Allow me to introduce..
..some special printmakers
I’m including a couple of bits of studio activity at the end of this newsletter, but before that I’m going to work on the rash assumption that if you subscribe to Dapple Scrumping you might have a vague interest in printmaking in general and not be here only because you’re fascinated by me (enchanting though I am). So perhaps you might like to meet a few of the printmakers with whom I shared my weekend at Printfest in Ulverston. I’m having to narrow it down as there were 44 of us which would make for a very long newsletter if I mentioned them all, but you can still see all the exhibiting artists, with one exception, here.
By accident rather than design, I’ve realised that the six I have chosen to highlight comprise two who were real life friends already, two I had encountered online and two who were completely new to me. As an additional quirk, listing them in alphabetical order happens to group them into those three categories.
Old friends
Laura Boswell
Very early in my exploration of printmaking (I had previously been a painter for decades), Laura appeared on the front cover of an artists’ magazine and the article inside about her work in Japanese Watercolour Woodblock gripped me. I discovered that Laura was teaching a summer school in Oxford and after attending both that and a follow up advanced course I am pleased now to call Laura a friend. While it was her watercolour woodblock printmaking which first drew me in, I love the reduction linoprinting which has now become her main focus. (Well I would say that, wouldn’t I?). Although a regular exhibitor in previous years Laura wasn’t supposed to be taking part in Printfest this year, but stepped in at a day’s notice to replace a late cancellation. As well as having to prepare everything in a day she made the not insignificant journey down from her new home in Kirkcudbright, upon which I immediately stopped grumbling about having to leave the house at 7.30am to get there from York.
Find out more about Laura’s work and her highly recommended workshops (she is a brilliant tutor) at lauraboswell.co.uk.
James Bywood
James is a fellow Yorkshire printmaker so we have bumped into each other at various art and print fairs over the years. I hadn’t realised quite how long it was since we’d seen each other until I asked after James’ baby son and was informed he is in juniors at primary school. James works mainly in screenprint, which is one of the few printmaking methods I have never tried, so I regard those who do it as magicians. Over the years I have been intrigued to watch his work getting bolder, stronger and more abstract. I love it.
See more of James’ work at jamesbywood.co.uk
Online acquaintances
Jenny McCabe
Jenny and I have engaged in online chats on social media but I had never seen her work in the flesh. I couldn’t believe it could be as delicate and detailed as it appeared online but it really is. Jenny makes exquisite etchings using metal plates which she cuts to shape. The whole process terrifies me with elements of jeopardy ranging from messing up the etching to cutting metal (as a printmaker I really should be less scared of sharp tools than I am). Despite all this Jenny is a wonderfully calm and together person, even after having moved house just a few days before Printfest.
Find out more at jennymccabe.co.uk
Joshua Miles
I came across Joshua’s reduction linoprints online last year and my jaw dropped at what I was seeing. The printmaker who first showed me Joshua’s images told me he creates his prints with just four layers, one colour at a time, which I found literally incredible. Fortunately for my sanity I found out my friend had got the wrong end of the stick and Joshua does generally work in just four layers, but each of these might be multicoloured. I mean that is still quite amazing enough, but at least it no longer defies the laws of the universe. It was great finally to chat to Joshua in person and see his work up close. It turns out he was an oil painter for years before moving to printmaking, just as I was a watercolour painter. I think to some extent we both still approach our printmaking as if we were painting, building up patches and layers of colour.
See more of Joshua’s work at joshuamiles.art
New discoveries
Anja Percival
I saw Anja’s work on Instagram and couldn’t work out what I was looking at on my small phone screen. Were these digitally altered photos? How could an etching be so detailed and shaded?? Now before I go any further I must caution that “It looks just like a photo” is NOT the compliment viewers often think it is. In fact it can be downright insulting. We spend hours and weeks creating our work - if we wanted it to look like a photo we would just go and take a photo. I am pleased to report that Anja’s prints are most definitely not photos and this can be clearly seen when you see them in the flesh and full-size. They do have a photographic quality…. but they are so much more. The atmospheric stories she conjures up are magical. I voted for Anja in the Printmakers’ Printmaker award but she didn’t win. However she did win both a Kunstprenteverket Award and the Visitors’ Choice award and, as I have said to her since, three awards would have just been greedy.
See more of Anja’s work at anjapercival.co.uk
Deb Wing
Last alphabetically but definitely not least, I was very fortunate to have Deb as an exhibition neighbour with our stands directly opposite each other. Her work was a joy to look at over the weekend and Deb and her husband were lovely company. Deb and I have a lot in common; she’s another reduction linoprint artist and like me she was also a painter before moving into printmaking in more - ahem - mature years. It was Deb’s first time at Printfest too so we worked it all out together and will be able to act like confident old-hands if and when we return.
See more of Deb’s work at debwing.com
Work in progress
After the pretty non-stop interruptions of York Open Studios, Printfest and a recurrent wrist issue* which stopped work altogether, the print I am currently working on will probably end up being the longest I have ever spent on one piece. My phone camera reel tells me I printed the first stage more than two months ago at the end of February. Blimey. I don’t like being in this situation at all. When I picked up the carving a few days ago I felt like I had completely forgotten what I was doing and was hopelessly lost. For someone who thinks of herself as an obsessive list maker, it turns out I carry a lot of stuff around in my head - or in this case, don’t. I was frozen into inaction for a while but then reminded myself of Chuck Close’s words: ‘Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work’. I got stuck in and have now carved and printed another layer. The details below show the subtle but I hope important change made by another layer of translucent grey as more foliage begins to emerge.
*I’ve now acquired an upright computer mouse: life changing!
Behind the scenes
…or…’what do artists do all day?’
I’m teaching a workshop next week and as anyone involved in any sort of teaching knows, the preparation that people don’t see can take as long as the class. This is what measuring and cutting nearly 50 sheets of fine Chinese paper off a roll looks like. The resulting rolled up bits are no use to any students, so they have to be flattened. If anyone has any better ideas of how to do this please share (I’m serious).
Having done that, I now need to stain the woodblocks that my students will use so that it makes it easier for them to see where they’re carving, (I know, I know, I am too good to them), so I’m off to do that now. Then it will be back to more carving for the next layer of that print in progress.
I’m hoping for better weather this weekend to get to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park for my annual bluebell pilgrimage - more bluebell prints incoming! Do tell me about your favourite bluebell woods. Or if you’re not in the UK, which seasonal flowers do you look forward to seeing?
Thanks for reading and see you again soon
Jane