Yes, it's another nocturne but this time with an industrial feel.
My photographer friend Sean and I went for a stroll along the foreshore at Glebe all the way from Bicentennial Park to the Sydney fish markets. We both had our cameras at the ready and the route offered plenty of subject matter. As usual, I was immediately drawn to the bold contrasts that magically begin to appear as the sun goes down. There were lots of people having picnics at the quayside and I availed myself of a few nice silhouettes.
What the video above doesn't show is that I'd already applied three light coats of carborundum to the plate before starting to ink up. The truth is, that didn't come off as planned and so I ended up working much as I would with a monotype. However, the rough texture of the carborundum does grip the ink in a way the smooth plate doesn't. This enabled me to use a dry brush technique to render the ripples in the water. You'll also see that I use a foam brush to soften things down. I think it acts a bit like a glaze on a painting as it helps to blend things together.
I must say I do rather like the gritty effect that carborundum gives and which, I think, is particularly well suited to industrial subject matter like this. What do you think?
Post Script
I'm happy to say that this work has been selected to form part of the 2024 Art @ The Rowers exhibition showing in Mosman this coming April.