Michael: Exhibition opens 9 June

The Sussex Arts Collective "Upfront" Exhibition runs from 9 - 28 June, 2011 at the Fishing Quarter Gallery, 203 Kings Road Arches (on the seafront, right next to the beach), Brighton, BN1 1NB.

Open every day, including Sundays, 11am - 5pm (Monday closes at 2pm).

Michael: The Courtyard, Nymans

A final dark layer completes the print.



The Courtyard, Nyman's. Five stage reduction linocut, 10 x 10 cm.

Phew. Just in time for the exhibition.

Michael: The Dovecote, Nymans

A dark green-brown-green gradient over the other layers, and suddenly the image comes into focus. Final stage, I think.



The Dovecote, Nymans. Linocut, 10 x 10 cm.

Michael: Ashdown Forest 14

While I try to work out what to next with the linocut that's in progress, here's another of the small paintings from the Ashdown Forest series.



7 October, 2.45pm. Autumn sun on dry bracken, fire gold.
Acrylic on canvas, 15 x 15 cm.

Michael: Ashdown Forest 13

Another of the small paintings from the Ashdown Forest landscape series.



10 December, 3pm. Winter's afternoon quickly turns to evening.
Acrylic on canvas, 15 x 15 cm.

Michael: Ashdown Forest 10

3 April, 11am. In the distance, yes, the first sight of gorse.

Acrylic on canvas, 15 x 15cm.

Michael: Ashdown Forest 9

Start of a new series of the Ashdown Forest landscapes. I'm trying to push harder to the boundary between naturalism and abstraction. This series is on smaller size of canvas, to see how much information can be packed into the smaller space.



9 January, 1.15pm. Searching for colour in the depths of winter, and finding it everywhere.
Acrylic on canvas, 15 x 15 cm.

Michael: Ashdown Forest - High horizon

A hard climb to the high horizon.



Acrylic on canvas, 25 x 25 cm.

Michael: Late summer rain

Late summer rain threatens to spoil the afternoon.



Acrylic on canvas, 25 x 25 cm.

Michael: Ashdown Forest 4

Dusk comes early to the forest hills as autumn draws on.



Acrylic on canvas, 25 x 25 cm.

Michael: Ashdown Forest 3

A sunny afternoon in early Spring cut short by storm clouds moving northwards from the English Channel and across the downs.



Acrylic on canvas, 25 x 25 cm.

Michael: Ashdown Forest 2

Another painting for the Ashdown Forest exhibition. Dark clouds at the end of a late autumn day. Sheets of red bracken stretch up to the horizon.



Acrylic on canvas, 25 x 25 cm.

Michael: Sussex Arts Collective

I'm exhibiting at the Sussex Arts Collective "Noel" show, at the Hop Gallery in Lewes.



Friday 26 November to Wednesday 22 December.

Monday to Saturday 10.30 - 5, Sundays 11 - 5. Lewes late night shopping event: Thursday 2 December 6 - 8 pm.

Hop Gallery, Star Brewery, Castle Ditch Lane (off Fisher Street), Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1YJ.

Michael: Cuckmere Valley, final stage

Final stage of this print -- at last.



Seven-stage reduction linocut, 24 x 17cm.

The view is from High and Over, the highest point on the road between Seaford and Alfriston, looking north over the Cuckmere Valley towards Wilmington Hill.

Michael: Cuckmere Valley, stage 5

Stage 5, stage 4, stage 6? This print has been dragging on so long, I think I've lost count. However, the latest darker layer has been a big jump forward: the details appear, and at last, the end is in sight.



One more stage to go.

Or maybe two.

Michael: Cuckmere Valley, stage 4

Another, darker, green layer. Some of the fields appear.



The tones in the earlier layers look more "correct" now that this mid-toned layer is in place.

I thought that the print would need only two more layers, and that this would be the penultimate one, but now it looks as if there will still be two more after this one.

Michael: Cuckmere Valley, stage 3

Third stage: A blue-green to yellow-green blend over the previous layers. The trees on the distant hills appear.



This layer looks too dark. Or are the previous ones too light?

I'm hoping there will be only another two layers to complete this print.

Michael: Cuckmere Valley, stage 2

A slightly darker version of the blend that was on the first stage, but still trying to keep the tones light.



The clouds and the river appear. That's the sky finished, at least.

Michael: Cuckmere Valley, stage 1

First stage of a new linocut. I've cut away a few marks that I want to stay white, and then printed a blended layer from ultramarine blue to yellow ochre to a blue-grey mix.



Not much to see yet. Forcing myself to keep the early stages as light as possible to create more contrast with the darker, later stages.

Richard - Birling Gap

Just to prove there were a few sunny days during August, I've been working on a picture of Birling Gap, which is on the Seven Sisters not far from Beachy Head. I liked this view because the sun was directly overhead, leaving the cliffs almost entirely in shadow. A little more tweaking to do and then I think I'm done.