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A very long time since the last update.  I’ve been busy assisting my girlfriend with her project, working on my birds and researching new ideas for projects. I’ve managed to print up all of my birds on some trusty A4, so thats a great step in the right direction.

3 laser toners later and I am finished.  Originally this was meant to just be a way of looking at all of the images away from a computer screen, but bigger than a contact sheet.  I now really like the quality and feel to them.  Somewhat opposite to the fine quality of a gelatin-silver print, but under closer thought; perhaps not?

I’m now looking into ways of working with all the images i’ve acquired.  Got my hands on some great bookmaking facilities so i’ll hopefully be using them to their full potential.  I’ve also had a chance to research into outsourcing the printing for larger prints.  Should be interesting.

A month or so ago I had the chance to give an artist’s talk to the Foundation students at my previous place of work, Barton Peveril College. It was insightful.  It had been about two years since critically presenting my work to an audience.  I found it highly rewarding as i was able to pick up on new themes throughout my work.

I am aiming to set aside some time to update my website.  Perhaps once my birds project has concluded itself, that would be a good time to tackle the internet.

New Year, time to make some more work, and finish off loose ends.  I’ve been busy over the past few months making some new work, paper related.  It feels quite rushed, but I don’t think it is, Its just the last work was very slow.  I’m currently calling this Paper Studies II - But I’m undecided whether to add chapters to Paper Studies, or keep this as separate work.  This needs to be printed up over the next few weeks.

I’ve been putting a bit more effort into Birds now.  I should be able to dedicate a fair amount of time to shooting.  I’ve found making some working test prints really helpful. There’s now a framework for me to work around and build on.  I’m wanting to make hand prints, then scan them in to make a book/zine.  I guess i will stop when I have enough for a book format.  That will probably become chapter 1 as well.

I’ll upload images to the website one day…

Paper Studies II

Birds

Birds

Its been a while, but i’ve finished printing.  There’s been a lot to learn as this is the first serious work i’ve printed in my darkroom.  A lot of things to learn, but i should have everything working how i want it now.

I made lots of notes:
 

Prints drying:
 
I had some chemical contamination on my drying screens so I just swapped to drying face up.  You get a little bit more curl, but I needed a quick fix.

Finally a flat print:
 

Rejected prints:

Inevitably, there’s still a few things left to do: pressing all the prints, spotting them, finishing off the statement.  These should all be pretty straight forward now i’ve done all the ‘prep work’.

I have fully decided on a new title and statement.  I’m currently looking at two more chapters; each placing emphasis on a different element to the last.  Then hopefully all of these elements together should make some sense.  Before, I said about chapters giving no evolution/distinction, but a handrail, I’ve started to see that some definition would work.  So i guess the new chapters should follow this.   I am vowing to not make things quite as difficult now.  Already working on more logistical ways of fitting shooting in around work.  Even if I do go down similar routes again, at least I know what works, and what doesn’t.

I hope within the next few weeks i’ll be able to have work back up on my website.