Sophie Holliday

Whilst in Mousehole Harbour creating my Sea Canvases, I really liked the way the canvas adapted to the form of the rocks. I wanted to recreate the shapes and form the canvas takes so I submerged it in a water and PVA mix and positioned it out over the shore. Hopefully the canvas will dry in the sun and keep the shape.

Using this photograph I took showing texture and colours of Mousehole harbour shore, I have been experimenting with a variety of different monoprinting techniques.  Using a gel printing plate with an image underneath, I built up the image using one colour at a time for each layer - starting with the lighter tones and finishing with the darker tones. I continued this process with all the colours until the image was complete. I used water based ink and applied it with a paintbrush then placed the paper onto the gel printing plate, taking care to line it up and used a roller to transfer the ink to the paper.  Although time consuming, I like the result. To develop this, I used a sheet of carbon paper to add small details and marks. This is the result. I then tried another process. On a piece of glass, I rolled out a thin layer of blue oil based ink, placed a piece of paper on top and then placed the original photograph on top the paper. With ...

I wanted to see what marks and impressions I could create using my beach finds. After saturating pieces of heavyweight paper in water I pressed and wrapped the paper around the shells, creating textured imprints. I found that placing the forms onto a light box highlighted the abstract marks. I photographed them and darkened the marks in Photoshop. I think that it looks like a fossilised shell.

Today I used the press in college to produce some collagraph prints, with the latex moulds, using oil based inks. It was trial and error adjusting the press to the correct pressure to give an even print.

Decided to make a set of mono prints using latex moulds from the plaster casts. I spread the liquid latex using a paintbrush over the plaster casts - if you are going to do this, make sure you use an old paintbrush. This is what it did to mine... It is now a fan brush. 😲 I backed the latex mould onto thick card and rolled out a layer of water based ink onto a gel printing plate. After pressing the latex moulds into the ink and removing them, I took a print. These are the results. I like the outlined impression that the raised parts of the mould gave - it almost looks like an x-ray.  I am going to try another technique to see if I can achieve more detail by using a press.

Inspired by Jessica Warboys's exhibition at the Tate St Ives, I decided to experiment with creating my own sea canvases in Mousehole harbour. I used the sea, sand and rocks to move the pigment across the canvas, allowing the land to create impressions. This was my first experience creating a large artwork in a public place and a group of women walking by asked why I was washing my bed sheets in the sea...😄 Then left it to dry across the rocks in the sun. I enjoyed the process and completed two canvases, I was surprised by the intensity of the colours and the rough texture added by the sand.

I returned to Mousehole harbour a couple of days later to remove the canvas from the chain. Some subtle marks were created that I like, however I think I need to leave the objects wrapped up in canvas for a longer length of time.

I have noticed many of the textured surfaces around Mousehole and really liked the shape and colour of the harbour wall. Initially I used paper and graphite to create a rubbing. However, this technique didn't capture the texture of the wall as well as I wanted. I decided to use a piece of canvas vertically pinned to the wall. As it was a windy day I had to fill a cardboard tube with sand and attach it to the bottom of the canvas. Using a sponge roller and acrylic paint, allowed me to produce a large scale rubbing, highlighting the colours and textures. To finish, I added black paint to show the gaps between the granite blocks.

I placed found objects, including seaweed, stones, shells and sand inside a piece of canvas. I then sprayed the canvas with vinegar and tea, wrapped it around the boat mooring chain and covered it with seaweed which was attached onto an adjacent rope. I am hoping to keep it out of view of the public as I want to leave it to rust for the next few days, to hopefully create some interesting marks.