Brenda Hartill RE

On Friday my boy and I went into Swansea to see an exhibition at the Attic Gallery by Brenda Hartill. I first came across Brenda Hartill's collagraphs when I bought her book in the Printmaking Handbook series and I have been hooked on printing and collagraphs ever since! These two images have been taken from the gallery invitiation and show new collage work that Brenda has produced. The exhibition also has mixed media paintings as well as her specialist limited edition collagraphs and etchings. Up front and personal they are just stunning. The use of colour is wonderful - it's a palette that really hits you between the eyes.

These two pieces are collages with oil paint and wax. Brenda is also working now with collage and found objects embedded with encaustic medium. Only standing in front of these pieces can you appreciate the depth of the layers. Although the wax subdues the colour it does not diminish its effect. A brilliant exhibition which left my head buzzing with ideas.

There is more of Brenda's work in the latest Printmaking Handbook by Alexia Tala. It's called 'Installations and Experimental Printmaking' and is well worth a look if you like to see how printmakers are using new mediums and methods - or old mediums in a new way!

My husband went to an Out Apiary meting yesterday of the local Beekeepers Association and he is hoping to site his own hives in our next door field this year. The main reasoning behind this is the dire situation for bees. You just feel you have to try and do something to reverse the trend ... but I wonder if I can persuade him to let me have some beeswax as and when it becomes available.....

In the next couple of weeks I take delivery of my etching press. I really will have to get on with it then...