of the book and I am pleased with the narrative throughout the work.

The page above left had a good quote when Jordan saw it for the first time, he said 'Oh my god I have been Riley'd' I am happy with that...

Above is the inside cover and first drawing including a pen diary and some musings.

Above is the whole cover to the book and explains why it is double chill.

Jordan then went on to take a few more pictures for the archive from my latest 'sketchbook. I think the above drawing has come out very well.

Above is a more recent one from my sketchbook and below is a slightly earlier one.

Above is another earlier drawing from the same book, I think it zings nicely.

Above is a photo that Jordan took friday night that I hadn't seen before, his own assemblage of my 'Graham's Conifer's'. I like what he has done with them.

Above is another Jordan from Friday's session this one is A1 size and has a working title and a nod to Alban so in my head it is called St Ives TV http://stivestv.co.uk/. Go take a look at Alban's videos you get a much better sense of some of the things that happen in this town.

Above is another A1 size drawing that might well make mine and Zoe Eaton's exhibition that we have to put up next Sunday. Blimey just a week to decide the content and to finish off any last minute stragglers.

Talking of last minute stragglers above and below is the next A1 size I am working on but I don't think I have a enough hours in the day to finish. Below shows a detail of some 8 to 10 hours work that I have done so far. It grows very slowly but it is starting to have a sense of what it will look like when completed.

Above is a quick shot across the bay earlier today a bit cloudy but really bright and nicely warm....

Also a quick stats update for those who are interested and I know some of you are.... I also have to say on the stats are 'Hello Russia'.

Russia 169 United Kingdom 53 United States 46 Ireland 13 France 6 China 4 Germany 4 Australia 2 Latvia 1 Thailand 1

Cheers all.