Sunday 24 April 2022

Watercolour Sketchbooks - Inspirations and Making of


 
 
This series of concertina sketchbooks were inspired by a road trip 
to Rotorua, Aotearoa New Zealand, in between Lockdowns in 2020.



These books are currently on display in my solo exhibition


ARTFUL NARRATIVES

2 April - 2 June, 2022

Angela Morton Room
Level 1
Takapuna Library
Auckland 
New Zealand



Artful Narratives display, Angela Morton Room



Artful Narratives display, Angela Morton Room


All sketchbooks are for sale. 
Please enquire for details or visit the exhibition.



 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 Inspiration

  

 The quirky, humpy-bumpy landscape of the Hamurana region of the 
central North Island, just north of Rotorua on State Highway 5, 
caught my eye, and my imagination, piquing my curiosity as to 
how these odd landforms had formed.






 

 

Making of 

 Strips of paper were cut from a large sheet of 
Hahnmuhle Britannia watercolour paper, 300gsm.



 Starting with very loose and spontaneous watercolour sketching 
I worked on multiple strips of paper at the same time.

 





 
I then worked individually and spontaneously on 
each strip to add detail.


 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 





 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Textured papers were printed for the covers using a 
fabric covered collograph plate.
 
 






Preparing and assembling the covers



 
 Constructing  the books
 
 





 
 
 

 
 
 

 The Completed Sketchbooks

 
 
 
Hamurana inspired landscape I by Toni Hartill



Hamurana inspired landscape II by Toni Hartill



"Landscape from my subconscious" by Toni Hartill



"Roadtrip Impressions I" by Toni Hartill



"Roadtrip Impressions II" by Toni Hartill



"Wet Weather Driving - views from the passenger seat" by Toni Hartill





I will be giving another talk during my exhibition and you are invited! 

Come for a guided tour through the display cabinets. View the artworks being handled and manipulated, the way they are meant to be fully appreciated. Meet the artist (ME!) and hear the stories and inspirations behind the making of the works. And feel free to ask me questions - I'll try to answer them!
 
 
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BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
COMING THIS WEEK!
 
 

Monday 4 April 2022

Ina Arraoui Print Community: Artful Narratives

 


I had the pleasure of sitting down with artist and curator Ina Arraoui on Saturday, prior to my exhibition opening, to discuss  the inspirations and motivations behind my work in this exhibition and what it is about printmaking that lured me in and keeps me enthralled. 


The resulting article can be visited by clicking the link below:

Exhibition: Artful Narratives


Ina is also a printmaker. We met a number of years ago in the print room at Corban Estate Arts Centre where we were both members of the print group Waitakere Printers Ink. I was very new to printmaking and eager to connect with other like-minded artists, and to find a place within the printmaking community. Ina had recently returned form overseas where she had travelled extensively and studied printmaking, and was in need of a print studio in which to create her work. 

Fast forward a number of years, and Ina has been building a rich resource on her website to "celebrate and showcase the exciting and constantly evolving world of contemporary print media through artist interviews, exhibition reviews, studio visits and events."


Click the link below to dive into the 
many interesting articles thus far.

INA  ARRAOUI


Exhibition: Artful Narratives, Toni Hartill
Exhibition: Apertures, Makyla Curtis
Exhibition: Weathered, Celia Walker, Toni Mosley
Exhibition: Towards Strangeness
Exhibition: Beyond the Surface, Toni Mosley
Bridget Inder
Jo Ogier
Marian Maguire
Exhibition: Expressions and Movement, Rachel Schanzer, Annie Molinieux
The Wellington Centre for Book Arts
Tim Li
Artisan Screen Prints _ Thomas Lynch
Marci Tackett
Wai-te-ata Press
Denise Durkin
John Perry
Kyla Cresswell
Luca Nicholas - Triple Axel
GTO Printers + Graham Judd
Celia Walker
Exhibition: Thinking of Place
Exhibition: Out of the Cupboard
TKPT Studio + Hamish Oakley-Brown
Aiko Robinson


https://inaarraoui.com/print-community/

@inaarraoui




Many thanks to Ina Arraoui!!