Some of my etchings

I'm trying to decide what to include in the Spectrum exhibition - and may include some etchings. The only one that has been exhibited so far is Bridgewater Canal, which was selected for the Stockport Open Contemporary Exhibition. Choices include (in order) I Love Manchester 2012, Cwm-yr-Yglwys, Strumble Head Lighthouse, Bridgewater Canal and On the Verge:

Feedback is very welcome!

Exhibition at The Old Parsonage in Didsbury 7-22 Feb

Spectrum, an exhibition of work by 4 local artists, will open on Saturday 7 February 2015 and include around 10 of my prints. The Old Parsonage is an arts venue in Didsbury, Manchester, close to Fletcher Moss Gardens and The Didsbury Pub.

The preview is open to all and is 2 - 4 pm on Saturday 7 February and Malcolm Allum, Janet Higgins, Anne Mackinnon and I will be ready to welcome you along. I hope you can come.

At other times, this venue can be used for events and classes, so it's wise to call ahead to check access.

I'm planning to showing a mix of new and older work - etchings, screen prints and of course linocuts.

Some of my 2014 20:20 favourites

My favourite prints from my 2014 20:20 Print Exchange collection so far are:

Cathy Ferns of Hot Bed Press - her stunning 11 colour linocut:

Alexandra Buckle's atmospheric Brackley Reflections, another linocut, this one from Buckingham Printmakers Network:

Dave Foley's dynamic linocut:

A screen print by Meg Kenny of Limerick Printmakers, called 'Somewhere Out There':

And finally another linocut (am I biased?), this one is 4 colours 'Wild Hops' by Tina Brown of The Hazelnut Press:

The full 2014 collection of all 581 prints can be seen on the Hot Bed Press Flickr site - link below - happy browsing!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hot_bed_press/sets/

2014 20:20 Print Exchange

This year I madly decided to take part twice in the 20:20 Print Exchange - once with Hot Bed Press, where I'm a member and also with Prospect Studios, in Rossendale, where I did most of my printing in 2014.

With Hot Bed Press I chose to experiment with a 2 colour (1 screen) screenprint, entitled 'Chaos'.

And with Prospect Studios I prepared a linocut edition called 'Riviera' from 3 separate 20 x 20 cm blocks.

It seemed like a great idea to enter the exchange for the first time with the Prospect printmakers and I just managed to pull it off in time.

Having bought a new scanner, I'm able to share these prints - and coming soon some of my favourites from my 2 boxes.

Another amazing effort from the Hot Bed Press team who organised the exchange - and the huge sort - with 581 artists taking part this year - from 42 print workshops across the UK and Ireland.

New 20:20

This year's 20:20 print swap and exhibition is going to be bigger than ever. Hot Bed Press has confirmed 500 artists from 40 print workshops will be taking part in 2013. The deadline for getting prints in is here and print sorting, a massive job, will be taking place this week, before the exhibition opens at Hot Bed Press in Salford (and online) on 30 November.

Below is my design - the first time I've put in a screen print, instead of a lino cut. I've really enjoyed the challenge. It's called 'Near Ragusa' and is a 4 colour screen print on 300g Canaletto off-white paper. I'm looking forward to getting my box of 20 swap prints. It's great to be part of such a big printmaking 'family'!

Stockport Open Contemporary Images

Today I visited Stockport Art Gallery - perfect for a rainy Sunday! I've included some pictures of my own work and also some of my favourite pieces below...well the ones I could take pictures of, as this can be tricky with the lighting and reflections of natural light. Enjoy!

'Bridgewater Canal' etching & aquatint

'Hideaway' original 3 colour lino cut (centre top)

The lino cut below is by Kevin Holdaway, winner of the SKarts Award with another lino print. This one attracted me because of the unusual approach and fascinating cut marks. 

Below is another favourite - a close up of a watercolour by David Evans, called 'Lifting Clouds':

And finally an oil painting by one of the judges this year, Rob Miller:

Stockport Open Contemporary is OPEN!

The Stockport Open Contemporary Exhibition is in its third year and runs until Sunday 31 August 2013. I have 2 works in again this year - an etching 'Bridgewater Canal' on the ground floor gallery and a 3 colour lino print 'Hideaway' in the upstairs gallery.

It's a lovely, varied exhibition, primarily featuring artists from across the North West - admission is free and most work is for sale. Come along and have a look!

I'll be adding photos shortly. It's great to see the SKarts Award go to printmaker Kevin Holdaway's work 'Athenian rooftops with Lykavittos' which was one of my own favourites.