Kolektyw - Nov 16th to Dec 2nd 2012

The exhibition will show work by 13 artists who have a connection to the beautiful city of Edinburgh. The show aims to present the viewer with the very latest in contemporary art and design from across the globe and includes works by artists whose origins are Scottish, Polish, Italian, French and Indonesian. This event will show new work from each artist and will summarise each individual’s creative development over the past year.

Artists Taking Part:

Lisa Arnott – jewellery
Krzysztof Borkowski – jewellery
Sophia Burns – paintings
Agata Dymus – Kazmierczak – prints
Fiona Hermse – jewellery
Eliza Kesuma – paper
Fiona Michie – drawings
Radek Nowacki – photography
Aneta Pieta – paintings
Sharon Robertson – paintings
Joanna Robson – artist books, prints
Eleonor Symms - jewellery and mix media
Federica Lucia Vinella – watercolours

Art’s Complex, St. Margaret's House, 151 London Road, EH7 6AE, Gellery 1 (3rd Floor)
Exhibition opening times: 16th Nov 6-9pm, Mon-Fri 11-9, Sat – Sun 11-7

For more info visit Kolektyw's Facebook Page.

Illustrations for Black Dingo Productions

Illustrations and sketches for Black Dingo Productions' Shots: Eros & Psyche and Sanctuary.

The Fleet re-visited

More recent work from the MA project, which was dying in a bottom drawer until a couple of months ago. Above and below are some character sketches and completed panels, all set in London's Fleet prison in the early 1700s.

Sands Films Studios

(aka costume heaven)

On the weekend I saw inside of Sands Films Studios, a film production company in Rotherhithe, London.

Founded in the 1970s by Christine Edzard and Richard Goodwin, it runs its own studio, workshops, cinema, cutting room, make their own costumes and own sets. Sands Films Studios are also a well-established costumier and have produced costumes for films such as Little Dorrit, Pride and Prejudice and Marie Antoniette.

Whilst there I made sketches of a few early eighteenth century coats and waistcoats – a huge treat for me as the only source material I have for period costume are from films, paintings and occasionally original items on mannequins in museums.

After seeing inside of their store rooms full of eighteenth and nineteenth century clothing, I started to wonder if everyday beautiful clothing is a thing of the past. There was so much to look at! And so many beautiful items of clothing hanging up on rails divided up by decade and class. Ornate trims, textures, patterns, and dresses in designs I had no idea existed or were even possible... I was blown away. I could have spent much longer in there admiring everything.

Seeing the costumes for the film Marie Antoinette was particularly special, not least because they were so beautiful. I began to realise that what made such pieces of clothing almost magical is that they are storytelling devices that help make you (the audience) believe in the story and in its characters. The costumes make you believe.

For further info on other films and productions (and photos), visit the Sands Films Studios website here.

Also, there is an excellent audio slideshow of the Sands Films Studios by the Guardian that's well worth a look - click the above link to view.

Books for sale at the Fruitmarket Gallery

New editions of The Tempest and The Resurrectionists are now on sale at the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh.

These are cheaper versions of the original etched and aquatint versions and are made with a combination of digital prints, lithography and laser cutting.

Last night in Odessa (working title)

Sketches for new project :


"...Among the refugees came grey-haired bankers and their wives, skilful businessmen who had left behind their faithful deputies in Moscow with instructions to them not to lose contact with the new world which was coming into existence in the Muscovite kingdom; landlords who had secretly left their property in the hands of trusted managers; industrialists, merchants, lawyers, politicians. There came journalists from Moscow and Petersburg, corrupt, grasping and cowardly. Prostitutes. Respectable ladies from aristocratic families and their delicate daughters, pale and depraved women from Petersburg with carmine-painted lips; secretaries of civil service department chiefs; inert young homosexuals. Princes and junk-dealers, poets and pawnbrokers, gendarmes and actresses from the Imperial theatres.

The White Guard by Mikhail Bulgakov

Etching process

I think that this is probably going to be the best way I can explain the etching process... All photos (with the exception of the final photo) are copyright to Tai Kedzierski

Above is a picture of a zinc plate and steel plate. Both metals have a different surface to them and the ink behaves differently on them. Steel has a slightly rougher surface, which means that the ink sticks to the plate more and you get a light tone to the print.

The plates get filed down on all sides and corners first - this is to stop the sharp edges tearing the paper and press blankets as it goes through the press.

Next the plates need to be degreased...

...and then placed on the hot plate to dry off. Then either hard ground (or soft ground) is applied to the plates and then rolled on to make an even surface.

Next comes the most time-consuming part, which is drawing on to the plate with a needle...

After the drawing is complete, the plate is taken in to the acid room for etching...



...and immersed in a diluted acid bath for several minutes.

The acid will etch into the plate only where the needle has scraped away the surface of the hard ground. (The hard ground does not come off in the acid bath)

Below: the hard ground is removed with white spirit:

The plate is then inked up with intaglio ink...

...and then the excess ink is removed with scrim (rough fabric)...

...then remaining ink is removed with tissue paper...

...finally the plate is laid out on the bed of the press. Damp paper is placed over the plate, more tissue paper is placed over it to stop any excess water or ink leaking out, the blankets are pulled over and the plate gets pulled through the press.

Below: a print and a ghost print (right)

After drying out the print, it gets folded and cut up. This idea is part of a bigger project that's still in progress... more pictures to follow later.