Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Etchings and Bantams

First day of student contact today, which I hope will be short and sweet as I don't want to poison the lot of 'em with my virus cocktail. Some time last week I bought an old mohair coat and took it to the dry cleaner's. I can't remember where or when but it's quite nice and reminds me of one I had many years ago which I wore until it was threadbare.
One of the print technicians at the Art College in Brighton has been in touch. Charlie was the etching technician and I remember trying to make paper in his office in a food blender I had been given as a 21st birthday present by McMum and McDad (I asked for a motor scooter but I think that was a bit greedy)*. I was quite upset at being given such a domestic gift when what I really wanted was some sort of door to freedom and adventure, so I wasn't upset when Charlie melted it with turpentine as he was trying to clean it. Apparently, the soggy dissolved paper ended up on the ceiling.
Best place for it!
Some time I will scan my etchings and put them on the art website. Me and my pal Mandy both had etchings exhibited in the Royal Academy. Hers was a beautiful etching of trees through a window and was commended; mine was an odd collage. I had photo-sensitised the zinc plate, and projected an image of Andy Warhol on to it, which had slipped and made an interesting accident. I drew my tap shoes under it, some old deck shoes I'd painted white with emulsion and written 'a' and 'b' on the toes of to mimic a Warhol print (these shoes caused great mirth at the Dawn Jordan School of Tap, which I attended regularly). Anyway, somebody bought my Warhol print which delighted me. I just wasn't ever able to follow up these arty things. These days, I would be put down as 'unfocused'. Actually, I probably still am in many ways.
*Martin bought me a BSA Bantam, bless him. It lives in Scotland and is the star of a little film. I will ask him for the Youtube URL and post it here. It's an ex-GPO chap and is absolutely beautiful.

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