February newsletter: Trying new ideas

Work from my recent printmaking workshop - made with an oat milk carton and a pasta machine!

What I’ve been up to this month

This month I have been focussing on having some creative time to myself and learning some new skills. I spent a very enjoyable day learning how to make drypoint Tetrapack prints at Bath Artist Printmakers. I got to use both a traditional printing press and a pasta machine! I also went on a workshop entitled “Drawing For The Terrified” run by Jacqueline Byrne. We went through some really interesting exercises which left me feeling a lot more confident about approaching drawing.

What I learned this month

I learned a lot from my courses. I have also been teaching myself more about Lightroom and Nik Analogue FX.

But the biggest lesson from all these activities is not to be scared to try things!

What are my plans for next month?

I am spending some time journalling to plan my year ahead. I love writing with fountain pens so I will be combining two activities that I will enjoy. I also think I am ready to make another handmade book. I am looking forward to experimenting with black paper.

What have been reading this month

This month I have been reading North Woods by Daniel Mason. Effectively, it is the fictional biography of a piece of land. It is very well written. However, I do wish that some of the episodes had been written about in more depth.

What have I visited this month

It is not the normal type of exhibition that I choose, but my wife took me to Naomi in Fashion at the V&A. I had mixed feelings about what I saw. The outfits were impressive but needed to be worn by people. I thought that more could have been made of the photography as well. But it was a very thought-provoking study into a very different creative industry.

I have also been to visit Iconic at the Holburne Museum in Bath. This is all about portraits inspired by photography. It is a small exhibition but includes two Bacons and two Warhols.

What I have listened to this month

I went to see the Magic Numbers live in Bristol (on a boat!). It was a great concert with old favourites and new work. They played for two hours and I left very happy. There are still tickets available for some of their shows later this year.

Upcoming workshops and events

If you want to find out more about any of my workshops to decide if they are right for you or have any questions, please hit reply to this email.

Individual creative mentoring online – I help you develop your creative vision. I have trained in brain friendly training and these sessions are designed to help you develop a practical path forward and an action plan. Each session is completely unique and tailored to your needs. See here for details.

Smartphone photography walks - Industrial Bath with a smartphone day – come and meet me in Bath on 1st March and learn how to take impressive pictures with your smartphone. This full day workshop concentrates on getting the most out of your smartphone, visiting some interesting locations and receiving personal feedback. We cover editing and lunch and great cake is included! You also receive two art prints of your work. See here for more information and booking.

Editing and advanced editing with your smartphone online – we meet on Zoom for a half day of learning how to edit with your smartphone. I sometimes take images from my traditional camera and choose to edit them on my smartphone. Find out why. What makes these sessions different is that I cover editing vision as well as how to edit. You also receive two art prints of your edits. See here for introductory editing and here for advanced editing.

Make sure you keep in touch

You can follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Mastodon as well as Bluesky. Please also e-mail directly: I really appreciate receiving personal e-mails from you. Please share images and projects send me recommendations for reading, listening, exhibitions, blog articles and more!

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