Workshops

August has been a busy month for me and it’s not over yet.

On Sunday 10th August, I helped my friend out at an Intaglio printmaking workshop organised by Stockport Art Guild.

Alan Birch was running a 3 hour drypoint session at Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery with approximately 15 participants. I was in charge of preparing the paper ensuring it was damp enough and blotted and ready for being printed. The prints created that day were of high quality and there is the possibility of running some more workshops.

A week later on Sunday 17th, I had my chance to run my own workshop at the art gallery which was demonstrating how to create Eco Image Transfer prints.

The 2 hour session went well and participants created some interesting work on cartridge paper, Balsa wood and Fabriano paper. The purpose of the workshop was to introduce this mono printmaking technique using household objects and materials.

I included a photo of the art gallery as a printing subject as it tied in well with the centenary celebrations of the war memorial and art gallery.

Last weekend, I visited the heritage centre based inside St. Mary’s church at the marketplace. The centre is open every Tuesday and Saturday.

The archive includes many photographs, found objects from archeological digs and books about the history of the town.

I spoke with one of its patrons, Jill Trumble and had a look through some of the photographic archive. I think a repeat visit is on the cards as next month there will be an exhibition on Woodbank hall.

I still have to sign and edition my prints for International Print Exchange and the Hotbed press 20:20.

My IPE submission: ‘Calm’ Eco Image Transfer on Fabriano paper.

The Centenary Open at Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery came to an end on Sunday 24th August and I will be collecting my etching print depicting the Produce Hall this coming weekend.

Me next to my etching print of the Produce Hall.

Pear Mill print

Last weekend, I was working on my etching print of the tower at Pear Mill. The roof of the tower at Pear Mill is in the shape of a pear. I like the shape of the tower and all the patterns in the brick work. I will continue to work on the print a bit more next month.

I visited my local library the other day and discovered an interesting book written by Steve Cliffe about Stockport

“Stockport History and Guide by Steve Cliffe

The book is a fascinating read and charts the early settlement of was known as ‘Stokeport’ around 1066 up to present day.

Recently I submitted one of my etching aquatints in the Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery Centenary Open Exhibition 2025. I chose the print I created of the Produce Hall.

I also heard that there is to be a new exhibition planned for the autumn organised by Stockport Art Guild in Didsbury.

PrintFest visit

Earlier this month, I visited PrintFest in Ulverston. Founded in 2001, the festival brings together top artists/printmakers from around the United Kingdom who showcase and sell their contemporary prints at Coronation Hall (‘The Coro’). Printmakers also share their practices and learn from each other.

I purchased a large etching print while I was there as an early birthday present for my mum.

While at the event, I met up with my artist friend Pete Marsh who was one of the artists exhibiting.

The festival provides visitors the chance to chat with the artists and to attend workshops to learn about the art of printmaking.

A week later, I meet up with Pete at his new artist studio at the Falcon Mill Artist Studios and Gallery (FaMAS) open studios event in Bolton. Pete initially setup the FaMAS studios in 2011. The artist studios have increased in numbers since I last visited. There are now 40 studios at the mill.

I purchase one of Pete’s etchings of a horse rider while I was at the open studio event.

The following weekend, I along with a group of friends visited the Portland Basin museum in Ashton-Under-Lyne. I spotted a Letter press machine in one of the shop recreations inside the museum.

The museum on two floors and is a fascinating and well laid out space. The museum backs onto the Ashton canal and there is a chance to go on a short canal trip.

A few weeks ago, I met with a member of staff from Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery who gave me information on the upcoming Centenary Open Exhibition to be held at the gallery next month in celebration of the war memorial art galleries 100 years. I decided to visit my favourite picture framer to get some of my prints ready for future exhibitions. According to the rules, you can only submit one artwork.

Last week, the walking group that I am a member of organised an evening walk of 4 miles around Vernon Park and Woodbank Park.

The walk has given me inspiration to produce a series of Eco Image Transfer prints based on these two local parks. Here is a selection of my prints below.

In a few months, I plan to host another Eco Image Transfer workshop at Stockport Art Gallery similar to the recent Art for All Day.

As part of my study of Woodbank Hall, I made a sketch of the buildings exterior.

I hope to combining my sketch with Eco Image Transfer technique.

I recently purchased an a4 Pooki relief press which I will be using at home to produce new Lino prints.

As another month closes, I look forward to the next few months and more printmaking in the works and maybe another photo walk around town perhaps.

Cheers for now.

Hats, prints and a print exhibition

Earlier this month, I visited the newly opened bus interchange in the heart of the town. The bus interchange can be accessed on foot from the main A6 and also a new pathway and bridge not far from the railway station.

Rooftop garden at Stockport Bus Exchange

There’s an oval roof top wall walk way with a tree lined garden and observation deck overlooking the Mersey.

My first impressions of the bus station were good and I liked the roof top garden which is called ‘Viaduct Park’.

Following on from the bus station, I arrived at the newly refurnished Hatworks museum to host a meetup event with my local history meetup group call ‘History Get Together’.

The museum explores the international connection with the hat industry. We were lucky to have a tour of the museum and witness the hat making machinery in motion. There’s a gallery of hats on the second floor.

From the 1st to 30th June, the Derby Print Open 2024 will be displaying artwork by printmakers from around the UK. The exhibition organised by Green Door Printmaking Studios is dedicated to original hand pulled prints and I am thrilled to have 3 of my etching prints in this year’s exhibition.

The exhibition is like an art trail with a small number of local venues which are all nearby one another around the town of Derby.

A few weeks ago, I attended an experimental 1-day screen printing workshop organised by Green Door Printmaking Studios.

I decided to use a subject from my printmaking project which I had covered previously as a drypoint. I decided to use a photo of St Thomas’s hospital buildings as the basis of my screen print. The idea was to combined a photographic image, a loose outline sketch of the building, an old map of the town some background sky. I combined these elements to form a colourful illustrative set of unique prints.

Photo of myself at Green Door Printmaking Studios in Derby

The results were impressive and I intend to do more prints in this way.

Next month: Mezzotint printmaking.

New Year photo walk

Happy belated new year. I thought I would publish my first blog post of the 2023 about my recent photo walk around the marketplace that I did yesterday on a cold sunny Saturday afternoon.

Starting my photo walk on Lower Hillgate, I made my way along Wellington Street up to the Robinsons brewery visitors centre which is on Apsley Street. Making my way pass the stables housing the shire horses for the brewery, I made my way down Churchgate heading towards the marketplace.

Robinsons Brewery in background with the patterned pavement barrier in front.

On Churchgate, I took a couple of photos of the signage on the side of the brewery building in the distance and noticed a metal barrier in front of me had an interesting pattern which looked like aircraft rotary blades. This could be a connection to the former AVRO aircraft factory which was prominent in the town for many years and which has since closed down. The factory was based south of Stockport town centre in the Cheshire village of Woodford where there is now a heritage museum at the former site.

I arrived at the marketplace and decided to walk down towards Mealhouse brow, a steep incline of a street which eventually heads down towards the Underbank. As it happens, the dungeon was open for viewing and I had a look round as I have never visited this heritage site before.

Before 1824, Stockport justice was administered from this small building and prisoners were held in the cells. It was well worth the visit and I managed to have a look around one of the two cells that was accessible to the public from some steep steps. I was able to look through a hole in the cell wall and view the adjacent cell. While I was in the building, I learnt about the people who had been unlucky to have been imprisoned in the cells and learnt of the gruesome stories of murderers and their fate at the hands of the authorities.

After visiting the dungeon, I walked up towards Staircase House located in the marketplace. I took a few photos of the building and also some of the produce hall which I remember used to be a fish-mongers hall. It is now a trendy food outlet where you can dine-in and have lunch from various eateries. The produce hall is very popular especially at weekends all year round.

Having taken some photos of Staircase House and the Produce Hall, I headed for a much needed coffee at a well-known coffee shop outlet on Warren Street.

After enjoying my Flat White, I returned to the marketplace and took a series of photographs of the exteriors of the Boars Head and the Bakers Vault public houses from different angles. I must admit I’ve never been inside the Bakers Vault.

On my return to my car, I spotted a ghost sign on Park Street near the marketplace. I think the sign was advertising a men’s tailoring shop. There are quite a few ghost signs around Stockport and I spotted another one as I drove home.

Maybe I could do a blog post about these sorts of signs as there are many of them in the area.

Stopford House print

Yesterday, I completed my latest etching aquatint print depicting the council offices building named Stopford House.

The view is of the back of the building and courtyard. A brutalist building constructed in the mid-70’s made of patterned concrete, metal and glass.

An evening with the History Guy

This evening I attended a very enjoyable entertaining and fascinating history show hosted by historian and tv presenter Dan Snow. Stockport was mentioned in the second half of the show such as the railway viaduct, Stockport’s hat industry, the air raid shelters and the Plaza theatre. The Plaza has an amazing interior.

Cobden statue prints

Just added a coat of acrylic varnish to my recent Gelli / matte medium transfer prints. The varnish covers any traces of paper not previously removed from the print.

The prints above depict the Richard Cobden statue on Petersgate.

Cobden was a free trade pioneer and became MP for Stockport in 1841. He lead the anti-Corn law campaign within Parliament.

The 16ft statue which has been in situ since the 1880’s was moved to a new location due to redevelopment of the square.

Gum Arabic prints

“Gargoyle (Bramall hall)” Gum Arabic (c) Neil Robinson

“Chadkirk Monk sculpture” Gum Arabic (c) Neil Robinson

Two Gum Arabic prints I created for the project.

Gargoyle, Bramhall Hall

Chardkirk monk wood carving, Chadkirk

Tiviot Dale print

Here is my latest etching aquatint print of ‘Tiviot Dale Railway’ that I created yesterday from sketches and reference photos depicting the once active railway line and station. If you look closely, the print shows what has become of the area with a motorway and the new shopping development of Redrock. This print completes a set of three prints showing Stockport’s past.

Size: 25 x 11 cms