Just a quick post of something completely different that we got to try during our time on this project. One the coordinators brought in a machine that looked like an industrial version of those "Badge It" machine's that I had years ago. This was a great to way to spend a Friday morning. Polly made some unique stocking fillers for her family, and I used some of my own illustrations to make not only key rings but little compact mirrors, badges and magnets. It's a really great example of the range of work that this group is capable of doing, and a peaceful way to begin the holidays. Today didn't focus on print making. Instead, we made these little items, ate way to many sweets, and generally had a good laugh with each other! 

I haven't mentioned it yet, but apart from creative work with us art students, the group makes a whole range of products, and it's really important for us to see that. There are so many skills here that we can work with and incorporate. So many things we can learn from the group, no matter how simple or unconnected to the art world as they might look. I can assure you the work making t-shirts, posters, caps, and other graphics on demand, in large quantities, at a professional standard is very skilled work.

Maybe a little too much talking?!

I felt that we have been doing too much talking lately and not enough work. I think people seem a bit worn out. Some of the art students are getting more taken up with another exhibition thats getting closer. Part of the problem is that we don't always have everyone present at the meetings. Then to get people on the same page again, we have to re-cap. This is the nature of working with a group I think.
One of our lecturers is going to join the group for a planning session, just to see how were going and possible add some suggestions.

Seeing as we have been working with the idea of using aspects of street art as part of the exhibition, I brought in this book to the group. It has some really diverse ideas and takes on street art. 

Metallic Drawings

One of the coordinators of the group saw the drawings that Celt had and said, "Those would look brilliant if you put them through the machine over there". He brought us over to a machine that would change the drawings from graphite to a metallic effect. We could choose from lots of different colours, all we had to do was photocopy the original, and feed the copy into the machine. We were amazed, the effect really worked well with heavily detailed drawings, but I would be interested in working this into the printing project if we could at all.
This was the finished effect:

Just an example of some of the many things we can do, and how diverse skills within the group can be used.

The video below is extremely similar to the one we were using.