Celia Hart's blog about what's going on in and around her studio.
Art, printmaking, inspirations, gardening, vegetables, hens, landscapes, wild flowers, East Anglia, adventure, travel.

Wednesday 30 March 2011

Easter hen

Even with today's chilly rain, you can't deny that spring is here at long last; the hedges are bright with blossom and the hens are busy, busy, busy – when you're producing a whole new egg every 25 hours, you've got to peck, peck, peck for all you're worth!

Wouldn't it be wonderful to hatch some baby chicks! I know lots of hen-keepers whose hens are doing just that right now – or failing that they're got eggs in an incubator or they've ordered little chicks from a breeder. Each time I see one of the Spice Girls hunkering down in the nest box and snuggling some eggs under her feathers I cross my fingers and hope she'll go broody (they did in their first year, before Tarragon came on the scene) but sadly so far this year they aren't interested. However I have a back up plan . . . and if it comes about I'll let you know ;-)


All these thoughts of hens and chicks and spring-time made an image pop into my head, so I set to with my carving tools . . .

then I mixed some ink – a colour that reminded me of Japanese powdered green tea (I love the flavour of green tea - cakes, ice-cream, milk-shake – mmmmm!)


the prints are hanging up in my studio on the little hen clothes-pegs . . .


These original limited edition unframed prints can be ordered by emailing studio@celiahart.co.uk
This is a small edition of 20 prints on Japanese Kikuchi Haini Kozo Koban, (a beautiful paper made from the fibre of the Paper Mulberry). The image size is 15 x 15cm, the same size and paper as used for the 'Love in the air' print. Each print is named, signed and numbered in pencil by me.
An unframed print costs £48 (and as a special for Easter the price includes p&p to addresses in the UK mainland).



Cards are now for sale in Magic Cochin's Emporium click here for details



Celia
x


32 comments:

  1. Cute as! Love the sense of movement you've been able to create in this.

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  2. Celia. They are beautiful! I love the green too! Can't afford a print this month but sure I could stretch to a card or two. Off to the website now x

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  3. Beautiful...the print the green! I'm considering the cards!

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  4. Celia, your work is beautiful, you're so talented! I love the green, it's so Springy!

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  5. What a lovely print. I will get a couple of the cards tomorrow after my trip to Luton and back. Must go to bed now.

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  6. It's a lovely print Celia

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  7. fantastic! Am in awe of your carving ,so sharp and crisp with lots of detail !

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  8. My friend Di sent me your site link and I just love your work.
    Even the lino plate looks fantastic and yes there is something special about lino work.
    I agree with Mandy re your cutting and mark making.

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  9. Hi Celia
    Love the print especially poignant for me as yesterday sadly my Black Rock hen aged 8 yrs died, one of the friendliest hens I have had.
    Once hatched a clutch of abandoned pheasant eggs under one of my broody silkies and it was a marvellous experience - very rewarding when we released them

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  10. Beautiful blog!! Beautiful art!!!

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  11. Oh Celia, she looks like one very happy and contented mum with her brood of chicks.
    A wonderful print.

    My Dorking, Dorothy hatched 3 chicks last December, first chicks we have ever had. It was so much fun and has been a wonderful experience. I think we have 2 roosters and one hen..........

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  12. Gorgeous. I shall be over to get some cards as soon as my naughty children are at school!

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  13. Ooh little baby chicks would be so sweet, I hope one of the girls gets broody soon ...

    The prints are lovely Celia. I feel a card purchase coming on .... will pop over later!

    Jeanne
    x

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  14. Oh wow Celia!! How on earth do you chisel so precisely?? Fantastic talented woman you are!

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  15. Just wonderful, Celia, I love how all the details come together into an Easter egg design. Stunning :)

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  16. Quite beautiful, I love the shade of green. I'm really into green at the moment, but some are a bit too acid, this is spring in nutshell :)

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  17. Love the new print Celia and hope you get some Spring chicks soon! Jacqui x

    I'm missing my girls terribly!!

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  18. Celia - I saw this on Facebook, twitter and the newsletter! hahaha - I swear I am not a stalker. LOVE IT!!! AND it's got Blossoms on [cherry blossom tattoo, wink ;)]
    off to fave it on Etsy x

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  19. I don't know which I love the most, the print or that beautifully carved lino!

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  20. Beautiful! I adore the detail, especially the baby peeping from under its mother's feathers.

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  21. lovely! happy (chilly) spring!

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  22. Another fantastic chookie- as always!

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  23. Your prints are absolutely beautiful, i can't believe how talented you are!

    My OH is rather arty and has tried linocuts before, but has been let down by the quality of the lino...just wondering, what type do you use/where do you get it?

    Thanks!

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  24. I'm catching up on all the comments on the past few blog posts - lots of new visitors too - hello!!!!

    I love reading all your comments and thank you for all the lovely things you've said about my Easter hen. For those who commented about the carving - it's definitely my favourite part of the process, I'm a little bit obsessive about making the block look beautiful.

    I'll answer the specific questions...

    Chicken Lover - So sorry to hear you lost your lovely Black Rock - elderly hens are real characters.

    Claire - Dorothy the Dorking sounds lovely!

    Jet-fusion - the grey lino is from www.lawrence.co.uk I also use the more traditional brown lino which is slightly harder to cut. The key is to have sharp tools (the little Chinese tools are good) and get the lino just warm but not too warm so it tears. Take it slowly and precisely.
    Popped over to your blog and see you live not too far away - like the sound of your favourite restaurant we'll have to give it a try.


    Celia
    x

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  25. I LOVE your lino work, Just gorgeous! I'm off to browse around your blog to see more =) Loving the negatives and positives in this piece, truly inspirational. Must dig out my tools!

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  26. Hi Julia - I love the positives and negatives too - thank you for noticing :-)

    Celia
    x

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  27. I always love to see the processes of printing and am so impressed with your lino cutting - how do you get the circles so perfect?

    I was interested to read on Mousenotebook how you lost out on the purchase of one of Elizabeth Blackadder's work.

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  28. My Dad was a craftsman joiner - and highly skilled with his chisels - so maybe I'm chip off the block!
    Negative circles are easy - just insert a pointed straight blade and spin. Positive circles are more fiddly - cut round the edge with a small v shaped chisel a little at a time.

    As for the EB painting - it would have been pretty reckless to have bought it at the time - the price was equal 8 weeks living money!!!

    Celia
    x

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  29. Celia
    I received my Easter hen card today, thank you.
    It is so nice and I am tempted to frame it !

    Kind regards
    Jane

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  30. Thank you for the tips...with any luck, we might eventually be able to get to something half as good as yours!

    We've always had wonderful experiences at the Salthouse, i hope it will be the same for you if you go x

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  31. I love the new lino print - it definitely puts a smile on your face especially when the sun is shining outside! I would love to have some hens but my 1 bedroom flat just couldn't cope!

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