I recently went on a Mark Making workshop at Cass Art in London run by Ross Belton of Modern Eccentrics. Ross is an artist who experiments with natural processes and the idea of place. Natural dyes, found objects and recycled materials are all part of Ross's work. His aims are a sustainable practice with a minimised artistic footprint and a desire to expose the viewer to works of transient beauty.
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| Ross Belton |
We were exploring mark making using natural inks and handmade brushes...
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| Lots of materials |
Ross showed us how to make our own brushes with the materials and equipment he had brought along. We could also use the magnificent brushes that he had made.
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| Equipment |
These are the brushes that I made...
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| My Brushes |
Ross told us all about natural inks and how to prepare them and provided 3 different sorts for us to use with our handmade brushes.
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| Oak Gall, Avocado Stone and Walnut Hull Inks |
The oak gall ink was the darkest - almost black. The walnut hull ink was brown and the ink made from avocado stone a pinky-brown colour.
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| Walnut Hull (brownish), Oak Gall (blackish) & Avocado Stone (pinkish) Ink Marks |
We experimented with the different inks and the brushes to create our marks...
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| My Mark Making |
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| More of My Marks |
Thanks, Ross - it was a really interesting session!
The venue - Cass Art - has a regular workshop programme and an amazing selection of art equipment.
Ross's work can be seen at the Knitting & Stitching Show in Harrogate later this week as part of the Studio 21 Colour Notes exhibition and then from 27 November until the end of December at Farfield Mill in Sedburgh.
