My old hydraulic lino cut press finally gave up the ghost last week. After a period of lurching rather unnervingly to the right when loaded, it pulled one of its bolts right out. So I’ve spent the last couple of days building a new one with a new oak worktop base and four steel rods to hold it all together. I haven’t printed with it yet, but it barely creaked when I powered it up.
This afternoon I was back at the life class, where we did a portrait, starting with a detailed pencil drawing, and then painting over it with acrylic. Quite pleased with the outcome.
I’ve been back to Slimbridge and the Wildfowl Trust. I treated myself to a small telescope which I’m very pleased with. Now I can work with my hands free from holding binoculars all the time.
Having got it all set up, there was ne’r a thing to see, apart from one solitary goose plodding around, so I painted him /her. 
I spent a day at a coptic stitch bookbinding course at Ardington School of Craft last week. Produced two quite acceptable sketch books as a result. I don’t like these open backed books all that much, aesthetically, but they do work very well as sketchbooks as they open out completely flat. I may get to love them.
I spent an hour or so at Slimbridge this afternoon, watching and painting wild geese. I didn’t have long, but I wanted to try out a stripped down watercolour kit.
It seemed more than adequate, and didn’t take up half the room of all the boxes I took part time. Only time for one page of sketches of greylag and barnacle geese.
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