I’ve always found myself drawn to the smallest detail; the pattern of camouflage in a feather, one fascinating pebble on a whole beach, the delicate creases in a single petal.
This long-held love of the mostly overlooked found a natural home in linocutting. To make it even more of a challenge, I usually work in monochrome. Black and white relief printing is a pretty exacting medium; there’s no colour to hide behind and you’re left with just mark making to show reflections in the eyes, how muscles look under the skin, and in which direction the hair grows.
I think this is why I love it so much, it’s just the subject, the lino, me, and my trusty tools.
After years of working in publishing as an illustrator and designer, when I first found linocutting I discovered that it is completely hands-on, something that very much appealed to me after years of on-screen work. I love the frisson of jeopardy that accompanies working with lino—there is no “Undo” button when you’re cutting a block!
I am an emerging artist and am starting to show my prints and cards in galleries and exhibitions around the UK.