This is my first blog post for AA2A and my first blog post since 2018 when I was frantically recording my findings of my MA.
I thought it might be good to put my AA2A residency into context for anyone reading. In February 2022 I began a QEST funded scholarship in stone lithography at Leicester Print Workshop. This spanned a year exactly with 16 tutored sessions alongside Serena Smith, who I hold in very high respect for all her knowledge in lithography printing and her ability to share her passion so thoughtfully. I learnt so much and the gaps in-between sessions also embedded questions and thoughts on the drawing process too. The limestone Jurassic era lithography stone is a work of ancient technology that has moments where it can be welcoming of a great print moment and in other weather conditions (damp, cold and dry and humid) can act up to encourage my beginner’s errors.
The QEST funding also offered creative business support from Cockpit Arts in London, which was THE best series of monthly workshops, so focused and in a group of makers and artists who are still supportive and committed to the continuing WhatsApp group.
During the year, I was also ‘amazed’ to receive ACE DYCP funding to develop drawing as a practice. This has also been great for developing as an artist, with mentoring with Mark Devereux, on the finer points of gallery spaces and relationships, pitching and talking about my work and making friends with curators. The drawing project is still on-going and ties in well with the AA2A residency in print.
I now find myself planning for a new stone lithography experiment and hopefully some additional intaglio processes. The most notable development in my work within stone lithography is the stone size constraints and how this affects my drawing style. This is something I’d like to pursue. I’ve chosen my stone at UCLan and I have my own to work on too. There’s some work to be done in re-graining both stones and I’ve managed to track down the grease remover I need and the scouring powder, but more on materials and processes soon.
The photos are from the QEST funded sessions, links to my Instagram profile.
-stone lithography stone and prints-
