There and Back Again
A commission, celebrating the love and adventures of an intrepid pair. The places and objects in this print reflect the things most important to the couple and their lives together, accompanied by faithful pets.
I enjoyed letting my imagination run wild on this one, manipulating landscape and using a whole host of different marks to convey the sense of a journey, shared, and full of excitement. This journey has no defined ending, and also contains a healthy dose of circular diversions and repeat visits to beloved places.
Edition of 15, hand pulled using oil based ink on Japanese Hosho paper
Each copy signed and editioned
There and Back Again
A human love story, extraordinary yet ordinary, full of adventure amongst the routine, fired by a fascination with the natural world, favourite walks and shared moments together, There and Back Again attempts to weave the many strands of a relationship into one single block print.
My clients’ brief was to make a print to celebrate an anniversary, and to capture something of who they are. They talked about their fascination with and deep love of the natural world, especially that which they could find on their doorstep. They also both enjoy fantasy writing, particularly the works of JRR Tolkien, and undertaking long walking challenges. There were particular plants, places and animals which held special meaning for them both, and I worked each one into this print, keeping the image coherent whilst summarising them and the things they hold dear. They also loved other single block linocuts they had seen of mine, so a decision was taken very early on to do the same for them.
I love this sort of challenge: condensing so much into one image, telling a story through visual clues which resonates with my client but also makes an image with wider appeal.