Things are looking brighter
Goodbye to winter
What a difference a couple of weeks make. After a particularly grey, wet and sluggish winter here in the UK, spring is sprung, or very nearly, and it almost seems possible that it’s safe to emerge from hibernation and DO THINGS. I have a couple of recommendations further down.
When I last wrote I showed you the very early stages of a new print in which I was building up the layers of sky. After a total of 16 ink mixes and 10 layers ‘Quiet Mountain’ was finished a few days ago and went into my shop yesterday. It’s an edition of 10. It shows a scene from a bamboo raft trip I went on last year in the Khao Sok National Park in Thailand. As I was mulling over titles I did think of ‘River Deep, Mountain High’ but rejected that partly because I already have a river print with a Tina Turner inspired title (‘Rolling’) but mostly because the river very definitely wasn’t deep, in fact we ran aground a couple of times as we were punted along by our guide. It was a magical place and I hope to return.
I find the numbering, signing and dating of prints an absurdly nerve-wracking task - will this be the time I forget how writing works or how to spell my name? I did however remember what year it is which I count as a win. Whenever I sign an edition I think of the visitor to an art fair who asked “If I buy this, will you sign it?”. When I pointed out that it was already signed and dated in the bottom right corner he said “Oh I thought that was just where you’d written your name.” That little exchange now lives in my head.
Something to see now
Today a spectacular1 new exhibition opens in York Art Gallery. Making Waves: The Art of Japanese Woodblock Print ‘covers over 300 years of printing history from 17th to 21st centuries and features over 100 striking and iconic works by world-renowned artists including Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro, amongst many others.’ (It also includes examples of contemporary woodblock printmaking by my friend Laura Boswell which is a huge but very well deserved honour - her work is utterly beautiful). One of the prints on display is, of course, Hokusai’s ‘The Great Wave’ - how could it not be there? This gives me the welcome opportunity to trot out one of my favourite printmaking nerd facts. We all know what The Great Wave looks like…
It’s impressive, seeing that huge wave bearing down on the tiny boats, but as Westerners we read from left to right and that affects how we read art too. In 19th century Japan reading went from right to left, so the original viewers would approach this print quite differently. They saw it more like this… (line spaces inserted for dramatic tension)
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WOAAAHHH!! And if that hasn’t blown your mind then I’m sorry we can no longer be friends.
Something to see in a couple of months
I have taken delivery of my stash of York Open Studios 2026 directories so it is time for me to start reminding you that this year’s event is coming. (Said stash is now a modest single box of 64 copies, instead of the 200+ boxes that used to be delivered to my garage when I was one of the organising committee. I definitely don’t miss that, and nor does my back).
The dates this year are the weekends 18th, 19th and 25th, 26th April. There are 150 artists opening up 107 studios for you to visit, browse, explore and chat. Admission is of course free. Full information about all the artists is here. This year my studio is venue 100 which is nice and easy to remember.
Not printmaking
York has just emerged from the dual onslaught of half-term and the Jorvik Viking Festival. As some of you know, I volunteer at Barley Hall which is not remotely Viking, but is part of York Archaeology so is the same team as the Jorvik Viking Centre and Dig, and it was all hands to the pump to welcome the 45,000 or so visitors over the week. (To put this in perspective, if I get 12 visitors when I do one of my usual weekday two hour shifts I think I’ve had a busy morning). At Barley Hall we were offering Family Crafts which meant the Great Hall was FULL of children making beards, brooches and clay pots. Huge fun, but exhausting. Once I’d had a lie down in a darkened room, it was my turn to be the crafter the next morning, attending an adult pottery workshop at which I attempted to make a handbuilt Viking pot. This was the triumphant result.
It now sits on my desk holding my erasers and pencil sharpeners, and my admiration for all potters is even higher than it was before.
Some nice news
Earlier this week I heard that both the prints I submitted to the Jackson’s Art Prize have made it to the extended longlist, which is apparently the top 26% of entries. I am of course delighted but I should also mention that means the list comprises my two entries and a mere 4,198 others. There are further stages to go through; the extended longlist will be first whittled down to the longlist, then the shortlist, and then of course comes the final judging. But for the next 7 days at least ‘By the River’ and ‘Elbow Falls’ are still in the race.
And finally…
I may have mentioned over the last 8 months or so that York Printmakers have been celebrating our 10th Anniversary, and yes I admit we have been milking it, but we finally wrapped things up with a party earlier this month. Fellow member Jen Dring put together this little montage of the very happy evening (I recommend sound on). I am so grateful to have such talented, generous, warm and plain daft people as friends.
Well this newsletter was supposed to go out yesterday, then this morning, and I really must stop typing as at the very least I feel it should go out while it’s still February.
Thank you for reading and I’ll see you again soon.
Jane
I haven’t seen it yet but I know it’s spectacular because some friends went to the Preview last night and I am NOT JEALOUS AT ALL.
Jane, your prints are exquisite - the mountain in Quiet Mountain is just so beautiful and ethereal.