Original Prints

I make small editions of colourful linocuts inspired by my garden and surrounding countryside.

I have been using the reduction technique over the past few years (see below) in my printmaking but have recently begun to explore using multiple blocks of lino which I am enjoying as I can explore colour combinations and tone before printing the final edition.

I’m also currently enjoying learning about wood engraving.

I print either by hand burnishing or using my Gunning etching press

Sketch book Studies

Working from drawings in my sketchbook I create a pen and ink line drawing, this may be altered may times. When I’m happy with the image it is traced in reverse onto the lino which I mount onto a wooden block for stability. I don’t produce a coloured drawing preferring to decide on colour choices as the print progresses. I am very much inspired by the seasons so for example in autumn I will be drawing, painting and printing berries, autumn leaves and perhaps wildlife visiting my garden.

Reduction Technique

I print using the reduction technique. One block of lino is used to create the image. Parts of the lino are carved away and a colour printed. Further parts are then carved and another colour printed over the top of the first and so on. In this way layers of colour are build up only revealing the carved areas from the previous layer. The lino is destroyed in the process which means that there is no going back or altering what has been done. Each layer of every print is hand inked and printed on my etching press, so there are slight variations between each print. The process is hugely time consuming (but great fun to see the image building up). I print anything between 8 and 12 layers on each print, I don’t count the layers!