Art, Paper, Prints and Painting

I made this screen print in three different colours, blue, red and turquoise. Take a look, tell me which you prefer. Image size 30x20cm, paper size 50x35cm If you like them enough to buy, then contact me and we can arrange it. So as you know the cost - well, I recon it's a reasonable price for a large scale print. €20 euros each or three (one of each) for €50 euros. Post and packing €10 euros worldwide. Only with PayPal as it's the most secure for everyone. Anyway let me know what you think. Love to hear from you. mcloughlinhelen7@gmail.com

Next phase after putting the chapters together is binding the sections, glueing, and attaching the boards. I covered the boards with lovely blue paper and am ready to attach the book block to the boards. I use extra strong vinyl glue to be sure all will hold together and the advantage with this type of glue is that is it dries quickly and I can wash the brush with water. I'm really pleased with the finished book. There are nine in the limited edition, so it's a bit special. I will make some others which will be slightly different, so a separate edition.

Here is my recent work a combination of screen printed pages and handmade book. I started with working out the size I wanted for the book, number of pages and so forth. Then as I wanted to make a notebook for people to write their own text, memos etc but I still wanted to print images to decorate the inside. I settled on printing small trees which would be along the edge of the pages and not take up too much space and every two pages would be blank. Printed and ready to bind I really enjoy bookbinding. It takes a long time and lots of measurements but it's a satisfying process. I love the feel of paper and enjoy sourcing new decorative papers. The paper has to be both light weight but fairly strong, not to rigid but not too stiff either. Wallpaper for example just wont do. So japanese papers are probably a bit light even though they are beautiful. Come back in a few days and see how I'm getting on, see the finished book! Have you any advice, tips or tricks? I...

It's September, back to work, full of ideas to improve my blogs, my art, my inspiration. So whats new? Well, I'm planning my November exhibition, getting mailing list updated, planning the venue, planning the private viewing. This I think is important. People LOVE to be invited to a preview and a private view evening is perfect and in fact most sales can be generated from a private view. Then when the expo is open people see the red dots and think "hmm, as so many are sold I'd better buy too!" It's psychological and 9 times out of 10 it works! Win win! Have you any brill ideas for expositions?

You'd like to own some original art but you don't have much money. You don't want posters or cheap prints.  So what do you do?   You go to art school end of year shows, you contact local artists in your area, you go to local exhibitions and there you will meet artists of all ages who work in different styles and in various mediums.   If you like their art, you talk to the artists and you can often negotiate an original work of art for a very reasonable price. Many big collectors of art started like that. By going  to art school shows you meet up and coming artists. Maybe one day they will be a big name and you will have bought their work for a fraction of the price that it would be worth when they are famous.   Ok, so not all students will become famous. However, you should buy art because you like it not because you think it's a good investment.   By meeting the artists at these shows, you get to discuss their inspiration, their motivation, their ideas a...

Summer can be a source of inspiration.   So, there you are at the airport or train station etc or in the car travelling to your destination.   Source of inspiration, really? Yes!   For example you have all those posters and ads around you.  Well, look at them! Ok, don't get distracted if you are driving please.   Look at the composition, the choices of colours, the shapes, the message, does it come across well?   Is it good or bad design?  Would it win a prize?   Maybe not. But maybe yes. But it's worth thinking about why it is or isn't a good composition.   That will help you in the future to criticise your own work.   Sometimes we are just too close to our work to be objective.   Ask others what they think of your work. You are not fishing for compliments. You are looking for genuine advice. If they make suggestions, listen to them. They might just have sound advice or a good idea.   After all you don't have to agr...

An original" or "fine art" prints as defined by the Print Council of America as an image drawn or etched or engraved on some surface by the artist, who prints a limited number of the pieces by hand (or personally supervises someone else doing it), then signs and numbers the individual prints and defaces the printing plate or erases the image on the lithographic stone.  So original art is not a reproduction nor a copy.  For example it can be an etching, a lithograph or a screen print produced in a limited edition by the artist if possible or if not it has been supervised by the artist. Each print is signed and numbered by the artist. Often it has the printers stamp on the reverse or bottom corner.  How can you tell if it's an original and not a copy or reproduction? Get a magnifying glass and look carefully at the print. If it is an etching, it is pretty easy. First it will always have a plate mark around the image. This is a sort or relief or indent in...