The Northumberland coast is so so gorgeous and I can’t go home without visiting a beach. I definitely have my favourites; Seaton Point, High Newton, Bamburgh. Last time I was back I decided to go to one I’ve never actually been to, despite only living a few miles from it my whole life. I wasn’t disappointed. Warkworth Beach is another huge expanse of unspoilt coastline to add to my list of must see beaches. I also couldn’t resist snapping a vibrant oil seed rape field on the way home!
The beach is one of the most inspiring places for me. There’s pattern and texture everywhere. I’m a huge fan of silhouettes, which can be found against the sea or sand regularly.
Monoprinting can be a very quick but effective way of creating imagery. Draw a rough image on some paper or use a photograph (photocopied is best). If there’s writing it’ll be reversed on the final image so bear that in mind! Roller some ink onto a surface, then place the image, face up, onto the inked area LIGHTLY! Now you can draw over the image and where the pressure is applied, the lines will print in ink. I’ve experimented quickly with a few colours. My favourite is the cow! Which is yours?
It’s incredible the patterns a tree silhouette makes. Whether there’s leaves or not, the sharp shapes created are always stunning. It’s difficult to recreate as its so random but I’ve tried a few ways. Blowing ink across paper with a straw is one of the most effective.
I haven’t experimented for a while so I hunted out some used masking tape, wax, bleach, lots of paint and anything else I could find! The masking tape meant I naturally created striped patterns. Here’s a few examples of the red themed images I came up with.
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