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A good find on E-bay this “Boots” the chemist half-plate camera ( #platecamera ) arrived a week ago and I have been gradually accumulating the accessories needed to make some prints. The camera has now been cleaned and checked. It didn’t come with any plate holders, so whilst waiting to find some I made my own from scrap wood in the workshop. This worked but has some light leakage. A search on E-Bay located 3 good ones which arrived today. However, whilst a close fit, they were slightly too big – so I have modified the runners at the back of the camera to accommodate these, slightly wider, plate holders. Now they fit snuggly. All chemicals have arrived, along with developing trays, but I am waiting for the tongs to lift the prints into and out of the fluids. My efforts without these were far too messy! Let the experiments commence …. One frustration – my #Dremel was doing a great job sanding the slot but then just stopped working – It came apart easily enough and check with a. multimeter identified the speed controller to be faulty. A replacement has been located by a google search – hopefully it will come soon as I have another job waiting for it.

A couple more hours work on the Bideford Black pigment, grinding, seiving and then mixing with linseed oil using a Muller. I was then able to print the final layer on my Guernsey Rocks print. This Bideford Black was much more black than the previous batch made from paler rock – bit it still had a brownish tinge – but appeared quite black when printed. I’m very pleased with the overall result of this three-block print.

#cattleegret walking amongst the cows on the Somerset Levels near Catcott. I had heard for some time that Cattle egrets were present now on the Somerset Levels, along with little Egrets and Great White Egrets, but I hadn’t seen them – until today. Driving towards the hide on Catcott Lows I glimpsed something very white flying near some cows. I reversed the car back up the road, parked in a layby and went to investigate – there they were 16 Cattle Egrets – smaller than other egrets and with a thick yellow beak – and living up to their name – walking amongst the cattle. I took some shots with my #Fuji #X-H1 and 400mm lens with 1.4 extender. I still can’t get the best out of this set up yet. The depth of field is so shallow and the focussing a challenge – still a few shots were reasonably in focus – I thought I had the shutter on 1/1000s but it was only 1/500 so the shots of the birds in flight are blurred by the motion of the birds, one of which was carrying a vole (type thing) it had caught. Very pleased to have got my first sighting of UK Cattle Egrets and to have a few pics – still need to return to get some better ones.

Very pleased to take delivery of a proper printing press to replace my makeshift vice-press (was great for seeing of I could do this print thing). Bought from the “Portable Printing Press Company” – Very good service and the press looks sturdy and well put together. I didnt waste any time putting some prints through it to test it out. I tried taditional lino – the newer plasti “lino” and a 15mm thich piece of oak with my woodpecker woodcut. All of these produced good prints – eventually. Understandably it is important to get the rollers level- producing even pressure across the block and this took a few test prints to get right for each new block as each was a different thickness. One problem took a google search to solve and that was the paper for the print was getting creased as it went through the rollers. The google search came up with a couple of discussion forums each recommending using a cutting mat on top of the felt sandwich. With that in place everything went through smoothly at low and high pressures. Now I’m ready to print my Gurnsey rocks using inks I’ve made myself …..

Today I got to make a good quantity of ink using #pigment collected from the North Deveon coastline (Thank you John Byrne for being our guide). Up till now I have made small quantities and used them right away. Now I have got hold of some new empty tubes, from Lawrence art supplies, and can store the ink I make – that’s the plan and it seems to have started OK.

What year it is for the autumn colours this year! Really intense colours with moody dark skies and occasional bursts of sunlight to make the trees glow. These photographs taken on a walk near our home – around Bleadon Hill,

We needed to get out for a walk this morning so went to Sand Point near Weston Super Mare and headed north towards Middle Hope. The beach there was strewn with driftwood and we were able to retrieve some good looking pieces that I’ll use for sculptures, printmaking and – still life photography. Results will be posted on this blog in the coming weeks.

A brief visit to Tyntesfield House (National Trust) as we were passing was rewarded with some impressive views of autumn colours and the Gothic house lit by the low autumn sun. #autumn #nationaltrust #Tyntesfield

I loved the rocks on Guernsey’s coast – especially as they were lit in the low sun of evening – strong shapes and deep shadows. So I have printed my first layer in grey and cut the second tile to overprint in black. This is an exciting stage in the process but will have to wait until after the first coffee of the day. OK – so coffee done; I inked up the second tile, checked the registration (alignment) against the first and did a test print with much better results than I had expected. Just a few stray ridges to cut away and then test print again before finally printing onto some nice thin Japanese paper – part of a selection pack from Lawrences Art Supplies. And the original inspiration for this print …..

Noting the clear sky and thinking the stormy weather coming this weekend would strip trees of leaves, I thought it would be good to head down to Stourhead to catch the low sun illuminating the autumn clothed trees. Using a neutral density filter I was able to use a very slow shutter speed to smooth out the water ripples and clarify the reflections. #leaves #Landscape #Sunset #Stourhead #Reflection #autumn #nationaltrust

A frosty clear 5:30am – with the promise of mist and cloud developing seemed like a good combination for some atmospheric photography from Kings Wood overlooking Axbridge reservoir and on to Glastonbury Tor. Car scraped clear of ice and warm layers, hat and gloves – a short drive to then climb the  hill through Kings Wood above Winscombe. A hint of colour on the horizon seemed to be waiting for the cloud encroaching from the North to obliterate the view. Then for 15 minutes as the sun rose over the Mendips and the clouds rolled over the same hills the battle of light and dark ensued. Dark clouds blocking the sun eventually, but not before I had enjoyed and photographed the spectacle. As always – images are available for purchase as digital files at £10 each or as mounted A4 prints – £25, or larger sizes – up to 100cm on foamex board (100cm on the longest side costs £100 unframed, £150 framed – not glazed). #sunrise

Waiting for the opening of the venue to meet Sir Don McCullin at The Paintworks, Bristol; I enjoyed exploring this development – combining workspaces and living accommodation – great design – set off by the colourful sunset. Sir Don’s talk was very honest and inspiring.