Blanca Castle from a Distance in a Sandstorm (Murcia, Spain) Print

I completed a set of 8 monotypes that explore the rural qualities of the Spanish landscape The prints were inspired by my short residency that was undertaken at AADK Spain (Cruce programme) in Blanca, Murcia, Spain in September 2023. During the stay I was working at the Centra Negra, which is located in the town. I used the opportunity to work on sketchbooks and to capture the landscape above and around the town of Blanca. I found this landscape and the local environment to be quite fascinating, with it’s myriad of different weather conditions (sandstorms, rain showers, haze, mist, heat) and it’s wide range of earthly organic colours. The landscape with it’s continually changing and shifting lighting, gave me a challenge to capture with it’s varied and complicated atmospheric conditions. I also visited the wonderful Pedro Cano foundation and had great admiration for his watercolours. I went on to experiment and explore using some of his approaches and techniques. Cano’s work is both simultaneously subtle and bold at the same time and his style is very reminiscent of the old masters. The completed monotypes are mainly of Blanca castle that sits above the town and various other locations around the town. The works are an experimentation in capturing the unique atmospheric conditions that are typical of the Ricote valley, hence the use of a brown printing inks and the application of sfumato effects to invoke a feeling of being enveloped by the weather and to express the rural, organic and natural qualities of the area. Centra Negra was also an incredibly inspiring building with performance spaces providing impetus and ideas for developing future new works. It was a valuable and rewarding experience and I will hopefully return at some point.