Hot off the print table!

I'm happy to say that my textile screen-printing workshops are officially up and running!! The first two day workshop went as well as I could have possibly hoped, and was inspiring as well as creative!
Here are a few images…

It was an intensive two days and very productive!

Pinning down swatches…

Fascinating demonstration on the heat press..!

Theory and practice…

Preparation…

Keeping a record…

and then production..!

Abstract imagery…

as well as botanical..!

Using two silk screens onto furnishing linen/cotton, bleached and natural…

I really enjoyed having such lovely creative people working in the studio and everyone wants to continue!  Therefore coming soon, in addition to further introductory workshops in screen-printing and Photoshop, there will be specialist one day dye and print masterclasses and an ongoing (intermediate stage) print club…

For more info and booking visit https://sampickard.bigcartel.com

Colour from the Season - Beech leaf rust

No doubt the woodland is wearing Autumn colours, but as the leaves start to turn and fall, I find myself at odds with the season and am working in the studio on a design which involves putting leaves back onto the branch.

A few years ago I drew a number of silhouettes of beech (and oak) branches and though I've used these for a number of designs, I always regretted not putting detail into the leaves and so had drawn some of the beech leaves separately with the thought of re-connecting them one day - well that day has come! It may have been easier to have begun again, but I'm enjoying the variation of working in a different way...

Although not quite finished - I thought I'd include here its seasonal colours in stripes for a change...

The reason I'm not out and about in the woodland and Moor this past week is because our beautiful dog Chip has become too ill to go out. She has been so much a part of my studio life for the past twelve and a half years that things just won't be the same without her...

Aerial Field Patterns

I've been away on a fabulous holiday to Crete. I didn't take a sketchbook or even a pen as I decided I should practice doing other things occasionally!

There's not much to recommend budget air travel except perhaps the incredible view of the land below and fields laid out like a vast patchwork quilt spread over the earth. On the return flight at a point somewhere between the Swiss Alps and France the view below looked like this! In between other work I've started making a note of these field patterns.

Rough patch...

The full picture...

a few miles later...

(It's not exact!)

Highlights of Crete included visiting Heraklion Archaeological museum (which houses the most extensive collection of Minoan Art in the world); The island of Spinalonga (read Victoria Hislop's account of the former leper colony on Spinalonga here); The remarkable guide who showed us around Knossos and brought the palace and Minoan culture to life; and last but not least the  hospitality and generosity of the Cretan/Greek people.

Back down to earth - welcome October! (belatedly).

Colour from the season Shaggy Ink Cap - Black (and Mushroom Ink)

Last week I spent a few days camping on a woodland site. One of the many magical things I discovered was a small clump of Shaggy Ink Cap mushrooms (Coprinas comatus), which although fairly common, I hadn't seen before (perhaps because they only last a very short time). I decided to collect their ink and then draw them with it…
 

It's not difficult to make Mushroom Ink from Ink Cap's, I leaned how from the Natural History Museum (kids only!) website here.

First sighting - already past their best.


The following day and they're starting to drip.

Carpe Diem!

Mucky!! (edible too though I didn't sample)

A couple of days later - (Sieved) Shaggy Ink…

After drawing these mushrooms with their ink I can now report:
that it's fairly watery; slightly gritty; and smells strongly even when the ink dries, of wild fungi. I have no idea as to it's lightfastness or longevity but can highly recommend just for fun!!

lovely Vdub...

…from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Wild Honeysuckle Yellow

Drawing wild honeysuckle seemed a good way to hang onto something of the scent and colour of summer as it's turned a bit chilly here in Devon. Still flowering on Exmoor, as well as in my garden, I drew this in a hurried but fragrant moment in between re-printing Moorland Rabbit cushions...














































"Echo the warm hues and rustic textures of the season with accessories in hewn wood, gleaming copper and rich berry shades"






















as spotted in the Emporium pages in September's issue of Country Living magazine!
For sale in my online shop at www.sampickard.co.uk

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Ling Heather purple

If you'd like to see Exmoor Heather in full glory now's the season!

The predominant variety (I would say) is Ling, intermingled with Bell (which I documented a few weeks ago). I definitively was NOT going to draw the Ling with it's ridiculously fiddly detail, but in the end succumbed because it would be an injustice to the Exmoorland colours to leave it out...so just a small branch..!

(Off on a slight tangent... In the language of flowers, Heather can mean Protection,
which reminded me of this great song (and album) by Massive Attack in 1994 with Tracey Thorn).



..from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

PRESS RELEASE - Masterclass Workshops in Screen-Printing and Photoshop®

This Autumn, I'm very happy to be starting Screen Printing and Photoshop® Masterclass Workshops in my studio. Just over two years ago I was about to set these up when my dad died and I put the whole plan on the back burner. 

Below is the press release that came out today! For more info and booking please visit https://sampickard.bigcartel.com (or via the link image on the side of my blog). 

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release 21.8.14

Sam Pickard Masterclass Workshops in Screen Printing for Textiles

An internationally acclaimed textile designer is to hold Masterclass workshops for the first time at her Devon studio. Multi-award winner Sam Pickard, whose stunning floral and moorland wildlife designs have sold worldwide, will be holding two day introductory classes in textile screen printing in October and November, in South Molton.

   

“I am very excited about these classes, and I am looking forward to sharing my skills with people who are serious about learning how to screen print onto fabric, who are enthusiastic and creative, and perhaps want to work towards setting up on their own. I have experience working as a university lecturer with large classes of students, but this is the first time I will be teaching very small groups. I am looking at a maximum of 5 people in each workshop, so that I can offer everyone plenty of individual attention.”

The Introduction to Textile Screen Printing courses will run on 16th and 17th October, and 20th and 21st November 2014. Each workshop costs £250, and will be held in Sam’s spacious premises in South Molton. Beginners are welcome. Some drawing or design ability would be useful, but is not essential.

Participants on the course will learn how drawings can be translated onto acetate, how colour separations take place and how to work with a silk screen. They will also be introduced to different dyes and finishes. “There is something so exciting about screen printing,” says Sam. “It is a fantastic moment when you lift the screen to see the print. I am hoping to convey some of this excitement to the people on my courses. Everyone will have the chance to create their own individual design, printed onto linen. So they will come away with a textile print they can use perhaps to make a cushion or something for their home. It will be a unique and original piece of work, which they have put emotional and creative energy into, and hopefully enjoyed making.” 

Sam’s exquisite floral designs have won acclaim all over the world. Sam has exhibited at top shows including 100% Design, the Chelsea Crafts Fair and New York and San Francisco Trade Fairs.  She is the winner of the prestigious RSA Design in Industry Award, and the RSA Travel Award. Two of her designs were also short listed for the British Design Awards. Closer to home, she is winner of the Devon Guild’s Summer Exhibition President Award.

Her distinctive drawing style combines a bold, modern freshness with the delicate detail and precision of traditional botanical artists. She gains inspiration from her love of the outdoors, and her designs capture the individuality and personality of particular plants with a sense of tenderness and intimacy. Increasingly she is using the exact colours found in nature. Since 2010 she has kept a blog, drawing plants from the North Devon coast and Exmoor, documenting their colours and matching them to CMYK.  “I have a deep love of nature and am fascinated by the variety of colours found in plants. Each time I look closely at a plant I am drawing, I am impressed by the incredible intricacy of the structure, and the range of colours. My blog is now influencing the choice of colours in my screen printing.”

For more information about Sam’s textile screen printing workshops, and to book a place on the courses, visit www.sampickard.bigcartel.com

Sam is also holding two day workshops on Photoshop® for Textile Design, run jointly with her husband Peter Bishop, a graphic designer and an Adobe Certified Instructor in Photoshop®. These are aimed at professionals who want to learn about digital techniques used in textile printing. The Photoshop® courses will be held in South Molton in January/February 2015. For more details visit www.sampickard.bigcartel.com

I'm very grateful to Jan Spencer of http://womensdevelopmentunlimited.org.uk/ and the women in the Business Action Group for their invaluable support and encouragement, to James Lochhead for his literary input, and finally to Debbie Manners at http://www.ndmedia.co.uk/ for this press release! Thank you.

The little things - favourite things...

The little things in life that make the difference...

...At an exhibition the people opposite your stand are your "view" for the entire show, so it was great to have such talented creatives opposite me at Cornwall Design Fair last weekend and thought I'd share the vista..!

Amy Cooper www.amycooperceramics.co.uk who makes these absolutely magical porcelain lights inspired by the ocean...

Shere Design www.sheredesign.co.uk - I had to cross the aisle to see the fine detail of the whimsical animals and birds in Helen's wonderful illustrative jewellery but it was worth it..!

100 Metres www.100-metres.co.uk  Luxurious as well as sculptural, these fabulous ladder scarves are handmade in Cornwall...

and admittedly a little further down the aisle...

Samme Charlesworth www.samcharlesworth.com Atelier ceramics which are a perfect combination of ceramic and textile!! Hardly surprising then that these plates in deepest Indigo were my 'best in show'..!

I fell in love with this plate embossed with a Chanel printing block, so it came home with me!
The Heart Rabbit, Fawn and Recipe linen napkins (and many more of my product range) come in packs of two and are for sale in my online shop here...

Lastly - my work in the beautiful drawing room at Trereife House. Huge thanks to the Le Grice family for selecting me to exhibit here again!

(Printed as a limited edition of only four !! Three of these cushions have now sold, there is just one left (in a black/white colourway) now in my online shop here).

Cornwall Design Fair 2014

Last minute printing for Cornwall Design Fair, breathed a huge sigh of relief about an hour ago when this Ivy block repeat I'd screen-printed today with a copper finish came off my heat press successfully. So many things could go wrong with this print - but thankfully they didn't, it was one of those spectacular moments!!

Trereife House near Penzance is the wonderful setting for Cornwall Design Fair. This will be the third year I've exhibited and I love the relaxed atmosphere of this fair. There's live music playing in the entrance of the exhibitors marquee, it isn't too big or overwhelming, exhibitors and visitors have a great time rain or shine and the Le Grice family generously open Trereife House to the public and allow work to be exhibited inside. I'm delighted to be showing my work again in their Queen Anne style drawing room, definitely worth a visit if you can make it!

Heart Napkins for William Morris Gallery...

William Morris Gallery in London have just ordered my 'Heart' napkins !!

For the last two days in the midst of fairly hectic preparations for Cornwall Design Fair next weekend, I've screen-printed, steamed, washed, pressed and packed my Heart Fawn and Heart Rabbit napkins in deep blue, turquoise and red colourways - phew!

silk screened Fawn...

Racking up Rabbits...

The napkins are (exceptionally well!) printed onto 100% natural linen, are fully machine washable and cost £26.50 for a pack of two. They are now available not only from me directly but as of next week I'm really delighted to say, will be in the shop at William Morris Gallery!!!

  

Colour from the season - Marram Grass cream

It's easy to take familiar sights for granted. When I walked through the sand dunes at Crow Point last week on a mission to draw Marram Grass, I was reminded that although I often have an idea that I know something really well, when I start to look more closely I often find I hardly know it at all. This is why I prefer to draw from life. To hold a plant or object in your hand and examine its form from every angle, you really do get the whole sense of what makes it unique, which you just can't get in the same way from a photo.

The deep roots of Marram Grass play a vital role in stabilising the sand dunes and their spiky (tubular) grey green leaves slow the drift of the wind-carried sand, allowing other plant species to grow and thrive. It's a precarious balance as the dunes endlessly change shape with the ebb and flow of the tides, here are a few of the colours I discovered in these amazing grasses...

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

The little things - Heath Fritillary and gypsy blessings...

Today while I was drawing a Heath Fritillary Butterfly (from a photo) a gypsy came to the door and told me that I shouldn't worry because I had a very bright future!! she then blessed me with good luck. (I did buy a small piece of beautiful crochet work from her!).

The butterfly's story is heartwarming. One of our rarest species, in the 1970's it was on the edge of extinction. However since then, thanks to the efforts of Butterfly conservationists, it's starting to flourish again on Exmoor's heathlands. I thought it would be a great little mascot to flit alongside the Moorland plants I've been sketching and while I'm not at all superstitious who knows, maybe my drawing is now endowed with some good luck too.

Early evening on Exmoor near Simonsbath yesterday.

In my sketchbook, much larger than life!

detail...

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the season - Bell Heather purple

I've been studying a few Moorland and Coastal plants of North Devon (and their colours) for a wonderful project I'm working on at the moment. For so many years I took for granted the ability of my eyes to endlessly re-adjust their focal range with ease from paper to subject to distance.  I think I did appreciate my sight at the time, but not as much as I do now it's fading and I'm using specs AND a magnifying glass to see fine detail!

When I think of moorland Heather it's a pale muted purple colour, but the hue of Exmoor Bell Heather's flower close up is the vivid magenta purple below! Maybe the colour memory is due to the moorland light, or perhaps it's redolent of later in the season when the flowers are ageing and turning a dusky purple pink then brown (as in the second and third colours in the palette below).

Tackling something far smaller than I would normally consider drawing with dip pen and ink (which is how I love to draw), involved masses of concentration to capture something of the personality of each flower and pay attention to every tiny leaf form and notice how it interacted with the space around it. Fascinating and laborious in equal measure!

Bell Heather (Erica cinerea) along with Gorse, Ling and Bristle Bent Grass according to the Exmoor Natural History Society, are the dominant plant mix on Exmoor. The Heather has just begun to come into flower and soon Exmoor will be a glorious carpet of this purply magenta, interspersed with splashes of Gorse yellow - it's breathtaking...

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Foxglove purple (update)

It's only taken three years to finish this pencil sketch! I first documented Foxglove colours in June 2011 and here they are again, lining the hedgerows of Exmoor and the North Devon coast and waving a gentle reminder to resolve my sketch. So...

...the darkest as well as the lightest purple magenta flowers; next comes the fresh green of the flower bud; the muted green of the stem and lastly a deep warm red/brown edging the leaves this year. You can't bottle it!

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Gorse yellow

In Spring, Exmoor and the North Devon cliff paths are ablaze with the uplifting yellow of Gorse but lucky for me, it continues to flower throughout the year. As the old saying goes..."When the Whins (Gorse) are out of bloom, kissing's out of fashion".

I loved drawing this Gorse, I'd felt dispirited for a couple of days and drawing such a intricately detailed shrub was daunting. Once I started I drew for about 6hrs (with quite a break in the middle). After about two hours, I noticed that I was feeling loads better - spirited again! Complicated as it was, it had forced my thoughts to focus only on the matter in hand, and there was no place there for anything else - amazing.

Vivid yellow flowers offset against black seedpods, (which appear grey, because they are covered with downy white fur), vicious spikes when you get too close and a sweet coconut fragrance...

..from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the season - Sea Pink pink

Sea Pinks - also known as Thrift or Armeria Maritima are part of the the sensory palette making up the rugged cliff paths here in North Devon. Delicate, slightly bleached out colours from June's radiant sunshine and salty air, yet tough enough to withstand the shock of the most bitter coastal storms ~ exquisite..!

Wishing you a colourful weekend!

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.

Colour from the Season - Stinging Nettle Green

Four weeks ago I began a course in Mindfulness. One thing we've been encouraged to do is study everything more intensely - expanding what is often a very ordinary experience into something extraordinary. This sense, the visual, is easy for me, not only is this something I do without effort all the time, but something I've spent much of my life striving to be good at.  This is described perfectly by John Hopper when coincidently last week he wrote about Mindfulness, Creativity and Observation on 'The Textile Blog' (here).

I was reminded how beneficial it is to draw and how not drawing these past few months has been negatively affecting me, as though some part of me were missing - like losing touch with an old friend.

The (vicious) dewy hairs of these Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica) in the early morning were the palest misty purple, once picked they dramatically wilted and I thought that was the end of them. They revived however, now more an angry shade of red and my hands are still smarting...

"Tender handed stroke a nettle,
And it stings you for your pains:
Grasp it like a man of mettle,
And it soft as silk remains"

Aaron Hill, 1753 (British dramatist and poet)

(Try this if you like but don't say I didn't warn you!)

...from my seasonal colour sample notebook.