Dudson Museum original Linocut

This is a three-stage reduction linocut of the Dudson Museum in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, which is actually housed inside this historic bottle oven, where the pottery from the original Dudson factory in Hanley was fired. Dudson was famous for its hospitality ware, and this site was donated to the voluntary sector when a larger more modern factory was built. It was renovated (the bottle ovens of Stoke stopped smoking with the Clean Air Act in the 1950s and many were demolished) with funds from the company and the council, and is still a home for the voluntary sector today. Inside the huge oven, a collection of Dudson ceramics is arranged chronologically and accounts of the history of the pottery. It's quite an experience to visit, particularly climbing the spiral staircase up the centre! The additional photo is taken at the top of it. The gold highlight on my linocut is a nod to the gilding on the pottery.
 
One of a limited edition of 17, on Japanese Ho-Sho paper with Caligo Safewash oil-based inks and traditional oil-based gold ink. The image is 10cm x 15.5cm, (roughly A6) and the paper is 20 x 14cm. Each print is hand-inked and hand-printed, so each is slightly different giving them each a unique quality. As this is a reduction print, the lino plate is gradually cut away during the process so that no more prints can be made.