Wood Engraver

Catching Up - Three Netsuke

2012-01-18T17:02:00.003-01:00

I have some projects from 2010 that I have been meaning to share with you. Here is the first.

I have always had a fascination for netsuke. I love the wonderful combination of art and function that they can display; I also like that many of them are carved in boxwood - my material of choice for engraving.

Last year 2010, the BAREN group of printmakers organised "Inspired By Japan", a portfolio of prints to raise money for people affected by the earthquake and tsunami that struck on 11th March 2011. The prints were to be sold through exhibition as well as online. Most of the printmakers involved practice traditional Japanese moku hanga techniques but I sometimes contribute my own engravings to the print exchanges that BAREN organises and I wanted to take part in the fundraising effort but could not find a subject that seemed appropriate and also suited the technique of wood engraving. I knew that I wanted to include a fragment of a map of Japan but that was all I could come up with.

During a visit to the Victoria and Albert museum, I was examining a case of fine netsuke when it struck me that here was a theme that would work for me. Several of the netsuke had damp or watery connotations which would be interesting to engrave. I was particularly struck by a snail on a lotus leaf which a friend kindly photographed for me:

Back in the studio, I researched netsuke images and the snail was joined by a water buffalo, a duck/swan and an octopus. I had my design.

Unusually for me, I decided to engrave this work in maple. I had a block which I brought home with me from my visit as a guest artist to the Wood Engravers Network in Chicago. I had been waiting for a suitable project.

Here is a detail of the octopus:

The background became a map of the area of Japan where the earthquake struck shown as a white surrounded by engraved watery waves:

While I was engrossed in this task, I was being interviewed for a feature in the UKHandmade on-line magazine and a photograph takes at this time shows the work in progress:

Here is the finished engraving after being taken through eight states:

The "Inspired By Japan" prints have been exhibited several times (details and on-line sales are here)

For a long time, I have been planning engravings with the theme of collection - either created by myself , other people or occurring naturally. This engraving seemed to me to fit into this group and I decided that the image would have a subsequent life, albeit in a changed form.

It seemed to me that the design was a little tall and unstable. This is a purely personal response but masking off the top of the image convinced me to take drastic action and I sawed off the upper portion and re-engraved the top, removing the water buffalo completely.

I have given this engraving the title "Three Netsuke" but then added text along the sides: "Thinking about the Tohoku Earthquake 11th March 2011". It has been printed in a smaller than usual edition of fifty. It has been accepted for the current Society Of Wood Engravers touring exhibition and is now available from my Etsy Store.

In Praise Of Ely

2012-01-10T16:17:00.002-01:00

In Praise of Ely is a new 'Fine Press' book designed and printed by Chip Coakley at the Jericho Press, now located in Ely. I am lucky enough to have several Jericho Press volumes on my bookshelves; they are always interesting and well produced. I contributed an engraved press device to "Psalter Collects" (see here). I was pleased to be asked to engrave some small "spots" to decorate "In Praise Of Ely, part of a Latin text that has been translated into English verse by Janet Fairweather (whose translation of the Liber Eliensis is available here).

The verses paint a very pretty picture of Medieval Ely and I illustrated some of its glories with a series of small engravings.

I used a piece of resurfaced Victorian boxwood which I cut into several smaller pieces:

We started the work with a headpiece showing the early cathedral:

Another showed Norman arches inside the cathedral:

An engraving of an eel was made for the title page. Yet another showed bees around a skep and, finally, a tailpiece showed a heron with an eel. This was not specifically mentioned by Brother Gregory who wrote the original verses but it seemed to me to be appropriate:

The book was printed at the Jericho Press in Ely in an edition of just 100 copies and the results are very fine. Here are some photographs of the finished book, nicely bound in green cloth.:

If you live near Ely, copies can be bought from Toppings, a very fine bookshop. You can also purchase the book directly from The Jericho Press:

http://www.jericho-press.com/

Finally, a trial version of the title page eel that I engraved during this project, together with a signed proof pulled from it using my 1865 Albion handpress, is currently being offered on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200698700463&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:GB:1123

Since this is my first post of 2012, may I wish you all a Very Happy New Year?

Oxford And Onwards

2011-11-11T08:48:00.001-01:00

I spent last weekend at the Oxford Fine Press Book Fair and had a very busy and successful weekend. The fair takes place at Oxford Brookes University and features Fine Presses, book artists, book dealers and suppliers from all over the world; it happens every two years and it is always a pleasure to go and catch up with what others have been doing.

I splashed out on a stand with a screen in one of the quieter corners where I could sit and work as well as sell my things:

I had room for two small browsers of engravings:

The rest of the front of the table was taken up with my handmade books and portfolios:

There was still room for me to engrave; I like to be able to show what it is that I do and let people handle the block.

I never work on a commissioned project with so many distractions as its so easy to make a mistake. I brought out a personal project - some long tailed tits that I see on my walks. I actually made a lot of progress and this image will be available before too long:

I came home with many treasures, including 500 sheets of wonderful Magnani laid paper from John Purcell Paper. Magnani papers have been made in Italy since 1404. This will make wonderful notepaper as well as being used for book projects. They also supplied the lovely Curwen pattern paper on the right below; it was designed by Sarah Nechamkin. The paper on the left is a very individual paper by Susanne Krause who brought her paper from Hamburg to sell. I am going to use it for a single portfolio to hold engravings.

I use papers by Victoria Hall on all my small book projects; they are sensational. I bought some for my next books and some wonderful individual sheets for single portfolios and sketchbooks; here are three.
They are (c) Victoria Hall

A huge pleasure of the weekend was collecting my copy of "the Play Of Pericles Prince Of Tyre" from Barbarian Press. It is simply a staggering book and satisfying in every way. Design, printing, illustration (by Simon Brett) and binding were all breathtaking. I am looking forwards to a third collaboration with Jan and Crispin soon.

After Oxford, I caught up with framing and then travelled to Lancashire to deliver framed and unframed prints to Artroom Gallery at Garstang, near Preston, where they will be available from now until January.

Now I am back and have tidied the design studio so that I can get on with the work in hand. I am making the final drawing for an exciting illustration. More about this very soon.

I am pretty much in the studio until Christmas now.

Oxford - Its That Time Of Year Again

2011-11-01T23:14:00.000-01:00

Its November and there have been some wonderfully dramatic light effects to enjoy on my morning walks as the sun breaks through the fog:

Meanwhile, back in the studio there are busy times.

Every other year, during the first weekend of November, I attend the Oxford Fine Press Fair at Oxford Brookes University. Full details are here. I will be working on a new engraving and, apart from offering a wide range of my wood engravings for sale, I will also be (hopefully) selling a number of my handmade limited edition books, all of which feature my wood engravings.

Back in the studio, more Woman In Black Portfolios dry under pressure under weights and in the book press, ready for me to take to Oxford:

I will also have copies of my miniature concertina-style book "A Prospect Of Ely", which I have been binding in between working on other projects:

The newest book features five of my tiny "Cinderella" stamps. Here are three of them during engraving:

... and here are some printed sheets from the book drying on the ceiling rack:

So when I printed proofs from the blocks to accompany the fifteen special copies, I was running out of space to spread them out to dry. However, "Red", the 1902 Albion handpress does make an elegant drying rack:

In fact the printing studio is a real mess at the moment as I start to gather things ready for the weekend, as well as finish projects in hand. I will have a good clean when I return.

In addition to these, I will also have copies of my "25 Bookplates" for sale, and samples of other illustrations.

The Fine Press Fair is open 11am - 6pm on Saturday, 5th and 10am - 5pm on Sunday 6th November. Admission is by catalogue at £5, which covers admission on both days, as well as the lectures on Sunday.

Do please come and say hello if you attend.

From Yorkshire to Essex and an Arty Weekend

2011-09-30T09:57:00.002-01:00

Last week was spent on the Yorkshire coast in a small but comfortable cottage just a couple of miles walk along the shore from Whitby. No phone or Internet made this a relaxing week with much walking, reading and drawing - done for the sheer enjoyment of drawing. Here is Whitby looking from Sandsend; the abbey can be seen on the headland:

This week has been crowded with work in hand, a troublesome tooth finally fixed and preparations for this coming weekend when I will have a table at the Ashdon Arts and Crafts Fair. Events take place throughout the village, which is near Saffron Walden in Essex. Tickets cost just £2.50 and are available from the Village Hall; the postcode is CB10 2ET.

I will be selling my whole range of engravings and will also have hand printed cards and a copy of "The Woman In Black Portfolio" for people to see. It will be great to meet any readers so do please introduce yourselves if you can get along. The event is open between 10am and 5pm and you will find me in the hall of the Village School. Teas are available so if you cannot find me I will probably be choosing somehome made cake!

Here is the flyer (click to enlarge):

Finally, a reminder that my engravings are still on show at the Bridge Street Pottery and Gallery in Hay-On-Wye. See here.

Thats my weekend. I hope you have a good one.

Hay-On-Wye Exhibition

2011-09-08T11:25:00.002-01:00

Last Sunday was the Private View of an exhibition featuring my garden and wildlife engravings at the Brook Street Pottery & Gallery in Hay-On-Wye. Also on display were Maureen Minchin's stunning decorated earthenware. The morning was particularly busy and, by the time I slipped away for a late lunch where were a pleasing number of red dots to be seen.

I waited until the end of the day before taking out the camera and making a record of the room:

The exhibition continues until October 16th 2011. The gallery is open from Wednesday to Sunday 10:30am - 5:30pm.

The telephone number is 01497 821070 and the email address is info@brookstreetpottery.co.uk
The postcode is HR3 5BQ

The Woman In Black Portfolio

2011-08-04T06:45:00.014-01:00

I have just finished making the first of a limited edition of portfolios of prints that were engraved to illustrate a fine press edition of Susan Hill's "The Woman In Black". The project was never completed and the images are being used (many in a much reduced form) in a new hardback edition published by Profile Books.

I wanted to be able to show the illustrations as they were meant to be seen; printed directly from the original woodblocks. Susan and the publisher were both encouraging and so I started work. Everything is enclosed in a handmade portfolio measuring approximately 295 x 215mm. It is covered with handmade marbled paper:

Inside there is a folder made of black card:

Which opens to reveal the sheets inside:

There is a title page, a page of text, twelve signed engravings and a colophon page:

The whole project started many months ago with a group of lemonwood blocks:

Each design had been drawn in ink in a sketchbook. I copied them in reverse onto the blocks and started to engrave the images onto the blocks:

Here are the twelve blocks ready for printing:

If I tilt the camera, you can see the shallow marks cut into the surface of the wood:

Here is the set of engravings. They are not shown to scale. All are (c)andyenglish and should not be used without permission:

When I started to make the portfolio, I decided to engrave one new block to act as a title page. I started by engraving the text (in reverse of course):

Next I started to engrave the gravestone that makes up the image.:

Here is a proof pulled from the inked block:

Finally, here is the completed title page:

I am making an edition of 100 portfolios which are for sale on my website. They will be dispatched as they are finished. Email me if you require one urgently.

Click here for details.

Signed and numbered copies of individual engravings will soon be available.

UK Handmade Magazine Autumn 2011

2011-08-01T19:48:00.005-01:00

I am very pleased to have been featured in the Autumn 2011 edition of UK Handmade Magazine.

You can read it online here; my interview is on pages 32 - 36.

However it is still summer and it is a real pleasure to be able to enjoy the garden:

And the fruits of the garden:

Shall I put the kettle on?

Looking Back: Open Studio 2011

2011-07-19T14:08:00.003-01:00

My studio was open to the public during the last two weekends; it was very successful and I had a very enjoyable time. It is always nice to meet people face to face, show my work and demonstrate how it is made:

As usual, I made a short movie to give you a tour of my Open Studio:

Now it is back to work for me, concentrating on bookplates, handmade books and, hopefully, some personal images based on my walks through the local lanes.

Open Studio 2011

2011-07-06T16:26:00.003-01:00

July 9-10th and July 16-17th 11am - 6pm

I am opening my studio during the next two weekends as part of the Cambridge Open Studios, which have run for over thirty years now. Click the banner for a link to the COS website. I am number 99 in the guide. If you cannot find my details, please email me (andyenglish*at*btinternet.com),

Here are some photographs from my last Open Studio in 2009:

There will be framed and unframed art for sale but you are welcome to come and just look; here is the 1865 Albion:

We will be printing on "Red", the 1902 Albion so you can see this lovely handpress in action:

I will also be demonstrating the process of engraving:

I will also have some of my handmade books for sale and - hopefully - the first finished example of my forthcoming print portfolio of illustrations to Susan Hill's "The Woman In Black"; I will be taking orders at a pre-publication price.

I would be lovely to see you over the next two weekends. Do say if you read my blog or follow my tweets or Facebook information page. If you cannot make it, send your friends.

From The Bookshelf

2011-06-16T07:55:00.007-01:00

It is months since I have updated my blog but now I am back with lots of new projects to share. Firstly, however, I want to pull some books down from my bookshelves to share with you.

My last post showed work in progress on illustrations for M.R.James' ghost story "Oh, Whistle and I'll Come To You,My Lad". This has been published in a lovely edition by Long Barn Books. It really is a delightful thing and can still be purchased. It was great fun to be involved in this, especially as the idea became the book in only three weeks! (Read about it here)

The wood engraving from which the cover image came (nicely embossed on the book) is now for sale on my website. It is simply called "The Martello Tower" (see here for an explanation) and it can be purchased here.
Another lovely book that has arrived here is "Psalter Collects" published by the Jericho Press which is now based in my local area. The presswork and attention to detail are always superb and their books always give me great pleasure.

I was commissioned to engrave a tailpiece to show Ely Cathedral for this project:

The image was printed in red on the colophon page and I think it looks very good indeed.

The book is still available at a very modest cost from the Jericho Press website. I have engraved a set of five small images for a new book which is currently being printed and I shall feature that when it is published.

The final book in this post isn't a fine press book but a collection of the artists who have exhibited at the Salon International do la Gravure de Morhange during its first ten years. It is located in the Moselle region of France and exists "pour la defence de la gravure contemporaine", which seems a laudable aim to me and, as J.F. Chassaing exhorts in this well illustrated catalogue, Vive les Artistes Graveurs & Que vive la gravure! (Read more here)

I exhibited in the 5th Salon:

Oh Whistle, And I'll Come To You, My Lad

2010-12-16T16:16:00.004-01:00

Writer and publisher Susan Hill has produced a book in three weeks. It is a ghost story by M. R. James for which I engraved two small illustrations. Read about it (and buy it for Christmas stocking fillers) here.

I engraved both images on a single piece of resurfaces Victorian boxwood:

It was decided to crop the image slightly to exclude the boat which made the scene too tranquil. I am looking forwards to seeing the engraving embossed on the cover of the book.

The story is apparently set in Aldeburgh and, co-incidently, we have just returned from a long weekend there, staying in the caretakers cottage in the grounds of the Red House, home of composer Benjamin Britten and Singer Peter Pears.

We were very lucky with the weather and enjoyed walks along the beach (fishing boats and Maggi Hambling's "Scallop". We also visited Snape with its wonderful expanse of reed beds viewed from the famous concert hall and shope at the Maltings.

I am currently printing a run of bookplates which marks the end of a very busy engraving year.

Exhibition/Open Studio and Christmas Cards

2010-11-22T20:06:00.013-01:00

I will be taking part in a "Christmas" Exhibition at Over near Cambridge on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 November 11 am to 6 pm and would be very pleased to meet you and show you my work. I will be offerring some framed engravings but almost all of my output will be available unframed.

Please email me if you would like an invitation to the Private View on the evening of Friday, 26th.

Artists present will be:

Althea Braithwaite – Fused glass

Andy English – Wood Engraver

Antonia Galloway – Papier Maché Sculpture

Edward Parker – Metal Sculpture

Ken Smith – Carved wooden birds

The address is:

The Studio at Beechcroft, 51 Fen End, Over CB24 5NE

I have recently been working on some smaller commissions and now I have the pleasant task of engraving our Christmas card. I do this every year and then, in subsequent years, the image is added to the group of cards that we print for sale; we are offering five this year.

Each card measures 147 x 104 mm (a nominal 6 x 4") and is printed on a very pale cream thick (300gsm) card. Every card is supplied with a matching high quality envelope by Conqueror. The cards are blank for your own seasonal message and the engraving on the front is printed by hand from the original engraved woodblock on "Red", the 1902 Albion handpress (pictured above).

Here are this years designs:

Partridge In A Pear Tree

Two Turtle Doves, Ely

Three French Hens

Seven Swans

Robin, Ely

They are all available for sale both singly and in groups in my Etsy shop, which has recently been reopened. I will shortly offer them from my website.

And now... back to this year's card!

Monet's Gardener's Resurrected

2010-11-19T10:37:00.004-01:00

Monet's Gardeners was inspired by my first visit to the wonderful recreation of Monet's garden at Giverny, France. French gardening can be very labour intensive with many plants being lifted at the end of the year. I had seen manyimages inspired by the garden itself but none celebrating the gardeners. It took another visit and much planning before - four years later - I started to engrave the image.

(click on the image to enlarge it)

The engraving was very successful. It was voted critic's choice at the Cambridge Drawing Society exhibition and was used on the front cover of "Engraved Gardens" (ISBN 1 901648 27 3):

However, with no suitable press in my studio at the time, the block had to be burnished by hand and there were many spoiled copies and - eventually - I stopped printing with another twenty five copies yet to be completed.

Recently, I examined the block again and pulled a trial proof using "Red" our larger Albion handpress and a very smooth paper by Zerkall. I was encouraged by the results and, after careful preparation, I finished the edition. Here is a detail from the image:

These twenty five copies, plus Artist's Proofs, will be on sale at £75.00 each, including postage worldwide. However, I have made it my "Print Of The Month" and I am selling them (from my website only) at the special price of £60 until Christmas Day.

They can be purchased HERE

Catching Up: Ludlow and The Woman In Black

2010-11-09T09:41:00.012-01:00

Back in September, after an extremely busy summer, we enjoyed a short break in Ludlow, a charming market town in Shropshire. We rented a small mews cottage that combined quietness with close proximity to the town centre. We had all the comforts we needed, including a well equipped kitchen and a 'fridge already stocked with local produce, which we augmented with a box of goodies from our own vegetable garden.

Although the castle was on the far side of town from us, it was no more than a ten minute walk to enjoy its ancient walls:

It is a short stroll from the Castle to the river and The Green Cafe. Ludlow is an important centre for the Slow Food Movement and a haven for "foodies" with great restaurants and many shops selling fine local produce.

We enjoyed a lovely Sunday lunch; Gnocchi with Italian style pork sausage and fennel ragu with a green salad and pan fried mackerel with Puy lentils and a salsa verde, all washed down with local cider.

Ludlow is a great place to eat.

While in the town, I also indulged my interested in studio pottery by visiting The Marches Pottery, run by Andrew Crouch since 1982.

Among many purchases were a generous cup and bowl. I love the faceted sides and the green glaze.

There were also some pots by Mark Griffiths for sale and I couldn't resist this wonderful teabowl:

Being a small town, nothing is too far to walk to. The market place was only six minutes from the cottage and there was a substantial flea market on Sunday.

This yielded a large Bavarian wall clock, now established at home - it just chimed the hour as I am writing this.

Ludlow Church is a delight. Being very interested in lettercutting, I particularly enjoyed the carved inscriptions:

My favourite part of the church is definitely the choir stalls with superb fifteenth century carved misericords, including green men and a mermaid:

It was a real treat to enjoy the quietness of the comfortable cottage and the opportunity to enjoy good food and do a little shopping. We were both very much taken with Ludlow and I would recommend it to anyone who wanted to slow down the pace of their lives for a few days.

---@---

Back home, I took down my exhibition. It had been a great success. I have started to frame copies of the engravings sold so that I have a complete show available. I am always interested in showing my work and am always happy to talk to suitable venues about touring my exhibition.

The exhibition of prints at Michaelhouse in Cambridge also ended. I was pleased with my sales and very pleased to see that many of Pam Hughes' works had sold to raise money for the Arthur Rank Hospice.

Our purchase awaits its frame. It is an etching of hens and is great fun:

With "Christmas Carol" completed, I started work on a set of twelve engraved illustrations for "The Woman In Black" by Susan Hill. It was time to unpack the woodblocks and reach for the sketchbook.

In my usual fashion, I designed the illustration in ink and then transferred the design , in reverse, onto the slightly darkened woodblocks:

The blocks were then engraved to the point that they were nearly finished when I took a proof which I used to make final adjustments to the block:

This work is now done and the blocks are on their way to the US, where they will be printed with the text by David Esslemont at the Solmentes Press.

This will be a fine limited edition. I will post more details as they become available.
Much as I enjoyed the challenge of illustrating two books "back-to-back", I am pleased to move one to a number of smaller projects, including images of my own.

A Domestic Interlude And An Important Announcement

2010-08-12T18:57:00.004-01:00

Late summer is productive here in the Fens and I have been nipping out to eat fat ripe figs from the tree.

Elsewhere in the garden, the courgettes, tomatoes and cucumbers are arriving in quantity and adorning our meals.

We don't own a plum tree but three huge specimens of cherry-plum hang over our garden and rather over-supply us; we are constantly picking up windfalls - far more than we can eat.

Some do find their way into jam-pots as they make a wonderful jam. I spent a day earlier this week engraving a label especially for them. These were dry today and so I trimmed them, added the date by hand, and stuck them on. Enough to last a little while but there will be other batches both from fresh plums and from the freezer.

There is a Private View in Cambridge on Monday 16th August between 6:30 and 8:80 pm. It is the summer exhibition of the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity at the Michaelhouse Centre, St Michael's Church, Trinity Street Cambridge.

It features a large group of etchings and wood engravings by Pamela Hughes, an old friend who died in 2002. It is a rare opportunity to see - and purchase - her work. I am showing a selection of my own wood engravings and Celia Hart is showing some of her gorgeous prints. The exhibition continues until 4th September. Do come along to the Private View if you can. Pamela's Prints are really not to be missed.

Click on the invitation below to enlarge it:

Art In Action 2010

2010-07-23T12:15:00.006-01:00

The private view of my exhibition of 48 engravings was a great success but there was no time to reflect as the next day saw us heading down to Essex to a family wedding. One extra pleasure was staying at the bed and breakfast establishment of printmaker Akiko Fujikawa. She is a friend of Nana Shiomi - they had both been at Art In Action with me in 2007 - and also gives courses in hanga printmaking.

Returning from the wedding, I had just two days to collect everything together and head over to Oxfordshire again and, on the wednesday, everything was packed into the car and I set off.

It felt like home to be back in the printmaking tent. I set to hanging framed work and setting out my tables:

The tent catered for both drawing and printmaking. I could look across and see the Rochat etching press that was used for demonstrations.

Over to my side was the lovely 1876 Albion press. Next to it you can see the remarkable linocuts of Colin Moore. Other printmakers attending were Barbara Jackson (etching), Laurie Rudling (collagraph and etching), Melvyn Petterson (etching), Johanna Zhang (drypoint), Louise Hayward (engraving on plastic) and Carry Ackroyd (screenprint). We made a very varied and lively crew.

Art In Action ran for four days and it was very busy for almost all of the time. I only really sw anything outside our section if I went out at lunchtime, when it was lovely to meet up with old friends.

Drawing was also represented in our tent and included an area where people could try their hand at drawing from life:

Although food is provided for demonstrators, there were tempting alternatives and, on a couple of days, I enjoyed delicious mezze:

There is also a large market place of artist, craftworkers and sellers of materials. I treated myself to a selection of superb hand made oil paints by Michael Harding.

On the Saturday evening, there is a dinner for the demonstrators. It is a real occasion, starting with a drink and performances in the outside theatre. We then went into the marquee and were served lovely food. Wine flowed and the printmakers had a very happy time.

Afterwards, we wended our way home between illuminated tents. It was alovely evening and we only had one more day to go.

Back home, I was very tired for a few days. It was a treat to unpack and try out my new Michael Harding paints - and three handmade brushes by Rosemary & Co.

They are now in my old pochade box, waiting for a plein air painting excursion - a guy's got to have a hobby ;-)

Finally, I am back in harness and finishing off A Christmas Carol (the early images were recieved with great interest last week in Oxfordshire). Here I am engraving ivy leaves from life:

On with the work...

Sneak Preview

2010-07-07T14:19:00.004-01:00

My exhibition has been hung. It was fairly straightforward, especially since I had made a plan of where all the work would go. I made a scale drawing of the available walls and cut out shapes - also to scale - to represent the work. It all went swimmingly.

As usual, some changes were made on the day but I was very pleased with the result. In the end I hung 48 engravings - my largest show ever.

Here is a sneak preview:

In the last photograph, you can see that the exhibition continues out into the entrance hall beyond.

See you at the opening?

Invitation To My Exhibition

2010-07-02T07:17:00.010-01:00

I have just about finished framing my forthcoming exhibition. If you are within reach of Ely, Cambridgeshire between 9th July and 29th August, do please drop in and see for yourself.

Readers are most welcome to attend the Private View on Thursday 8th July between 6:30pm and 8:30pm. Here is the invitation (click to enlarge). Just turn up :-)

The Old Fire Engine House is a restaurant as well as a gallery. It has a lovely garden, which was where we took our coffee and cakes earlier in the week:

How do you find the gallery? Here is a link to a Google Map.

Otherwise, go to the West door of the cathedral (beneath the tower) and walk away across the green beyond the cannon. You will come to a small car parking area and the gallery is clearly signed on your right.

Gallery opening times.

10.30 am to 10.30pm Monday to Friday

10.30am to 5.30 pm Saturday

10.30pm to 4.30pm Sunday (please note that during lunchtime the downstairs gallery is used as a dining room)

Closed Bank Holidays

Framing and an Art In Action Announcement

2010-06-29T12:57:00.005-01:00

I ended my last blog post with a photograph of my new set of exhibition frames. Having splashed out on them, I decided that I ought to upgrade my framing kit and do a really good job so that everything looks as good as can be.

As it happens, I bought myself a new mountboard cutting kit during my last demonstrating session at Art In Action but had never used it - I hadn't even unpacked it. I had been impressed by the demonstration I had been given and decided that it was time to break it out and use it.

I'm very pleased that I did because the system was easy to use and cut the most neat and accurate corners that I have ever managed. I am really pleased with the results I achieved after a very few practices. It is a FrameCo Matte Master System 660b.

Years ago, I used "Hang Its" on my smaller framed work. I finally found a source and bought a tub. They simply tap onto the backboard to give an easy to use flush finish:

From the same source, I decided to buy a point driver. I have always used pins and a hammer in the past but this method is faster, neater and - finally - the days of managing to nail my thumb to a frame are over:

The other change that I have made is to use a fine plastic covered wire that is held firmly by ferrules that are simply crimped. No more knotting:

All of these framing sundries were purchased from www.lionpic.co.uk and I am very pleased with the results I have achieved. Here is "Lily Of The Valley, Nimes" in its new ash frame.

It is a co-incidence that I was reminded of Art In Action because - at short notice - I am demonstrating there again. It is a Waterperry, Oxford from Thursday July 15th until Sunday 18th. All details are available from the website. I do hope to see some of you there - do come along to the drawing/Printmaking tent and say "Hello".

You can see memories of my last two visits to Art In Action here and here.

A Crowded Early Summer

2010-06-18T09:37:00.008-01:00

Its been a packed early summer and I have been busy, even by my standards. I am currently illustrating two books back-to-back, involving large full page engravings and, to cap it all, Our younger son was married in mid May. It was a lovely day which combined a beautiful ceremony, a stroll through the city of Ely, a surprise river trip, and enjoyable meal and ended with everyone making balloon animals. Great fun!

The honeymoon couple jetted off and we decided to follow suit and headed for the SW Mediterranean coast of France, to a small apartment with lovely views of the harbour.

There is a lot of art in this area. We were within walking distance of Collioure, once home to Matisse. It is a pretty and colourful little town with lots of studios and galleries:

A short drive in the other direction is Banyuls Sur Mer and the museum that occupies the former home of the wonderful sculptor Aristide Maillol. The work on display included lithographs, drawings, maquettes and full sized sculptures and everything looked just sensational in this setting. Maillol is buried in the garden and his work "Mediterranean" marks the spot:

Back in town, another of his works can be seen in a lovely sea-side setting:

We were staying a very short drive from the Spanish border and drove to Figueres one day to visit the Dali Theatre Museum. Apart from housing a fantastic collection of Dali's art, the building itself is quite spectacular:

Our last foray was to the small town of Ceret, sadly just missing the cherry festival. The main street is shaded by plane trees which gave welcome shelter from the burning Mediterranean sun. We visited the Musee d'Art Moderne and enjoy not only a fine permanent collection but also a special exhibition of paintings by Frank Burty Haviland.

Even the graffiti was sweet:

After a well earned rest, its been back to the treadmill and no mistake. With the coming of June, our garden is at its best and it has been a real treat to sit out and enjoy it:

In the printing studio I have been printing the menus for our niece's wedding from photo polymer blocks:

While back in the engraving studio, I am continuing to work on images for "A Christmas Carol":

Last week I took delivery of a fine set of ash exhibition frames. This is my favourite wood to present my work in. I am having my first exhibition of engravings since 2006 and will start to frame my engravings this week. The invitations are ready and more information will be available very soon.

We delivered this lovely lithograph to my framer, who used the same ash as my exhibition frames and carried out the work overnight, doing a lovely job. It is a lithograph - beautifully drawn on the stone and printed with impeccable registration by the talented Richard Sell, who sadly died last year.

We admired each others work and both appreciated working in a medium where precision and taking pains are needed but Richard was the better of us and he is sadly missed. It is a real pleasure to have this lovely print to remind us not only of Richard's skill but also of concerts attended in the cathedral. I am very pleased that Richard's memorial exhibition in upstairs at the gallery at the some time that my own show is downstairs and I know that anyone who visits to see my work will enjoy seeing his.

Details of dates and venue will be posted here very soon.

The Mix, Engraving and a Wordfest Appearance

2010-04-11T19:54:00.015-01:00

I was running short of "Mix" so I thought I would share its secrets. "Mix" is what I use to darken the block before I transfer the design onto it prior to engraving. It is simply diluted writing ink.

I use blue-black "Quink" writing ink but I imagine that any water soluble ink would do but you will have to work out the proportions.

I use a simple pipette to measure out a small quantity of Quink. I can see no reason why you should not use a spoon:

Then, for every measure of Quink, I add six measures of water, give it a shake (with the lid on!) and we are ready to darken a block.

I use a piece of smooth cotton cloth (from an old t-shirt) and wash a little "Mix" over the block - taking care that it does not get too dark. My preference is that the block is light enough for my ink lines to show but dark enough so that I can make out the cuts that I have made and get an overall balance of light and dark as I work:

This block is going to be engraved with an image of the Ghost Of Christmas Present from Charles Dickens' "Christmas Carol":

This is one of seven large engravings commissioned by Susan Hill's Long Barn Press. This project is great fun and I will keep you posted as the engravings are finished. Ideally, I would like to complete one a week but that might be pushing it a little - we will see.

Outside, Spring is finally here. This is my favourite season - such an optimistic time of year - and our spring bulbs are looking wonderful both in border and in pot:

Back in the studio, I have been making a display of four information boards and some blocks, tools, prints and drawings. These were installed in Cambridge Central Library last week ahead of the workshop I gave as part of Cambridge Wordfest Spring 2010:

Everyone who bought a ticket was to receive a keepsake which included an original engraving printed from the woodblock in the 1865 Albion handpress. I signed each one beneath the image.

The event was great fun to do and very well received. It was a sell-out - not surprising as I was accompanied by author Philip Pullman in a unique event. I told the story of the design and engraving of the illustrations that I made for "A Outrance" and Philip talked about the project, his own drawings made for the "His Dark Materials" trilogy and then gave a wonderful reading from the chapter of "Northern Lights" that told the story of the bear fight. I was in the happy position to be able to sit at the front and enjoy both the telling of the tale and also the faces of the audience as they listened, entranced.

"Iorek & Iofur Fight" from "A Outrance" is the new "Print of the Month" on my website and is available for sale here.

Newcastle: Talking at Northern Print

2010-03-18T09:21:00.019-01:00

It has been many years since I visited Newcastle and so I was very pleased to receive an invitation from Northern Print to talk about my work, wood engraving and bookplates.

I arrived during the afternoon and met up with Chris Daunt. Chris makes the blocks that I engrave and is a fine engraver in his own right. He showed me the new developments along the River Tyne that have occurred since I was last in the city.

Here is the Millennium Bridge with The Sage Gateshead on the far bank and the famous older bridge beyond:

Another view of the new footbridge with the BALTIC Art Centre on the far bank:

I arrived at Northern Print - it is an older building that has been wonderfully converted into display, printing and educational spaces.

The studio facilities are downstairs, including a superb small Albion hand press by Harrild & Sons of London.

My talk coincided with an exhibition of prints - mainly from the "Golden Age" of British wood engraving of the early 20th Century:

The corridor space had an exhibition of Bookplates made by members of the Society of Wood Engravers, including a group of my own:

I enjoyed speaking at Northern Print. So much of the early history of wood engraving is linked to this city.

(thanks to Rebecca at Northern Print for the photo)

The next day, I spent the morning wandering around, walking out along the River Tyne and its tributaries.

My first stop was at The Mushroom Works to visit Lee at Hole Editions. He is a superb lithographic printer. I always enjoy studio visits.

I took a bus back to the city centre and enjoyed the architecture.

But now who is this gentleman?

None other than...

It is a splendid tribute to the pioneer wood engraver who worked in a workshop in this location.

I visited the Liang Art Gallery to reacquaint myself with some favourite PreRaphaelite paintings:

And then crossed the road to the city Library, where Bewick's tool box and engraving desk are on display:

I found a friendly place for lunch - La Boca Art Cafe. Art is for sale here and there are lots of books and magazines to leaf through while you enjoy your break.

It was time to collect my bags which I had stowed at Northern Print and head back to the station for my journey south. I had to take a photograph of NP's bathroom which is decorated from print images, including fragments of Bewick engravings along the bottom of the wall.

My thanks again to Northern Print for the invitation to visit and give my talk.

Printing Again

2010-02-01T21:34:00.007-01:00

After something of a hiatus I am back in the press-room again. The three boxwood blocks that form the inside of "A Prospect of Ely" (see this post) are set up on "Red".

Printed sheets soon started to fill the drying racks.

I had already finished a small number of these books to be given as Christmas gifts. I now have enough printed to complete the edition of one hundred books and will start to offer them for sale very soon and will contact those people who have already expressed an interest in purchasing one.

I was good to get back to my presses and carry out the familiar and pleasurable tasks of cutting paper, building up the makeready to give a good impression and, finally pulling the bar to force the ink from the blocks onto the Zerkall paper. My fingers are inky again and it feels good. Tomorrow I will take a bookplate commission through its final stages ready to print the edition in the smaller Albion.

As you can see from the top photograph, the room is getting untidy. Spring cleaning has come early this year and, once again, I have cleared out various states, working proofs, paper trials and early editioned prints for sale on Ebay.

Miniature Books, A Outrance and Snow

2009-12-21T22:28:00.023-01:00

I have been working on a miniature book recently. I had already engraved a panorama of Ely from the village and engraved a title page:

...and a colophon on separate blocks:

These were printed in the small Albion press to make a very wide image which I trimmed and folded, concertina fashion, to form the inside of the book:

The case of the book was cut from card and covered in various paste papers. I used thin ribbon at the spine. This was tied into bows to hold the book together.

Here is the finished book. I will explain the ribbons in a moment:

With the ribbons tied, you can open the book as normal:

However, if you untie the ribbons, you can open the book to see the whole panorama:

These books will shortly be available from my website.

Tuesday saw a long drive over to Oxford. We spent the afternoon in the Pitt Rivers Museum, a unique institution and then wandered around town as night started to fall. Then it was time to head for the Bodleian Library where A Outrance was being launched in the wonderful setting of the Divinity School:

Philip Pullman gave a wonderful reading from the extract of his novel, ending with a marvellous bear's roar!

Bruce from the Oak Tree Fine Press then spoke about the great needs of children suffering from the effects of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa. All of the proceeds from the sale of the books goes towards this cause.

I had seen the letterpress edition on Somerset paper at the Oxford Fine Press Fair and, despite the high price (but all for a very good cause), I decided that I had to have a copy of my own. The next day, I was able to spend some time with this beautiful volume which arrived snug in a slipcase:

It is a very handsome volume, half bound in leather:

With a wonderful hand marbled paper:

Opening the book, the engravings and letterpressed type look wonderful against the textured paper:

My decorated capital letters look particularly good with the use of red and black type:

Red type also adorns the pages where there are full page engravings:

Philip Pullman has added a line from the text and his signature underneath the engraved portrait by engraver and blockmaker Chris Daunt:

The top edges of the pages are gilt:

In the back of the book is a collection of the six full page engravings:

All signed by the artists and author:

One of my engravings was not used in the text but, instead, appears as a gold image:

All in all, this is a most beautiful addition to my bookshelves. Copies are still available from the Oak Tree Fine Press.

Luckily, the weather was fine on Tuesday and the drives to and from Oxford were uneventful. Since then, we have had snow for several days and I have enjoyed several walks through the lanes and droves:

This will be my last post before Christmas. I send every good wish to you at Christmas and for the New Year.

Christmas Open Studio

2009-11-26T20:25:00.002-01:00

I am taking part in the following event this weekend:

Christmas Open Studio

The Studio at Beechcroft, 51 Fen End, Over, CB24 5NE

telephone 01954 230324

11am to 6pm on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November

Althea Braithwaite - brilliantly coloured fused glass

Andy English - wood engravings

Antonia Galloway - papier mache sculpture

Edward Parker - metal sculpture

Ken Smith - carved wooden birds

Meet the artists and enjoy your

Christmas shopping with mulled wine and mince pies

Friday Evening "Private View"
6:30 - 8:30pm

Oxford and A Outrance

2009-11-22T19:56:00.008-01:00

The Oxford Fine Press Fair is always a real treat and this year was no exception. I found an hotel just a short walk from the city centre but with lovely rural views. Here is what I could see looking out through one of my windows:

My journey on Friday was very pleasant and, once I had settled into my room, I did some last minute preparations and then slept soundly ready for a relatively early start in the morning.

Saturday morning found me setting up my table and stand.

As usual, I was engraving and well as selling. Copies of "25 Bookplates" and the "Freshly Cut" portfolio can be seen on the corner closest to the camera:

I was engraving a garden piece on a natural "round" of boxwood - one that I had started to engrave in Chicago.

Saturday was most pleasant and successful; the evening equally pleasant and relaxing.

On Sunday, I took the opportunity to explore the work of the other presses.

I was particularly keen to visit Oak Tree Fine Press to get my first view of "A Outrance", the extract from Philip Pullman's Northern Lights that I have contributed engravings for (see this earlier post). I was not disappointed.

It is a superbly produced book with a generous page size. It is available for sale here in three editions.

Seeing this exciting book, catching up with the Oak Tree Fine press Team and meeting Philip Pullman were just some of the things that made this a weekend that I will always remember.

The Freshly Cut Portfolio

2009-11-19T15:23:00.009-01:00

I decided to make thirty portfolios of the engravings that I had decided to edition from the "Freshly Picked" project. This is called "Freshly Cut". Each portfolio is handmade with red spine cloth and tie ribbons and marbled paper covered boards with dark green card inserts to hold the engravings.

I made a template so that I couyld sign each engraving neatly. This involved cutting a window in a clear plastic folder. It worked well:

Each portfolio contains the ten engravings with the same edition number. The first set are all numbered 1/100 and so on.

I decided that the images should be prefaced by a title page that I would print letterpress in the small Albion. I composed the type:

After printing a proof, I used makeready to give a neat and even printing:

Soon, printed sheets were drying on the rack:

I rather enjoy bookbinding and making the portfolios was a pleasant change. Here is the finished item:

Inside, a card folder contained the engravings:

All spread out:

The Freshly Cut Portfolio is available from my website at a price of £135.

These portfolios were destined for the Oxford Fine Press Fair. I took the opportunity to print some more copies of "Twenty Five Bookplates":

Its always a pleasure to use my nipping press:

However, bricks wrapped in brown paper provide the weight for larger stacks of drying volumes.

After a week of long days and late nights, everything was ready to set off for Oxford.

Chicago: WEN Workshop (4)

2009-08-19T12:54:00.008-01:00

*Warning - this post features an extraordinary number of printing presses*

Now this looks an interesting place to start a day:

Paul Aken's wonderful Platen Press Museum in Zion, IL.

Walking into the first room, we were met by a group of iron handpresses, including this handsome Hopkinson & Cope Albion Press:

The unmistakeable Columbian press. We were given the opportunity to print on this during our visit:

A large Washington Press:

A sweet Hopkinson & Cope table top Albion. There were many of us who would have liked to adopt this and take it home:

Finally, a wonderful Reliance:

In another room, Earl had found a Columbian No. 2 Platen press, similar to his own.

Everywhere, there seemed to be a handpress.

Carl and Rachel were among those who pulled proofs from the Columbian.

In the meantime, I explores Paul's "Toyroom":

In the book room, a poster that caught my eye:

I have never in my life seen so many presses together in one place:

Elsewhere, there were various casting machines, including this wonderful linotype:

It was getting towards lunchtime and some more people were due to fly out so we drove to the Illinois Beach State Park for a picnic lunch:

After lunch, we went to the beach for a last look at Lake Michigan. I skimmed stones into the lake and then sat and made towers of pebbles, contemplating the directions that my printmaking might go as a result of my experiences during this week.

We drove back to Sharen and Don's.

The basement was growing quieter and more empty all the time. Sometimes, Kitsi had found it difficult to cope with so many visitors but now she could relax again - and enjoy Sharen's proofing press:

Saturday morning found me relaxing again at Kildeer.

Then it was time to leave for the airport (and a wonderful upgrade!) for the flight home.

I am so very grateful to the Wood Engraver's Network for their kind invitation, to Sharen and Don for their generous hospitality and for the friendship and companionship of my fellow engravers. I know that my work will change as a result of my experiences and I look forwards to a time later in the year when I can start to explore some of the ideas that I am forming. In some ways, I left for Chicago a jobbing engraver and arrived back in England an artist.

Chicago: WEN Workshop (3)

2009-08-15T08:24:00.013-01:00

Wednesday morning was a working morning and it was interesting to hear the sounds made by massed engravers - the sounds made by movements of gravers against wood, of wood against leather sandbags and quiet words...

I engraved a little but my mind was partly on the presentation that I was scheduled to give after lunch. I decided to walk out and enjoy Sharen and Don's lovely garden and the wildlife that it harboured:

I watched a small group of Canada Geese land on the lake...

Seeing them against the reflected light was a wonderful illustration of a point that I wanted to make - the fact that sometimes opportunities present themselves like this; sometimes we "see" the world as engravings.

A brisk and welcome walk (accompanied by ominous thunder) to Chipotle and an equally welcome burrito set me up for my presentation before the assembled engravers and guests. I spoke about my development as an engraver, my influences and the way that I work, emphasising my belief in the importance of sketchbook work. The audience listened to me kindly and patiently. I enjoyed a most pleasant afternoon meeting people.

In the evening, we ate pizza and enjoyed the first of two sessions during which members made their own presentations of work.

All in all, a most enjoyable day.

Thursday morning found us driving to Evanston and Northwestern University. First stop was the Deering Library where eyes were caught by a reconstruction of a Gutenburg Press:

Once again, we were given access to some very interesting and beautiful treasures.

I poured over a set of re-strikes from William Blake's 1821 engravings for Thornton's Virgil:

We had already seen three early proofs from these blocks at the Art Institute.

I was particularly taken by a group of blocks engraved by Eric Gill. One seldom sees these and it was interesting to see how seemingly effortlessly they were cut and cleared:

There were more Blakes on display, including a wonderfully printed re-strike from one of his largest Copper Engravings: The Canterbury Tales:

The linear work in the background is simply beautiful:

I find this figure simply breathtaking in the way that she is drawn and engraved:

Yet more Blakes - his illustrations to Dante's Inferno:

There was much to catch the eye and cause debate:

In this case it was the "make-ready" formed from layers of tissue that was used to print one of Thomas Bewick's engraved blocks:

Apart from prints and blocks, there were some well chosen books; I could have pulled up an armchair and spent the day here.

We walked from The Deering Library to the Block Museum where we had the opportunity to examine some extremely fine engravings. I was pleased to have this session which was dedicated almost exclusively to American engravers.

We enjoyed lunch in the cafeteria and then walked to Bookman's Alley. This is a most marvellous bookshop and the hour we spent there was as pleasant as any during the week:

In the evening we enjoyed lovely food at a local restaurant befor returning to Kildeer for coffee, desserts and more member presentations. This was a most convivial evening. Carl played his concertina and farewells were said as some members would not join us for the final day.

I was given a very beautiful book:

A 1947 facimile of William Blake's "America A Prophecy"

I could not have received a more well chosen, appropriate gift and memento of my visit; it is a lovely addition to my own Blake collection that sits above me as I type:

To be continued...

Chicago: WEN Workshop (2)

2009-08-01T08:11:00.007-01:00

Tuesday morning found us driving towards downtown Chicago:

We met up at Cosi's Coffee shop where I grabbed a welcome smoothie.

We were in for a real treat at the Art Institute of Chicago. We visited the Print Study Room where a selection of prints and blocks had been selected for our enjoyment:

The first item could not have been more appropriate for me - three proofs from William Blake's wood engraved illustrations to Thornton's 1821 edition of Virgil.

The middle one is probably the most important print in terms of my own development as a printmaker. It is a tiny thing but of huge significance to me and one that I wanted to refer to when I spoke the next day:

Of the blocks on display, I was particularly taken by one engraved by Lucien Pissarro, son of the Impressionist Camille. If you click on the image to enlarge it you can see where the block is starting to split. This is not uncommon with engraved blocks, which are often made from smaller pieces of wood glued together:

Another exciting inclusion for me was one of the small number of wood engravings that the English Pop Artist Peter Blake (he of the cover to the Beatle's Sgt. Pepper album) has made.

We had lunch in the Art Institute restaurant and then took the opportunity to see some of the other treasures from the collection. I was particularly keep to see Seaurat's La Grande Jatte, having seen the other version and many of the preparatory sketches. Grant Wood's American Gothic was another "must see".

The works that made the most impact on me were by Ivan Albright. Having seen his work only in reproduction, it was stunning to see pieces for real. Even the carved wooden frames were fascinating. There was something Blakean about the figures on the frame of "Into the World There Came a Soul Called Ida":

I was particularly taken by a large gouche called "The Rustlers" (Thanks, Tony for the photo). It is an image that I find myself returning to over and over again:

Eventually, we had to leave and walk a few blocks through the city:

To catch a bus:

To the wonderful Newberry Library. Once again, we were able to view rare items at close quarters. Highlights included a large collection of engraved blocks by Thomas Bewick and an early book by Maurits Cornelis Escher.

Afterwards, we walked to the Sherwin Beach Press. Here we enjoyed refreshments, examined the work of the press, showed off our own and chatted to members of the Caxton Club. It was a very pleasant occasion.

This was followed by a drive through the city.

Then a stop to enjoy a view of the skyline and Lake Michigan.

We then parked and walked past hedges (some appropriately of box) to...

...the magnificent Buckingham Fountain:

This had been a long and tiring day but a most memorable one.

Chicago: WEN Workshop (1)

2009-07-29T10:19:00.011-01:00

The open studios were over very quickly and I had just under a week to prepare to fly out to Chicago as guest artist to the Wood Engraver's Network at their annual workshop. I had a pleasantly uneventful journey to Chicago O'Hare International Airport, where I was met by our wonderfully attentive hosts Sharen and Don Linder who took me to my hotel. I tried to ignore the fact that everything electronic that I owned reminded me that it was about 4am back home.

I awoke 4:30am local time Sunday morning and enjoyed a swim before a leisurely breakfast at six o'clock and a walk around the neighbourhood. There was a lovely lakeside park opposite the hotel.

After my walk I was ready for a nap and then, getting hungry, I wandered round to Tacos El Norte, a Mexican diner next to the hotel for a burrito. It was good to be back in the US again.

... and some drawing - working out the design for the block that I planned to engrave during the week - a view of part of our garden. It was a detail from the steps that already feature towards the left of the centre of this print.

Other engravers arrived during the afternoon so it was back to the diner for a beer and then we drove to Sharen and Don's lovely house where we set up our gear in the basement and enjoyed a very pleasant supper with the assembled engravers before heading back - very tired - to the hotel.

The next morning, we started work in earnest in the basement. There was so much space and the light was great to work with. I squared down my image and transferred it to the block so that I was ready to engrave. It was a real pleasure to get to meet and work with the engravers. I had known many of them for years through their work.

In the afternoon, we were the guests of Graphic Chemical & Ink Co. The lobby and offices were hung with a wonderful variety of original prints. We had a tour "behind the scenes" and watched the process of making printmaking inks from the selection on the medium...

... to the pigment grinder...

... and then the machines that use heavy rollers to make the ink smooth...

... before the cooled and thickened ink is transferred to the tins that we are familiar with:

Elsewhere, in the warehouse, there were gravers galore...

... and piles of paper to peruse:

We returned to WEN HQ for more engraving. I enjoyed the exotic elements of this lovely suburb of Chicago; hummingbirds and, later, fireflies.

We ended the day with a shared meal. The week had made an excellent start.

IN Print and Business as Usual

2009-07-15T21:04:00.001-01:00

The Open Studios have been and gone and were very successful. On the first morning, I received a copy of East Anglian Ex-Libris by John Blatchly. It covers bookplates related to East Anglia from 1700 to the present day and is a wonderful addition to the collection of anyone interested in bookplates. Dr Blatchly has included two of my engraved pictorial bookplates: my own that I use for larger books and the one that I engraved for Joan..

Since then, both presses have been busy as I have been working hard to complete jobs before I head off to thwe WEN gathering at Kildeer, IL.

As the engravings have dried, I have been sitting and signing and numbering them. I will feature this particular project in a couple of weeks time:

I am planning a project of my own to engrave in the US. So much of what I do is commissioned work that it will be a treat to do something for myself. This morning, I received a pair of wonderful boxwood "rounds" from blockmaker Chris Daunt. I use his blocks exclusively in my work. These are beautiful and, for me, the natural shape of the wood is a pleasure to work with. You may remember one that I engraved before.

I fly out on Saturday - so much more to be done.

Open Studio - First Weekend

2009-07-06T08:31:00.005-01:00

This year's first Open Studio weekend was a very pleasant occasion with a steady stream of visitors and pleasing sales which, traditionally, go towards my purchase of printmaking paper for the next twelve months. The weather was beautiful, with the sun streaming in but not as hot as earlier in the week, when the rollers on one of my small Adana presses melted in the heat.

Inside the door, There was a wall of framed engravings, a browser containg the newly editioned prints from Freshly Picked and a folder of the engravings for Philip Pullman's A Outrance. This was followed by a group of sketchbooks to show how projects develop from the first pencil sketches to the final ink drawings:

The central table had wood engravings for sale in browsers:

Also on the central table was a disply of many of many of my engraved bookplates and some of the books that they have featured in:

At the far end, I was demonstrating engraving and carrying on with one of my current projects:

Moving through into the press room, there was another wall of framed engravings behind the smaller 1865 Albion Handpress:

The recently tidied shelves had small displays, including some of the engravings that I have made for wine labels:

"Red", the larger 1902 Albion was in use to demonstrate printing from engraved blocks:

I was able to get on with some work, enjoy the company of new and old friends and have a relaxing but surprisingly tiring weekend.

It all happens again next weekend and you will be most welcome to visit.

I made another short "Walk through" movie and, this year, added commentary as I walked around. Here it is:

Open Studios 2009

2009-07-03T21:18:00.002-01:00

Once again, I am opening as part of the Cambridge Open Studio scheme. My studio will be Open from tomorrow (July 4th-5th and 11th - 12th) between 11am and 6pm.

I will demoinstrate engraving and printing on the Albion handpresses. There will be engravings for sale but there is no obligation to buy - feel free to come and look.

The details are here: http://www.camopenstudios.co.uk/ you can find them by searching for me in the "Artists" section. I will post photographs very soon.

In Print - And A Book Launch

2009-06-07T11:50:00.006-01:00

I recently received an email from Lewis Jaffe, who many of you will know from his excellent bookplate blog, that he had written an article about bookplate collecting for Antique Week magazine, which featured the meerrkat bookplate that I had engraved for him on the cover of the Central and Eastern editions:

I have been tardy in catching up with my appearances in print so here is another, an article based on an interview in a book edition of a glossy magazine circulated in Hong Kong:

Freshly Picked was published last week and I was very pleased to attend the launch party in the wonderful vegetable garden of the Hackney City Farm in London. The food was wonderful, especially the giant chorizo, snail and sorrel paella:

The vegetable garden is a lovely space and a great setting for the book launch party. I made a few small sketches while I was there. Here is a selection of photographs:

Back in the studio, I have been working on another series of engraved bookplates and hope to feature some of these in my next post.

Linocut by Gertrude Hermes

2009-05-15T13:35:00.006-01:00

I have always regarded the work of Gertrude Hermes very highly. Her lively cutting and wonderful textures makes her work a treat to behold. It was, however a unexpected pleasure to be offered one in a gallery yesterday. The proprietor had shown some interesting works and, knowing that I was an engraver, went to an upstairs room to fetch another print. It turned out to be a Gertrude Hermes Linocut.

The image is of a bullfighter. This is not a particularly sympathetic subject for me but her handling is masterly. The black image is printed over a textured background printed from another block (Click on the images to enlarge them):

The print was signed and dated 1955 and inscribed "Bullfight 4" and then "No.1". On the reverse were two labels, the artist's address and a second one informing the reader that this was the print in the original frame that was exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 1956.

I asked the price of the print and was told an acceptable sum. I decided to go away and think but, in the end, decided to buy the piece and add it to our collection. Once broght home and cleaned, we identified a suitable spot and I hung the linocut.

Gertrude Hermes taught Sarah Van Niekirk who taught courses that I attended in the early 1990s. Hermes was married to Blair Hughes-Stanton, who taught my former colleague Pat Townshend, who first showed me the ropes of engraving. As a result, I have always felt that Gertrude Hermes was part of my printmaking ancestory and, having enjoyed her work in museum collections, I have, for a long time, hoped to acquire a piece. I am very happy.

Freshly Picked

2009-04-29T13:38:00.007-01:00

I received my advance copy of "Freshly Picked" this morning. I have already shown the blocks and some images here but this was the first time that I saw how my engravings had been used.

Here are a series of photographs of the book - click on them to enlarge.

The book is handsome (I didn't design the cover):

My engravings have been reduced and used as endpapers. I am very pleased with the end result; the engravings look good in green:

Hwere is a selection of the engravings:

Introduction:

Basics:

Summer (One of my favourites):

Autumn (My favourite):

Growing potatoes:

Far Flung Food:

All in all, I am very pleased with the result. This is my first "High Street", rather than fine press book project. It covers both the growing and cooking aspects of growing ones own veg and I'm looking forwards to reading it. It is published on June 4th.

Our own vegetable production is coming along nicely and things are stirring in the new raised beds:

Recent Work: A Outrance

2009-03-26T11:38:00.014-01:00

A Outrance ("To The Death") is a chapter from "Northern Lights" by Philip Pullman. It is being reprinted by Oak Tree Fine Press, whose books raise money for organisations assisting children living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Click on the image below to find out more and express an interest in purchasing this book.

My original contribution was to collaborate with Chris Daunt and Harry Brockway to produce six full-page illustrations. My two were "Lyra consults the Alethiometer" and "Bears Fighting". The latter shows the point where two armoured bears fight at a dramatic moment in the story. My sketch had elements bursting out of a narrowed frame:

However, I engraved the image to the full frame so that it fitted in with the other engravings:

*Click* on any of these images for more detail.

I was asked to produce some further images and managed to fit them into a tight schedule. These included three decorated initial letters.

Letter A shows Lyra sitting out on an Oxford rooftop. Here is the sketch, followed by the engraving:
The Letter F shows an armoured bear:

Here is a stage in the engraving of the final one:

I was very pleased to capture the measured gaze of this powerful and thoughtful bear:

The next engraving was designed to be used at the end of a part page of text. Here is the engraved block, followed by the final image:

The most exciting part of this project was a large title page. Here is my sketch:

This involved buying the largest endgrain block that I had used. I have engraved larger images, but never on wood. Here is the block:

The drawing was transferred (in reverse) to the block which had been darkened with diluted ink and, slowly, I started to engrave:

I reworked the bear at the top of the image to make him much more powerful and fierce:

The central part of the block had to be cleared. I had drawn out the title by hand in an uncial style so that it could be made into a printing block. I divided the central area into small squares and cleared them one at a time with an alternation of round and square scorper:

After I had finished that, I squared the area up and repeated the job. It took two full days to clear and I ended up with my fingers covered in sticking plasters to try to avoid blisters as I worked:

Eventually, I was happy that I was ready to take a proof from the block and it was clamped into the bed of "Red" the 1902 Albion handpress:

Here are proofs drying on the ceiling rack:

And here is a proof from the block. Click on the image to enlarge it. I am particularly pleased with the powerful muscularity of this leaping bear:

Finally, I engraved a small press device as a gift for the publisher:

I really enjoyed working on this project. I thoroughly enjoy re-reading Philip Pullman's remarkable books and applaud the efforts of the Oak Tree Fine Press to raise funds for such an important cause.

Recent Work: "Freshly Picked"

2009-03-26T11:06:00.003-01:00

I started my working year with a large illustrating job. This was to engrave nineteen illustrations for "Freshly Picked" by Jojo Tulloh. Many of the images were set in allotment gardens and so this was pleasant and sympathetic work for me

Here are the nineteen blocks. I will try to print a group of them together on the larger Albion to make an image the size of a small poster, possibly with some wood type text.

*Click* for larger images.

Here are some proofs printed from the blocks:
I will be choosing some of the images to edition in the summer. I will announce them here when I add them to my main website. I have to confess that there is a lot of new work that needs to be added to it.

"Twenty" - My Best Work?

2008-11-25T22:22:00.008-01:00

Autumn flies into winter and no mistake!

Indoors I have finished engraving the block for the Society Of Wood Engravers portfolio.

With a larger block such as this, I use "Red" the 1902 Albion handpress:

Here is the block held firmly in the bed of the press and inked ready to take the first impression.

I am really very pleased with the first print pulled from the block. This is unusual for me as my heart usually sinks. Being pleased is a good thing. It still took five "states" before I was sure that everything was good. Here is the first printing of the final impression:

The various states are hung to dry:

It is time to print the edition of 100. The first twenty-five will go in the portfolios that will be offered for sale. Impressions numbered 26-50 will go to the artists and the remaining fifty will be available from me late in 2009.

The edition is to be printed on a particularly fine paper: The Edwina Ellis paper from the Zerkall mill in Germany. Each sheet yielded six prints. This called for some careful folding.

I then used a breadknife to cut the sheets giving a slightly ragged edge called "false deckles"

Here is the final engraving. A and J play the piano in our dining room. It measures 5 x 5 inches. Click on the image to view a larger version.
Other family members are suggested in the photographs atop the piano. The central "photograph" is just 6/8th inch across:

I am really pleased with this. Perhaps it is the best thing that I have done. Works that involve my family are always very important to me.

Outside, it is getting colder. My pots of Sempervivum contain remnants of snow:

Finally, a recent visitor that A spotted just outside the studio. A toad. It was happy to sit and pose and I plan to make an engraving from the photographs early next year.

Cards For Christmas

2008-11-17T13:21:00.006-01:00

This year I am collaborating with A to produce a range of Christmas cards for sale.

They are printed by hand on "Red" the 1902 Albion Press from my original engraved blocks. We used 300gsm Canford card and each one has a high quality "Conqueror envelope.

The cards are blank for whatever seasonal message is required.

Here they are:

And here are the images in more detail:

These cards are available here

Autumn, Work In Progress... And A Special Offer

2008-10-12T15:56:00.009-01:00

According to the colours in the landscape, Autumn is here at last.

From the bedroom window...

In the garden...

Today, however, it was so warm, sunny and calm that it would have graced July, rather than mid-October. Time to pick the last produce from the summer garden, starting with tiny, wonderfully sweet yellow tomatoes..

...and grapes. The fig tree was quite productive this year as well...

...and we still have lemons left for a few more Gin and Tonics.

There are still quite a few flowers in the garden. These French Marigolds are grown in the kitchen garden to deflect the attention of the carrot flies away from the carrots.

Inside and sorting out a large pile of engravings that I cleared from the studio during the Open Studio in July. These are just things that were around the place in little piles - finally sorted.There are current stock engravings, others that have been "retired" from exhibitions, some for Ebay and some that I will reuse for proofing on the reverse...

Meanwhile, I have been working on several engravings, including a large (for me) five inch square image for the portfolio marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the relaunch of the Society Of Wood Engravers. Working on a lovely block made up of pieces of endgrain boxwood, made by Chris Daunt.

Twenty five engravers are each contributing a print for a portfolio. Every print is based on a number between one and twenty five. My number is twenty. The theme is a piano duet - twenty fingers (and thumbs). I also liked the association between the number twenty and the word score, which has both numerical and musical connotations.

Here is my working sketch...

The next photograph shows the drawing of the image in reverse onto the darkened block. I am using simple perspective to draw the piano keys, with a vanishing point just above the centre of the block.

The engraving begins. The players are J and A, who both play the piano. I started with the highlights on A's jacket and hair.

And here, much of the engraving is done. Click on any of the photographs to see more detail.

More photographs of this project will follow in the next post.

* * * * * * * * * *

When I started engraving, printing could sometimes be rather a trial and I tended to print in fairly small batches. The Albions, and my years of experience using them allow me to go back to these earlier images and complete the editions relatively easily.

A recent engraving to be completed was Digging The Tree, one of my "Brothers" series. This engraving, which remains a favourite of mine, was also one of the first to feature Ely Cathedral in the background. The scene sees our sons digging a Christmas tree ready to take it into the house and decorate it.

Image Size 10 x 5.7 cm

As a special offer to my readers, a number of these engravings are available here for a much reduced price.

Recent Work (4) Nelson

2008-09-25T21:23:00.012-01:00

I recently completed a "Keepsake" to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of Horatio Nelson. This was a commission from The Kings Lynn Arts Centre.

The keepsake was engraved on a large block of English boxwood. The design has many elements, including Nelson's birthplace, Burnham Thorpe church, The arms of King's Lynn, A map showing the position of the Battle of Trafalgar and the columns at Trafalgar Square and Great Yarmouth.

These photographs show the progress of the engraving ("click" on the images to enlarge them).

Here is the partly engraved block with the original drawing that I worked from.

The finished block:

Part of the edition was printed for members of The 1805 Club. Those prints had additional text printed from a small second block. It is difficult to engrave small pieces of wood. An easy solution is to tape offcuts around the small block, making it easier to hold:

The finished block has been fixed to the bed of an Albion Handpress; ink has been rolled onto the block ready for printing.

I don't often appear in this blog.Here am I "pulling" an impression.

A scan of the finished engraving:
Finally... the keepsakes are printed, dried, trimmed, numbered and signed.... ready for delivery. They will be sold at an extremely modest cost at the Fermoy Gallery of the Kings Lynn Arts centre. the exhibition runs from 27th September until 1st November.

As a bonus, here is a short film explaining how I went about engraving the small second block:

Recent Work (3)

2008-09-02T21:35:00.007-01:00

Summer, such as it was, is nearly at an end and the harvest, such as it has been, is nearly in.

Here is the story of my engraving for the BAREN exchange number 37, which had the theme of a journey. It brought together two things that I had been saving, namely, the idea of making an image based on Cornish gardens and using a lovely natural "round" of boxwood sent to me by blockmaker Chris Daunt.

I started to engrave the block in public at Art In Action (see previous post). I worked on a very detailed area of plants at the bottom of the image and then moved on to engrave the sky.

I returned home, safe and sound, despite brake failure and continued to engrave. In fine weather, I worked in the garden, fuelled by large cups of tea:

The image gradually took shape...

...until the engraving was finished and I could take a proof.

I usually proof in the smaller Albion. I worked through a few states as I tidied up the engraving until the block was finished and printing commenced...

...followed by drying.

Here is the final image. The print is in memory of Wanda Robertson who passed away earlier this year. I bid farewell to another old friend, my Vandercook proofing press which I used to proof and edition my engravings from 1999 until the arrival of my first Albion press. I have sadly neglected it in recent years and it has now gone to a home where it will be loved and used.

So I will end by raising a glass to old friends. A glass from a bottle featuring one of my engravings on the label. I have engraved several designs for wine labels over the last few years. This is the first one that I have seen "on the shelf"; I spotted it in the shop attached to my local service station, of all places.

Cheers!

Art In Action: Looking Back

2008-07-25T18:33:00.004-01:00

My second Open Studio was as successful as the first, with many visitors dropping by to see what goes on and marvel at the small space in which I work. As soon as the Sunday stint was over, I started to gather things together for Art in Action. Some new work needed to be printed and other engravings awaited framing. The days were somewhat crowded. J returned from Prague in the early hours of Wednesday morning and, somewhat later that same morning, I started to pack my bits and pieces into the trusty VW. From this...

To this...

I set off late morning and after three hours, I was in rural Oxfordshire and brewing up the necessary tea:

Unlike last year, the printmakers were sharing a tent with those who practice drawing. This is a logical combination for me as all of my engraving is underpinned by drawing. I set out my workspace:

At the far end of my area stood the magnificent 1876 Hopkinson and Cope Albion handpress

Opposite, and in other parts of the tent, were framed engravings:

During Art in Action, I was working on an engraving to be submitted to the 37th BAREN print exchange. This is on the theme of journeys. More of this at a later date.

The first two days were absolutely mad. I was demonstrating engraving, printing on the Albion and handling sales and queries about bookplates; I started to lose my voice. J and A arrived on Saturday and the pressure eased considerably. J took over sales and kept my stock in order and A demonstrated the art of printing on a Victorian iron handpress; he is becoming a skilled practicioner:

Other printmakers were also in action. Laurie Rudling prints a collagraph:

Around a corner, Jason Hicklin inks an etching plate before printing it:

Opposite me was the extremely talented Karen Wallis, who was working on a huge drawing done over the four days in response to the event. You can see me posing with the Albion to the right of the centre. See the whole drawing here.

Taking a break from printing, A practiced his engraving skills.

J and A left in the early evening and I stayed to help dismantle the contents of the tent, leaving Oxfordshire at about 9pm. No floods this year, just a pleasant and gradually darkening evening in England. It was just over an hour later when disaster struck and the brakes failed on my van.

Art In Action 2008 - Next Week

2008-07-11T07:23:00.000-01:00

As soon as I have finished my second and last Open Studio this coming weekend, I will be packing everything away to take to Art In Action at Waterperry near Oxford.

From the website:

How it all began

Art in Action was created out of a simple observation: people are fascinated when artists and craftsmen openly demonstrate their skills and discuss their work.

Bernard Saunders, then guardian of Waterperry Gardens, decided to organise an event at Waterperry based on this principle. Artists and craftspeople would work as if in their own studios, with the public as audience.

In 1977, 51 artists and musicians took part and 14,000 visitors arrived. The event is now a showcase for over 250 demonstrators from a wide range of disciplines including painting, sculpture, drawing, ceramics and textiles. Art in Action 2006 attracted about 22,000 visitors.

The event has expanded over the years to include practical classes (open to all ages and skill levels) , performances of fine music and dance, dialogues on arts and crafts, a craft market, and a range of refreshment facilities.

Aims of the event

To create a relaxed and friendly environment where artists and craftspeople can demonstrate and discuss their techniques with the public.

To present high standards of artistic skill and creative design.

To show the range of possibilities that exist in each artistic field.

To bring together accepted masters and young beginners.

To create a concentrated display of talent that inspires all.

To broaden the knowledge and understanding of traditional arts and craft skills of other countries.

To support the artist community with a high quality event that will encourage purchases and commissions.

I will be travelling across country and setting up on Wednesday. Last year was a tremendous success, despite being caught up with some truly awful weather. (Link to my blog of Art In Action 2007)

If any of you are going to Art In Action this year, do drop by and say hello at the Drawing and Printmaking tent.

Open Studio Weekend 1 and New Work

2008-07-08T19:10:00.001-01:00

Despite odd showers of rain (to be expected on this final weekend of tennis at Wimbledon and so many other outdoor events) I was very pleased with the first weekend of the Open Studio. It was great to see old friends and new faces. Some people had traveled quite a distance to get here. Here is a record of a quieter moment.

The Cambridge Open Studio flag flutters in the sun to welcome you all:

Inside the door you can see a collection of my bookplates and articles about my work from several countries:

Glancing round, you can see through the open door of the pressroom to the small 1865 Albion press and some framed engravings:

More framed engravings, the drying racks, the inking table and a mandolin - its great to play a tune or two as a break from printing:

Now we can see both presses. A was giving demonstrations on "Red" the larger 1902 Albion:

Some of the shelves had been cleared to make room for sketchbooks, examples of my wedding and Christening images and the Seamus Heaney project:

Leaving the pressroom again, "Dr Snake" guards some more door-hung engravings:

Out on the main table, miscellaneous odds and ends:

I set up my engraving kit at the end of the table, finishing a block featuring a figure in a library with books and fossils:

When the sun did shine, it was pleasantly warm and A and I could take our breaks outside:

Here is a walk through of the whole thing. No commentary, just birds singing and music by Brian Eno:

The weekend is over and I'm back to work - designing a bookplate in the garden.

Its great to look up and see one of my favourite flower beds.

Meanwhile, below the table, another kind of distraction as one of the hens absent-mindedly pecks at my jeans:

Today, I was working on designs for three separate projects. They are all now ready to engrave so I will have plenty to demostrate with next weekend and at Art In Action the following weekend. Here, I am finishing the design for an engraving on the theme of a journey for a print exchange. I will be using a lovely natural "round" of boxwood made by Chris Daunt:

Do drop by if you get the chance to next weekend. I am open on Saturday and Sunday between 11am and 6pm. Details here.

Open Studios 2008

2008-07-02T21:10:00.001-01:00

Its that time of year again and I'm getting ready for my open studio.

A warm welcome to any of my readers who might be in the Ely area during the first two weekends of July (5th/6th and 12th/13th) between 11am-6pm. See here for details (you will have to look me up in the directory).

In 2007, I used a gallery space near Cambridge but this year I will be at home near Ely in Cambridgeshire. Of course, I am nowhere near ready yet - mainly because I am still continuing to work on engravings ( had originally planned to take the month of July off but I don't want to build up a big waiting list).

My studio is a room within a larger garage building and , while it is fine for day to day work, it isn't the greatest space for demonstrating engraving or displaying my wares. I spent this afternoon and evening clearing space in the mail room to set up a table. This was no mean feat as it was cramed full of all kinds of junk that has either been discarded or moved elsewhere - such as into the camper:

Here is the cleared space - yes this is the "after" view, not the "before":

Here is some of the printing paraphanalia. The large blue press in pieces is an Arab treadle press undergoing cleaning and restoration. To the right is a bookbinder's nipping press on a stand. Below that you can just make out a small Adana 5 x 3 resting on an unrestored Vandercook No. 0 proofing press. In the background are small cases of type and cans of ink. Click on the image to enlarge it:

Here is the view from the cleared space looking into the studio. You can see the small Albion through the door and cases of type outside.

Thankfully, it was cooler today, which made the work easier. Yesterday was rather hot and the garden started to wilt a little. The lavender is looking lovely:

The stone heads seem to enjoy in the sun:

A robin decided to strike the kind of pose that I would love to see on a snowy day:

One of the hens finds a shady spot:

Meanwhile, I have been continuing work on a very detailed block that features a nude. It is very difficult to capture the texture of flesh with wood engraving. I treat the figure as if I were drawing it in ink - a series of lines. The scale at the side of the block is in centimetres, not in inches. the block that you see is two inches wide.:

The design features a book. I find it easier to draw it larger and then reduce the drawing. I prefer to do this by the old fashioned method of squaring up the drawing and then copying it onto smaller grids. Below, you can see the original sketch and two smaller variations:

The book was transferred to the block and then other elements were added.......

...and engraved.

Well it looks like I will have a busy few days now. One of the good things about the open studio is that I will be working. I hope to have this block finished at the weekend - and the next one started.

Finally, if you do make it to my Open Studio, do stop off and see our friend Heather Maunders who produces vibrant watercolours. Find directions from the Cambridge Open Studios website.

Another Week In The Workhouse

2008-06-07T08:35:00.000-01:00

A busy week and a pleasant one with everything looking so lush and green:

Its my favourite time of year both in the English countryside and in the garden:

We had a sort through the garage, making space for my Open Studios during the first two weekends in July. I have identified some excess letterpress materials that will be sold during the summer:

In one old case of type: dormice have made their larder:

Lots of engraving going on. A lightning strike on a tree takes shape destined firstly as an illustration but then to be editioned later in the year:

Another illustration, freely drawn on the block and outlines drawn in with a medium spitsticker. I will be commenting on the different tools that I use in a later post.

A bookplate starts to take shape for the second time. I had to start this again after I found a soft area in the wood that was difficult to cut precisely. Under any circumstance when I am not entirely happy with work there is only one option - to start again.

Thank you for the positive comments about the illustration for our niece's wedding invitation. The text was printed locally and then I added the engraving on the front using "Red" our larger Albion handpress. I paused part-way through to make a short film of the proceedings.

Recent Work (2)

2008-05-25T10:20:00.000-01:00

My grateful thanks to Hans who has agreed that I can share this with you. It is a short animation of the engraving of a bookplate that I finished a couple of months ago. It is one of my larger ones, being 4" tall by 3" wide and I particularly enjoyed tying together the different elements (trees, wagon wheel, vines & trout) that Hans wanted. A bookplate is a very personal thing, whether for personal use or a gift. Most of my working life is spent creating them and I find the process of working with the client to convey aspects of a life into a small space very interesting and satisfying.

Here is the film. The scans of the engraved block have been reversed so that the image can be seen to grow and move easily into the final section that shows the various "states" leading to the final image.

Here is a scan of the final plate:Now back to work - two illustrations and two bookplates to finish in ten days.

Recent Work (1)

2008-05-21T06:36:00.001-01:00

This is always a busy time of year for me and I have several engraving jobs in hand, as well as preparing for my Open Studio events and Art in Action in July. I photographed the various stages in the engraving of an image for the invitation to the wedding of our niece and her fiancee. Here they are.

Starting with a lovely piece of boxwood prepared by blockmaker Chris Daunt:

As always, I darkened the block slightly with diluted fountain pen ink so that I can see both drawing and cut marks:

The design was transferred to the block - making sure that I reversed the drawing:

Once happy with the drawing, I went over it with a fine ink pen and, straight away, made the first cuts - using a medium spitsticker for the lines and a round scorper to clear the sky. It is a good idea to move between two tools like this to add a bit of variety to a day of relentless engraving.

Next, I cleared more clouds, started to cut a tone for the sky and made a start on some very detailed work on the walls and windows of the Scottish castle where the wedding will take place:

I Carried on with the sky and then switched to clearing the corners with a wide square scorper. It is important to lower this wood considerably to make sure that it doesn't pick up any ink to leave nasty inky marks around the final image:

Back to working on the stone face of the building:

Nearly there:

A fine tint tool was used to lay down close lines to suggest the trees in the background:

I worked on the foreground, stippling to suggest gravel on the drive. The corners are now quite a bit lower than the face of the block. Finally, I added diagonal lines and horizontal lines to the face of the building.

The block is not finished, but this is a good stage to take the first proof. If I take too much out, I cannot put it back. The block is fixed to the bed of the smaller (1865) Albion press.

The first proof form the block shows the first state; this often shows lots of work to be done. I lightened the sky and the trees in the background and added horizontal lines to lighten the drive in the foreground. the building was pretty much there - I just needed to tidy up some small details. The various states dried on the rack above the press:

When I printed the fourth state, I knew that I had finished:

Here is a scan of the finished engraving. The image of 75 x 50 mm (about 3 x 2 inches):

And here is an enlargement to show some of the details.

It took about four days to complete the work. It's not unusual to spend a day on a square inch of detailed engraving. Between bouts of engraving, there was time for drawing, designing and even a spot of gardening.

Another Week In And Out Of The Studio

2008-05-02T12:11:00.001-01:00

The better weather has seen me both in and out of the studio this last week. Warm sun one minute, rain the next - real April showers.

Inside, I was working on the second design for icons for a forthcoming book. The book - showing a book - has been accepted - now for a laptop:

Outside, my eye was caught by a blackbird cooling down in the pond, no doubt causing much grief for the tadpoles and newts that like this shallow area. I photographed it from my desk:

Back inside, I was checking and signing prints:

The image in question is called "Lilies-Of-The-Valley, Nimes" and it celebrates the giving of this lovely flowers as a gift of friendship in France. In the background is the cathedral in Nimes in the South of France:

Outside, the large border is coming alive - with both flowers and hens:

I love to work outdoors; These are sketches for an engraving for our niece's wedding in September:

Below the table, the hens are hopeful for falling crumbs from my biscuit:

Time for a break. A plays one of my mandolins, a 1916 Gibson. I love to play the mandolin in the garden in the warm weather -a great way to relax.

Back inside, I contemplate the largest piece of box that I have had in stock. It was made by Chris Daunt and provided by the Society of Wood Engravers. I am one of 25 members who are making an engraving for a set of prints to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the relaunching of the SWE. My print will be based on the number twenty. I will be showing all of the stages of the designing and engraving of this print in the following weeks. Watch this space.

I enjoyed my week - I hope that yours was a good one!