Printing from a Cleared Block - and news

During the week, I printed from several blocks that had cleared areas at the edge. I do clear these areas carefully, using a couple of "scorpers" to take out the wood. I do find that even these carefully cleared areas can print under great pressure, leaving small spots of black. This typically happens after printing twenty or thirty perfect prints. A simple solution is to ink the block and then place a small card mask over the offending area. One drawback is the fact that this makes printing slightly slower but the quality of the finished prints is more important than speed. Here is photograph:


You can see the piece of thin white card that I have laid over the cleared area. It is very important to keep this card clean so that ink does not transfer to the print.

It has been a very busy week. The CG bookplates are completed and posted. I framed and delivered my selection for the Cambridge Drawing Society. This is an old-established society and I was pleased to have all my work selected, as it has been for many years.

I have been spring cleaning the studio and making one or two changes. Firstly, I set up a small platform to raise the work a few inches. This is to ease pains in my neck and shoulders that I am prone to. It has been qute successful so far.


Secondly, I have shelved the end wall. I was reluctant to do this, as I wanted to hang pictures tere but I am pleased with the results. I have lots of things at hand and the floor is now (almost) clear again. This made my spring clean easy and the oom is looking spic and span. Here is a view:


J is away to stay at her sister's house in France so I am spending the evenings working on current projects. I have several final drawings to complete and an engraving to finish. I am still not taking on new work in the hope that I can not only clear my backlog but produce good work. I hate to rush and then be disappointed with the results.

Hmmmm - midnight - better get back to work.

Easter Monday

Easter Monday - a bank holiday - but not a day of rest. I dropped A at his place of work an drove the camper to Homebase to pick up the things I needed to finish the roof over the chicken run. The van is running well after a lot more welding to hold its 30 year old frame together.

Back home and then finished the work on the roof. This has three purposes: to keep the chickens dry in a downpour, to act as a biosecurity measure with avian 'flu in the country (dove droppings threaten to land in the water/food from the plum tree above) and to stop the hens gorging themselves on the plums when they fall. Job done, followed by lunch - eggs from said hens.

After this, I loaded the van again and J and I set off for our allotment. Today we added some more trees - two apples and a quince - and planted peas, onions and potatoes. Its a busy time down there at the moment but its good to be out of the dark studio and in the open air.

Tonight, I am back inside, checking and trimming a new bookplate. Here it is:


This is the first bookplate that I have cut on boxwood. It has been worth the effort of changing, especially when cutting letters. These are nearly ready to send. After that, I have enough work to keep me busy through until the autumn.

Well, that was my Easter Monday - time for bed.

Turning Fifty!

I turned fifty a couple of weeks ago.

Luckily, significant birthdays do not bother me and I had a rather good time. We dined at a local restaurant in the evening and then held a small dinner party for close friends. I was lucky with my presents, especially the bookplate that J commissioned for me from Simon Brett. A is a promising photographer and I asked him for a portrait. I much prefer to be behind a camera but, since it was A, I was at my ease. Here is the result:


I am afraid thatI have not been very busy in the studio recently. I had a virus that took some time to shake off (must be my age) but I am engraving again, working on the GC bookplate and finishing drawings for several others. I also have some interesting projects on the horizon, including a book and a broadside. More of those later.

All the Best from Old Andy English! 

Notes Fom A Warmer Room and Cuttering

I'm making a later start this morning after yesterday's exertions. I finished insulating, boarding and painting the end wall of the studio and one can feel the effects upon ntering this morning. Until yesterday, I only had half an inch of plasterboard to keep out the winter's cold. Now I have several inches of insulation packed between two boards. I still have one more wall to do but, for now, my fingers are warmer.

This morning I am making drawings for forthcoming bookplates. I am still catching up with older projects and looking ahead to new. My order books are closed until July and then I need to ration these projects to one a month so that I can work on other things. I do love the design problems involved in capturing something of the essence of a person in a 2" x 3" space. This morning, I hope to finish four preparatory drawings for a client. These will be scanned and emailed. If one takes his fancy then I will work on that and make a good ink drawing for further comments. Finally, I will arrive at an agreed design with appropriate lettering and then it will take its place in the queue for engraving. I have made one recent change of policy - all bookplates will now be engraved on boxwood. I have had too many problems engraving fine lettering onto lemonwood in the past. The extra expense will be worthwhile if it makes the cutting easier.

I am also sotrting through the founts of type that I have been collecting over the years. I have printed specimens of the larger display type and am moving onto the medium sized ones. J and I are planning a series of small publications. More of that another time.

Still no news of repairs to the Arab treadle press. I don't like to nag my blacksmith - he is always busy with agricultural jobs - but I have waited months. I am keeping my eyes open for other presses; I have set my heart on a larger Albion to print the larger blocks.

There is no shortage of smaller presses. Yesterday, I spent a moment lookinhg over the small Vandercook that awaits restoration. This will be a great size for taking to demonstrations as I can lift it fairly confortably. I am going to bring the Adana 8 x 5 tabletop press back into commission to print labels and, perhaps, pages of miniature books. In a flurry of eBaying, I have just bought another Adana for spares and two tiny Adanas - a job lot. More restoration work to be done, but can one ever have too many presses? What is thge opposite of decluttering? Cluttering, I suppose. Well, I clutter - always have and always will!

An Evening Reclaimed

Listening: Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris: Grievous Angel
Reading: Robert Southey: The Doctor &c - a battered 1836 1st American edition

A change of plans this evening. We were getting ready to meet with an advisor to discuss financial matters when the company telephoned and cancelled. This was irritating for a few moments but I soon realised that I was free to "follow my bliss" and head for the studio.

I am printing the BM bookplate - quite a big run. I carried on setting up the packing while chatting to A who had dropped in with a CD of the band he will be jamming with - great stuff. I started pulling proofs while we listened. The first few were very chalky and unsatisfactory and I gradually inceased the pressure by adjusting both the press and the packing. Things were nearly there and the final step was to ink a bit more heavily. At last, the good prints started to emerge. I set myself up with a pile of cut Zerkall paper and started to print.

This was one of those rare times when everything went well. I found my rhythm on the handpress and, gradually, the pile of blank sheets went down and the pile of bookplates grew. There were few rejects, but I need to look through them in the cold light of day - there will always be some to throw away. Here is a view of my setup at the end of the session:


You can see the block on the bed of the press and the packing taped to the tympan. I am using sheets of thin red card with a couple of sheets of acetate. I find that this gave the best hardness of packing. The upturned bin with a book on top was improvised to take the finished plates so that I did not have to move too much - sounds lazy, but it is important to be efficient in one's movement when a long run is underway. My inking table in the right is a bedside cabinet that I put on wheels. They lock to keep it still. I roll the ink out on a thick piece of glass which sits on some foam packing. The draws contain brayers, ink and clean rags. I cleaned up and left things out ready for the next run.

Much more satisfying than discussing finance! I am tired and ache a bit but I know I will sleep well tonight. A hot bath awaits. 

Planning an Engraving "As You Go"

Almost all of my engravings are carefully planned. The most complex have detailed drawings, normally twice as large as the final image. I refer to these as I engrave and find them invaluable. On the wood, I translate the textures of the drawing - usually in ink - into the marks made by my gravers.

Sometimes, I like to make things up as I go along. Some time ago, I engraverd a tawny owl on a small piece of lemonwood. It has sat there, forlorn and unfinished. Recently, I have not been in the studio much to work. I went in to tidy it and then started to insulate the walls as it gets rather cold in there in winter. I think that I benefit from this break as now I am refreshed and keen to get on with work. I thought I would get back to the owl.

I had the idea when I engraved it that a moon would be a good addition. A few nights ago, the moon was shining through broken clouds with a halo around it. This has stuck in my mind and I will try to recreate it. The foreground will be simple, with the owl perched on a post or stump.
I scanned the block last night so that I can post it. The block is not much more than an inch across - its quite detailed work. You can see the ink sketch I drew on the block. Click on the image to enlarge it.




I will keep you posted with progress reports. 

Fenlands

Sunday Evening.
Listening: Kronos Quartet; Michael Nesmith
Reading: Richard Brautigan

I spent today making pencil sketches in preparation for line drawings for a website. This is for local restaurant in an isolated Fenland village, about 15 minutes drive from my house. I have always enjoyed bartering and, as this restaurant serves some of the best food in the area, I have arranged to be paid at the dining table!

I drove out on a damp, misty day to make sketches and take pohotographs. These conditions really emphasise the atmosphere of the Fenlands, where I was born and where I still live. This photograph gives a flavour of the ladscape - click on it for a larger version.


OK - back to drawing.

A Non-Printing Day and Website News

An early start today as I was travelling. I checked my email first thing and the set of for the station to travel to London to meet up with old university friends, one of whom I had not met for nearly 30 years. It was a great day to catch up and I had such a great time, especially as we seemed to pick up our comfortable friendship so easily. Most of the day was spent at tables - coffee, lunch and coffee again. I really enjoyed my early evening walk back along the Thames with Christmas lights and the normal city illuminations reflected in the great river:


I had wondered about working this evening but decided to mke this a non-printing day. I can catch up tomorrow and start fresh. I plan both engraving and printing during the day.

I am a step nearer to the long overdue redesign of my website. I have a new domain and will build the site there before transfering the whole thing to my normal address, intending to keep both going in the future. I will post the new address here as soon as there is something to see.

One of the better days.

Happy New Year, by the way! 

More of the Partridge

Yes - I should have given the dimensions of the Partridge (below). It is 4.5 x 2" - quite a tiny thing but big enough with all the detail. If any of you are part of the SSNW exchange, then you will be receiving one before too long.

New Year bekons and O is organising a party for his friends. Leaving J and I to organise what WE will do while all the jollification is going on and to rustle up enougfh beds for those who cannot make it home.

Good news - the studio is all swept out and clean - finally! I ought to post a new photo while it looks good.I installed J's Christmas present to me, a stereo system, and have piled up a bunch of CDs to cheer me through the engraving days and printing nights. Perhaps I will spend New Year's Eve there?

With Love to you all and very best wishes for 2006.

Partridge In a Pear Tree

Here is an engraving that I made for a seasonal project. I was pleased with the results. In the background, you can see the unmistakable profile of the medieval cathedral of Ely, viewed across the fields, pretty much as one sees it from our house. J and I attended the midnight service at the cathedral on Christmas Eve and it was a magical and timeless setting to hear some wonderful singing. Seasons greetings to you all!
 

Music Became Stone, Wood and Glass

I left the ink, press and paper last night and drove a short distance to hear Robert Fripp play Soundscapes in Sutton church. I arrived in time to sit and sketch, which always separates me from the relentless onslaught of life.

RF was introduced and he seated himself on a stool surrounded by sound equipment, pedals and two beautiful Les Paul guitars - always my favourite shape. He started in silence, looking up and around the people who had gathered for the celebration with a charming smile that engaged everyone and drew them in. I realised that if one were to score the performance, it would have to start with several bars of silence and smiling.

Knowing what was to come next, I watched faces around me as the sounds started to grow; I loved the looks of delight and wonder as this man with the smile of a sage coaxed unbelievable music from his guitar. I love music in a sacred space and wondered what preparation had gone into making a soundscape that involved the building, occasion, listeners and musician so completely. It was an intensely moving performance that carried me away from the pressures of life and the aches of my age. Inside me, a slim young man with a mass of hair was sitting cross-legged in a concert hall. Around me, music became stone, wood and glass. It swept through the building in waves and subsided into bells. I sat in quiet meditation for some time after the final notes had died away.

After the improvisations had finished and RF had walked out into the Fenland night. I drove home, walked to the studio and carried on printing the front of our Christmas cards. I kept my positive mood alive by playing "Love Cannot Bear" (live soundscapes) rather loud and filling a large mug with tea. As the music surrounded me I performed the slow and repetitive ballet that is printing on a Victorian iron handpress. I worked until midnight, cleaned up the ink, locked the studio door and walked towards the house in a tired but very satisfied daze.

A few days earlier, I had been asked if I had a blank engraved bookplate for a book to be presented to mark the occasion. I had nothing suitable and so I sat down and drew something. With so much work to do, it was immensely enjoyable to stop and sit down for a few minutes to do this just for the sheer pleasure of drawing; to do something spontaneously simply because I wanted to. It seemed to be a very luxurious act.

Damp

Well this dampened paper business was never going to be simple. I have never tried it for a whole edition until and I need 110 perfect copies - soon.

I started off on Saturday morning and the results were disastrous. The ink simply did not adhere to the paper enough to give a good black - just a washed out grey. In the end, I gave up, went indoors, lit a log fire and watched the rugby. I was out of sorts for the rest of the day but then had something of a brainwave in the evening which ascribed my failure to the low temperature in the studio. I had noted that the ink was very stiff while I was rolling it. I resolved to try again in the morning.

Sunday morning was another crisp clear and cold morning. I boosted the temperature in the studio with another heater and propped the glass inking slab, and a tube of ink over a small oil filled radiator. At this point, we took Bella out for a gloriously sunny walk through the lanes and the nature reserve. When I returned, the studio was piping hot and the ink slab warm. I selected the music (live improvised ambient soundscapes by Robert Fripp) and made a large mug of steaming tea before setting to work.

The ink was much runnier and a first attempt with dry Zerkall paper gave a lovely impression. I took the sheets of dampened Saunders watercolour paper and started to print. Things went very well indeed and I printed about 70 copies in about two hours. Things were starting to go wrong at this point. The prints were starting to smudge, as if the paper was shifting under the tympan. In the end, I lost five copies in a row and decided to give up again. I remade the packing but this didn't solve things. I tried a print with a loose card and paper pad between the block and tympan but had the same problem. I am sure that the problem is in the packing and I have redesigned this with a view of starting again this evening. I checked the prints, which are drying with interleaved sheets of paper between boards with bricks on top (neatly wrapped in brown paper) to keep them flat. I have 58 reasonable copies so I need over 60 more before I can finish this job. I was hoping to get this done over the weekend as I have engraving work to do. Its certainly put the dampeners on things!

Still, yesterday evening was lovely with a log fire, candles round the room, a bottle of good wine and Bruckner's 9th Symphony in the background - well you have to get away from the ink sometimes!

Garden Engraving

I showed this engraving "on the block" a few days ago and here it is finished. It shows part of the garden that we have made behind our house. The seat at the top is a ghreat place to catch the last rays of a setting sun. I am printing this for a book project which involved much heavier paper that I am used to. As a result, I am dampening the paper - something that I do not normally do. I was staggered by the results and this is making me rethink how I might print larger blocks. This has pleased me as I feel I am really learning something from this process. At the same time, it shows that my modest press can cope successfully with larger blocks on rougher paper.

I have decided to use paper left in the studio of my dear friend Pam Hughes. I was given the paper when I helped clear the studio after she passed away. One of the dimentions is 11". Lo and behold, these sheets are already trimmed to 11". Sometimes you just know that things are meant to be. Thanks Pam - keep on looking out for me. 

Venus and Adonis

Sunday was spent at the Oxford Fine Press Fair. This was my first opportunity to see "Venus and Adonis" finished. Even as I arrived, I was met with praise and congratulations for the engravings. It turned out that for, this book, Barbarian Press had been shortlisted for the Gregynog Prize, to be " awarded to the FPBA member who, in the opinion of the judges, has produced the finest book using traditional letterpress techniques in the period since the last Oxford Fine Press Book Fair".

When I finally saw the book, I was blown away. The design, printing and binding are all superb. I felt so honoured to be involved in the project. I particularly like the calligraphy that Crispin commissioned for the book. I have posted some photographs below so that you can get a flavour of the book. Click on any of the images to enlarge it. It will soon be available from the Barbarian Press website and through dealers on abebooks.com.

I really enjoyed the fair, catching up with lots of old friends and meeting new ones; it was particularly enjoyable to meet the engraver Abigail Rorer.

The Book

The book itself is a very handsome object, long and thin with printed pattern paper and label on the spine; a joy to hold. Now it is time to open it.
Dont forget that you can enlarge any of the photographs by clicking on them. 

Frontispiece

Venus reclines beside a pool and spies Adonis approaching and our story is about to begin. I love the design of this book - and the wonderful calligraphy that Crispin has used 

Opening Page

I had no part in this page but I love it for the wonderful calligraphy and typography. 

The Hare and the Roe

This is the engraving that I enjoy the most from this set. As always, Jan has printed this block to perfection. If I never engraved again, I hope that people would remember me fondly for this image alone. 

The Lark

Readers of this blog will have already seen the lark as a block and as a proof copy. Here it is at the top of its page as planned. 

Tailpiece

The final engraving (apart from the press device) with more beautiful calligraphy. 

At Work

I thought I would end todays long overdue splash of blog activity with some current work. This block is a material called "Resingrave". It is inferior to wood for much of my really detailed work but I do like it for larger and looser things as it is relatively inexpensive and does engrave well, especially the newest formula.

This project is a fairly loosely observed sketch of part of our garden. It is nearly ready to proof now so I will keep you up to date with its progress.
Even with the broader treatment I am giving the marks, I stll keep the magnifying glass handy to inspect the tiniest areas. 

Nearly a Birthday!

I have already published this photograph on my Albion Press blog but I also wanted to show it here. It is just about a year since my Albion arrived and it is working well. I have replaced/repaired missing parts and I just need a drop handle to work the mechanism that winds the bed in and out. In the background are favourite engravings by Pam Hughes, Ben Sands, Peter Reddick and a lithograph by Carel Weight (I seldom display my own work). This is a happy place to work and a real refuge from the madness... 

Autumn

Well Autumn is definitely knocking on the door and I am resigned to cooler days. We have been reaping the benefits, thought, and Joan made the first batch of crab-apple jelly from the hedgerows. I have tidied up the garden and garage and took a van full to the "tip". I normally take a little money as they sell things that people have discarded. I normally come home with flowerpots, an office chair or somethng similar.
This time I returned with a large flowerpot and two framed pictures - all for £4. The first was an etching by Walter Dexter.

Now Walter Dexter was probably the first artist who caught my young eye during an early visit to Kings Lynn museum in the county of Norfolk. I remember a painting of a workshop - rather like my Grandfathers' workshop - and a wonderful landscape of Kings Lynn seen across the river. These pictures made me feel something for the first time - possibly because I was seeing them for real, rather than looking at reproductions in books. Now I finally own a Walter Dexter. It shows the porch of St. Margarets Church in Lynn (I met my wife a very short walk from this doorway); it is inscribed "No.1" away from the image. There is a little staining on the sheet but the image is good.

The second picture was a suprise. It is a sheet of illustrations by a very well respected French artist called Paul Destez, who worked around 1900. I love penwork from this era and this love helped establish my decision to work in black and white. It now joins works by Robert Anning Bell and Ernest Shepard in my collection of original pen illustrations. Incidently, Destez was either an engraver or engravings were made from his designs. I think probably the latter. I have posted images of both pictures.

An etching by Walter Dexter. 

A sheet of Illustrations by French Artist Paul Destez.

Spam, Spam, Doves and Spam

Having finally posted details from the Venus and Adonis Illustrations, I was pleased to see comments but then disappointed to see that they are all obviously from spammers, promoting their products. Is there no escape from these people? Now I need to work out how to remove comments - or is my only option to turn off the comments - a great shame.

You may remember the saga of the doves. I finally sent the second block as I wasn't satisfied with the first. Sadly, the second developed a fault during printing so I made a third. Again, there does seem to be a problem with the wood - quite crumbly so I sat down again last night and engraved version four. I will proof tonight and post tomorrow. I never want to engrave a dove ever again!

Well, apart from those rants, things are good over here. The days are still quite warm and life goes on in a generally pleasing fashion. What more does one need? I ought to count my blessings more. My eBay sales are going quite well and I should make this month's payment on the press and save something towards having a drop handle made.

My next task is to make sure that I have plently of stock for a forthcoming weekend in North Essex where I will be demonstrating my work and, hopefully, selling engravings in an encouraging quantity. It has been a long time since I took myself out like this and I am looking forwards to it as, beneath the serious and reticent exterior, I do rather like to show off what I do.

Venus & Adonis Image Splash

I have scanned my Venus and Adonis illustrations and will give you a tantalising glimpse of some of the things that can be seen around the fringes of the "action" that is taking place. These "nature notes" became an important feature of my designs and subsequent wood engravings.

Reflections 

Butterfly 

Primroses 

Bluebells 

Another butterfly 

Last One - from the tailpice