Author: stockportinprint

I specialize in printmaking especially etching aquatint and my other passion is painting seascapes and landscapes in acrylics. I am also interested in photography and experimenting with digital art. As a starting point, I use a mixture of sketches and photography to create prints and paintings. The artwork and design featured on this web site originates from my school, college and university days and also more recent work that I have created from regular printmaking workshops and art holidays. I regularly exhibit my art in the annual Stockport Art Guild exhibition of which I am a member.

Mailbox Stockport Lino-print

Mailbox Stockport apartment block
Reduction Lino cut ‘Mailbox Stockport’

In the months of July and August, I have completed a 7 colour reduction lino-cut print depicting the Mailbox Stockport apartment block which is a former post office building that had been abandoned for years. The building is located in the centre of Stockport just off the A6 main road not far from the railway station. The new building has real foliage and bright green tiled walls on it’s exterior.

I used oil based inks from Hawthorn Printmakers this time apart from the green which is a mix of water-based Pea green and oil based Titanium white. The effect of mixing a water based ink with oil based printing ink is very interesting in that it creates a unusual pattern when the print dries.

I created a total of 10 prints from the plate which I cut down until only a few pieces of linoleum remained. The red colour used in the print was added with watercolour paint.

Returning to the studio

Social distancing screens installed in the studio

On Sunday I attended a printmaking workshop for the first time in over three months since the lock down began on 23rd March in the UK. My printmaking friend Alan Birch organises weekly workshops for individuals and school groups. Times have been tough for the creative industry during lockdown and my friend has had to install measures such as screens dividing work areas, the use of hand santisers and the 2 metre social distancing rule. During my time away from attending studio workshops, I continued printing at home using my own portable press and hand printing Linos using my handmade printing jig. You can see the results of my efforts in previous posts.

“The secret doorway”

Since my last visit, I have completed a new etching for the forthcoming Towneley Hall exhibition which will open in August (see image above). The print is titled “The secret doorway”.

My latest etching features the river Mersey taken from one of my archive photographs. I hope to complete the print on my next visit to Prospect studios.

Mersey print in progress
“Mersey and Regent House”

Cyanotype: Stockport college

Here are another selection of Cyanotypes (Sun-prints) this time depicting Stockport college selected from some of my digital photographs. The photographs I chose were transferred onto special inkjet compatible OHP transparencies before being used to create the final images. Some moisture blotted the transparency image creating a watery look to the ‘window’ print which was a bit of serendipity.

Greek street building (Window)
Greek street building
Old and new (outline image) Greek street buildings