"The artist...is also a born adventurer. His explorations, unlike those of a tourist, are rewarded by the discovery of beauty spots unmentioned in the guide books, and with tireless curiosity and an exceptional proneness to wonderment, he will come upon objects of remarkable interest overlooked or even shunned by more disciplined observers."

Augustus John, R.A.




Sunday 29 April 2012

Lapwing print - 3 more colours


I've made quite a bit of progress on the print with 3 more colours finished. The first blue above finishes the sky and adds the shadowed areas of the birds wings.


Then an orange brown, this will only show in the area beneath the birds tail and in the foreground field.


 A darker blue adds the trees and church tower on the far horizon and some darker shadows beneath the birds wing. Only two more colours to go from here.

Sunday 22 April 2012

Lapwing Print - Colour 2


The second colour is now printed on the Lapwing print.

With this print I am trying to get a feeling of the contrast in speed, movement and direction between the bird diving down and the clouds in the background slowly billowing upwards. As well as keeping the light and airy atmosphere of a north country spring.

Sunday 15 April 2012

Dunstanburgh Castle

Dunstanburgh Castle
9 colour Reduction Linocut. 180mm x 270mm. Edition of 5.

Finished the latest print and have already got another one on the drawing board.

I had an e-mail from a gallery inviting work their Summer Exhibition. I sent a reply straight back agreeing to send a couple of prints, then I read the rest of the e-mail. 'The theme of this years exhibition is; The Dance.' Not a theme that would ordinarily fit with my normal subject matter, and I must admit to an initial regret at my hasty reply as I struggled for any sort of inspiration or ideas. Then whilst watching a Lapwing flinging itself around the sky, and with some artistic lateral thinking I got an idea. So here is colour 1.


The drawing has offset from the block so that has given away much of the composition, but it will become clear with the next colour anyway.

Sunday 8 April 2012

Reduction Linocut colours 6,7 and 8

Three more colours printed and we are nearly finished with this print. Firstly a dark grey for the castle walls and shoreline rocks.


The a mid green colour


Before printing a darker green. One more colour to go now.



Sunday 1 April 2012

Stage 3, 4 and 5

Three more colours down on the latest linocut.

 The first blue

First green

and a second blue.

This is Dunstanburgh Castle on the Northumberland coast. Maybe another two or three colours to go.