The this and that of art

Over the weekend I continued to work on the lettering for the 5 peace posts I have been commissioned to make. But before that a couple of other matters.

I restored the Iona Cloisters piece that Fiona and I did a few years ago for her folks. The timber had warped a bit and the doors had seriously tarnished. So I reset the doors and gave them a good polish. Fiona's calligraphy was still in good shape. The piece looks like new again.

©2015 Barry Smith - Old brass doors on Iona Cloisters piece (about 300mm square)

And a couple of photos I took when I attended the opening of the Books by Artists exhibition on Thursday evening.

©2015 Barry Smith - Fiona with her powerful little book - Subversive Stitch

©2015 Fiona highlights features of artists books to her brother and sister in-law

Fiona helped me select the fonts for peace in: Gaelic, Moroccan, Japanese, English and Italian-latin. I have made paper templates to transfer the letters to my aluminium panels. Love the cutouts left over from the process.

©2015 Barry Smith - Letters - printed and glued ready for cutting

©2015 Barry Smith - Letters - printed and glued ready for cutting

©2015 Barry Smith - Letter cutouts on silky oak

©2015 Barry Smith - Peace

©2015 Barry Smith - Peace in Gaelic

I wanted to test out some pens to use as resist when I come to etch the letters. The paint marker worked best.

©2015 Barry Smith - Testing resist - pink-paint pen, blue-metal marker pen and red-permanent marker pen

©2015 Barry Smith - The shiny I is the result of the paint pen

I have transferred the letters to the panels; and also the leaf motifs. I traced the outlines with a paint pen and blocked letters and leaves in with shellac.

©2015 Barry Smith - Letters and leaf forms - resist in place ready for etching!!!!

Next week I hope to build my etching bath; and do the copper sulphate and salt etching under Fiona's guidance.