https://thewritinggarden.wordpress.com/2016/05/17/the-writing-garden-issue-nine/
A little late folks but I’d like to introduce you to Suzy Hazelwood’s wonderful Poetry zine called The Writing Garden. She selected my poem ‘Ivy Weaves’ for her May edition. My poem is 10th on the list, however there are lovely poems to read by talented poets. Enjoy! And many thanks to Suzy for choosing to publish my poem.
I must get on and make Sound clouds! 🙂
My collagraph plate was  inspired by one of the dead, old oak trees that I  see on my walks through the Bedfordshire countryside: always silhouetted against the sky is one or more crows and ravens, congregating on the branches watching over the fields.
I used teased out string glued onto the mountboard to create tree bark and bird feathers. I created the branches out of textured wallpaper and made marks in it with a knife.
After the plate was varnished and dried with a hairdryer, it was time to ink up the plate using brushes. I wanted to create an atmospheric moonlit effect so I combined blues and used plenty of extender.
I hope you like the result. 🙂
The printed plate was hand pulled through an etching press. I used damp watercolour paper. Every collagraph print is different. I achieved a ghost print which was much lighter too.
Nigella waits wistfully for their
Lover’s tryst, sky blue eyes
Filled with tears.
Suddenly she sees him gallantly
Galloping and cloaked in sapphire sateen;
Her fears abating,
He appears out of the mist.
I adore the beautiful Nigella or the popular name for the flower ‘Love in the mist’. The flower not only inspired my photograph and my poem but also a simple potato print fabric design. I loved mixing ultramarine full bodied acrylic with white and fabric medium together to create a fresh ‘Love in the mist blue’. Potatoes aren’t the easiest veg to carve so I chose a primitive flower shape to give the essence of my Nigella. I printed it freehand on cotton fnabric and let it dry in the sun. It was just a test piece but great fun to do! I hope you like it. 🙂
This Solar print was inspired by my moonlit frosty dog walks. The seedheads were encrusted with ‘fairy dust’ reaching out to the moon.
This solar print was inspired by my photos of trees in winter, taken In what I call the ‘Fairy wood’; a beautiful, quiet, well planted woodland where we often walk. Every day there is something new to see. The Green Woodpecker has been a recent visitor. My dogs love to chase squirrels and jump over the piles of logs, the woodland is a natural Green Gym.
Solar print of teasel drawing.
To get a solar print, I drew my lovely seed heads from my garden, onto acetate with permanent black ink. The drawing is then transferred onto a light sensitive plate which is then exposed to UV light and then developed through tap water. It is very experimental as you try different exposures to get different effects. Once the plate has been dried in sunlight then it can be run through the press.
Ghost of stocks solar print
This one is my favourite. Can you find the fairy? This is my Arthur Rackham style ‘ghost’ solar print. The first print was much bolder so I decided to run the plate through the press again and I just love the antique effect.
Both of these prints were done at Susan Erskine- Jones’ s workshop. Thanks to Susan for sharing her skills and experience, Â it was a most enjoyable day.
Lavender Moon: Artist, Poet and Lover of Nature 
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