Siobhan O' Hehir: That white rabbit syndrome again..February into March

March is here! Feeling good now that spring is here, it's not exactly in full swing but tangible signs are everywhere, from the snowdrops and daffodils to the sun ever so slightly higher and warmer in the sky.

Moving on from my experiments with the soil last month I spent some time going back to mono printing....always a good diversion when things start to go slow. Below shows the basic steps painting with oils on glass,and then pulling a print. The freshness and ease of mono printing is a joy.

I have always worked into prints once they are pulled. This may be going against the grain for some but for me I find it solidifies the finished print and allows for a greater margin of error in the painting up process before printing.

Painting on glass

Oil on glass, good to go

Pulling the print

Final print

I have really enjoyed working on a smaller scale but I knew that I'd have to get back to some larger scale work especially with the Scottish Borders Art Fair coming up this month. I'm planning to exhibit a range of different sized paintings....having limited space to exhibit will determine and dictate the selection process. Hoping it is a success and looking forward to viewing all the other artists and meeting visitors over the week end.

Whilst doing some research for college classes I came across May Babcock, an artist who amongst other things prints, performs and makes paper.I am drawn to her work on many levels especially to the subject matter of her graduate show The Latent Landscape. Having that back story in ones subject matter for any artist can be a powerful agent to how the work is perceived. I 'm looking forward to seeing what she does next on her Rhode Island sited project.

Northumberland

A connection with place is important for me. It doesn't really matter what level the connection is made,an observation,an ongoing physical connection,or a memory of place can be a strong link between the artist and their work. Place acts as a reservoir for ideas which often leads you to pathways unanticipated.

There is so much interesting art being made which relates to our sense of place it's sometimes overwhelming.Borders based artist Oliver Reed makes not only exquisite objects but also big drawings/paintings of many mountainous areas in Scotland. I feel connected in someway to these images...having walked and scrambled in many of those mountains leaves strong memories

In total contrast is another artist, Alec Findlay. His work on a company of mountains shows exactly how amongst other things, a place and it's landscape are central to ideas about the various ways in which a place can be experienced and viewed.I'm really taken with this project... again before and now with family I have spent many days on the island climbing in the the Cuillin and walking lower paths and slopes or driving around restlessly waiting for the weather to improve.

Skye is an amazingly beautiful Island. Her mountains are the draw for me. I have looked and looked in wonder and awe at this landscape again and again. To see another persons creative response and interaction with this place is inspiring.

Well then, keep on keeping on, make your observations, enjoy them and wonder. Keep curious and keep creating....below are the images recorded in February and early March.