Cricketts Inky Art Blot

So I was up at Saint Mary's Art Retreat again today. I admit that I think their bedpans are super cool so I worked on another image of one of them: I'm actually quite pleased with this rendition of the historic portable crapper! Maybe there is a 3rd (not Richard the III if you know cockney) in the making.

The weather was fantastic on Day 2, so i packed up some watercolours and headed to the nearby cemetery. There were some really interesting stones and iron railings. I had never seen wooden railings around graves before, so I sketched these spindles for a while and admired the worn grain. Walking to this stone angel, I heard a rattlesnake give a warning sound. After that I stuck to the wide paths! The views were amazing, I can see why the early miners chose this as their resting place. The silence was a peaceful one, not a creepy dark one, like so many graveyards back in England. There were swooping magpies following me looking for crumbs from my tuna sandwich. I decided to make a sketch of one as a plan for an etching, but once I got to the press, I switched the magpie out for a crow. I also made some monotypes of this old barn that is within view of the retreat center. Photos of me printing (in the morgue) by Frances Melhop   This was the firs...

After arrival at Saint Mary's Art Center, myself and another printmaker set up the printing area, etching press and drying rack. The former morgue was devoid of windows, but the long sink turned out to be a very useful inking and paper soaking area. Towards the evening I took a walk along some nearby trails to take in the scenery and enjoy the solitude. Most of the other artists were due a day later, so the building was very quiet other than the creaking of the old wooden floor boards. As far as I could tell, the ghosts had not noticed our arrival yet. Sugar Loaf Mountain, Virginia City Trees on a trail near SMAC, Virginia City    

OMG! Did I have a fab time or what? I need a little decompression time tonight, but I will share a little over the next few days. Here are the snaps I took arriving at the retreat center: The Old West town ofVirginia City is perched up high in the mountains, somewhere just under 7,000 ft above sea level. I was surprised that I could feel the extra pressure on my lungs, but was otherwise fine, a couple of people experienced nose bleeds and other altitude sickness symptoms, which is always a bit of a drag to have. It was worth it for the amazing sensation of the air at such a height. These buildings were on the left of the road as I drove down. I am not sure what they were, but were obviously original and now just part of the ghost town. Speaking of ghosts.... The retreat center is one of America's most haunted buildings. Many groups of ghost hunters visit and record the paranormal activity. Interestingly, the building was once a hospital run by nuns and the...