mad about the cutter !

This was a technical break through month, with a newly acquired desktop cutter now fully working as my studio assistant. It took me while to work out how not to destroy the cutting bed, but I’ve got it now. Not only can it cut intricate shapes but can also repeat my drawings, stuff that dreams are made of ! I have used it for some earthquake drawings and small water colour collages for the October show….with lots of La Palma drama - see my blog picture. I am already a sucker for watercolour paper, so exploring the beautiful and complex potential of this paper surface alongside the simplicity and austerity of the cutouts has been a treat.
Rob Ryan keeps coming to mind, I had a chance to see him as part of his book launch for ‘You can still do a lot with a small brain’, in a small greenhouse in Wapping, many years ago. He was there with his partner and did not say much, we were only a small group in the space at the time. Towards the end of the launch he produced a spectacular treasure in the form of one enormous paper-cut which was like lace, this delicate object was handed round an awestruck circle. This labour-intensive work was supported by many studio woman and man hours, Ryan had just been offered work designing underpants for a South Korean company at the time (!), this made me realise that the art making process really is a big adventure. I think Rob Ryan invested in a laser cutter very soon after that, it looks like he still has a shop on Columbia Road and more….https://robryanstudio.com/