Printmaking is a time-consuming business. In its basic form, a print can be made from one block or many, each one inked up and printed. 

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Inspiration and creation

I am inspired by medieval manuscripts and the work of medieval illuminators or limners. 

 

I begin each print by drawing an image taken from one of these onto the master block which is then cut by hand.

 

Cutting the blocks

I typically create my work using a master (or key) block taking many days to produce to remove areas where errors can occur.

 

From this I create a series of secondary blocks, each registered with the master block to ensure consistent colour printing.

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As an example of the work involved, my image of The Green Knight in the Forest took 80 hours to cut. Others take even longer! 

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Printing the blocks

In printing a multi-colour print, each colour has to be registered so that every colour falls exactly where it should.

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Using an old Albion press (see the pictures), is complicated. Often the press has subtleties of pressure which means you need to turn each block around.

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Applying the right amount of ink and setting the press to deliver the right pressure are also critical parts of the process.

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Paper

All my prints are produced on 250gsm Somerset Velvet unless otherwise stated.

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Unlike 'normal' paper made from wood-pulp, Somerset Velvet is mould-made from 100% cotton to the highest archival standards.

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Somerset Velvet is made in Wells by St Cuthbert's Mill. It possesses a warm and gentle texture which I particularly like working with to bring out the best feel for my work.

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The finished product

When you purchase one of my prints, you are assured that each one has passed through my hands and is categorically NOT mass-produced.

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Every print, even in an edition, is subtly different to the next and will bear signs of the artist's hand in different places.

 

Examples can be seen in terms of different pressure applications to achieve the correct colour balance, interventions on the paper if ink has made an unwelcome incursion, or minute corrections to deliver final excellence.

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What this means is that you aren't buying a mass-produced item but investing in works of art which each bear my impression and thought.

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A lifetime of learning

Printmaking is about constant learning and the application of new techniques; complacency results in failure.

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Concentration is critical - printmaking always has a way of catching you out if you grow tired!