Catching up again

Well, somehow it's July, and the linocut that I was working on when I last wrote became a double edition. For the Thoughtpress 'Sound and Vision' project for Edible Rotherhithe this year, meet "Colours and Sound" and Sound and Colours"! There are still some available, at £30 each, with all proceeds to children's charities.

Dolby Mills has been in Derby for the Print Open, which has just finished, and I will be collecting it this week - its work is not yet done this year though as it will be exhibited in the Three Counties Open this year, at Fenton Town Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, throughout August, and I can't wait to see all of the other work that's been selected!

I applied to join the Society of Staffordshire Artists earlier in the year, having seen a couple of their exhibitions recently. I thought it was worth asking, and I'm very thankful that after a brief adjudication I was accepted. I will be joining them in an exhibition for the first time at the end of this month at the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-Under-Lyme, and this time it will be "In Limbo"s turn.

Linocut "In Limbo"

So, much to look forward to - I'm also working on a couple of new linocuts too, more of which soon I hope!

Good news to start the year!

I'm very glad to say that I have had the linocut Dolby Mills accepted for the Royal Cambrian Academy open exhibition this year. It's a fantastic and varied collection of art and I'm very thankful to be a part of it again! You can see all of the pieces on show here and many are for sale.

Some of the work for sale on the website - much better in person though!

I'm taking part in the Thought Press Project again this year, which raises funds for Edible Rotherhithe every year plus one guest charity, which this year is the Children's Book Project

The theme this year is "Sound and vision" and I'm going to work on a print based on a rock concert photo that I took a couple of years ago. It has to be delivered by the end of April so I shall get cracking soon.

I am gradually listing my prints for sale on my website shop, this should be complete soon, but other prints on the website have links through to my Folksy shop where you can buy them too. I still have plenty that are looking for loving homes!

I have some more bottle kiln work that I am looking forward to. I'm also hoping to get some other work done, some experimental fun stuff hopefully. Good things often come out of trying new methods, hopefully there will be some positive results. I'm looking forward to making good use of my Open Press Project original press, I've tested it out and it works brilliantly. So far, these are the only two that I've been able to print, but soon I'll be getting it all set up again and will have another session with it.

That's it for now, thanks for reading!

Another year has nearly passed...

This year has been a very slow work year. I have managed to finish a complicated landscape linocut, and complete another - both were a challenge, but rewarding to make.

Italian Gardens, Trentham

The format is deceptive - both of these are the same size - A5, and each had their unique challenges, one with form, colour and longevity (the landscape took many months and suffered slightly from paper shrinkage), and the other with geometry and lines, cutting fine detail is always nerve-wracking! The landscape had its first outing to Derby's print open, and has also more recently (along with its Derby partner the Gladstone decorating kiln) been accepted for the Brampton Museum Open exhibition in Newcastle-Under-Lyme, which is at the time of writing in its final week. I'm very happy to say that the new bottle kiln print, Dolby Mills, has just been accepted for the Ryal Cambrian Academy Open exhibition which will open in January 2025.

Dolby Mills

Both of these limited edition linocuts are currently available for sale from my shop .

I managed to get a drypoint made at last, which was my contribution to this year's international print exchange run by Green Door Printmaking in Derby. I am going to try Tetrapak printing, and have got a very small one made - I just need a bit of time. I have also got hold of one of the Open Press Project mini etching presses which I am hoping to use to print it SOON!! (can you feel the impatience!)

I am trying hard no to have too many ambitions in the near future for making, as I need to do more to try to sell my work, hopefully 2025 will be the year that a gallery will accept some work and find homes for my creations. We shall see... meanwhile, Christmas is approaching and hopefully a short period of rest and relaxation. May you have a blessed time, and all the very best for the year ahead!