This image is from a series of woodblock prints I made in autumn (2021), which I called 'Time and Tide'.
The series was made after carefully studying the wood block and noticing how beautiful the graining of the wood was. A slice of tree, showing the passing of time, expressing the ebb and flow of ecological events. Unable to bring myself to carve any image of my own design onto the wood, I instead let the carving tool follow the natural grain of the wood. When I inked up the block and took the first print, it suggested to me a seascape.
The original hand burnished prints are made using watercolour pigment and printed on Japanese washi paper (kozo natural). I made this run of prints in Indian red, one of the oldest known earth pigments used in cave paintings.
This piece speaks to me of the rising sea levels caused by global warming, red being a signal or warning, to stop, to pay attention, to attend to rising matters of concern.
It's now Time for the Tide to Turn.
This piece was titled 'Red Tide', referring to a naturally occurring phenomena. Red tides can be hazardous to human health and sea life. They are caused by algae that grow in the water, the water changes colour in a red tide because the population of algae living in the water becomes so dense. Red tides have been around since long before humans. However, certain human activities are making them more frequent. Chemicals from farming, factories, sewage treatment plants and other sources can become dissolved in water on the land. This water, called runoff, eventually flows into the ocean and can cause algae to grow faster, leading to red tides.
Fellow artist and friend Jo Dacombe has chosen to publish the image in the October 2022 edition of IMMINENT. The zine is produced using recycled paper and plant based inks, printed through a riso printer running on sustainable energy sources. Imminent is a collection of words and images by contemporary creative writers and artists around the UK, edited by Jo, with whom I share the sentiment that the physical object has an agency which we often miss in these times of digital consumption. Jo's concept behind the zine is that "The zine will not exist online, because it needs to be a material thing. I believe that the experience of holding something in your hand that is tangible and has been produced from the world, and considering how that thing came to be, as well as our relationship with it, is part of the environmental connection that we need to renew in our current times.". To obtain a copy please click here to be directed to Jo's blog.
The series was made after carefully studying the wood block and noticing how beautiful the graining of the wood was. A slice of tree, showing the passing of time, expressing the ebb and flow of ecological events. Unable to bring myself to carve any image of my own design onto the wood, I instead let the carving tool follow the natural grain of the wood. When I inked up the block and took the first print, it suggested to me a seascape.
The original hand burnished prints are made using watercolour pigment and printed on Japanese washi paper (kozo natural). I made this run of prints in Indian red, one of the oldest known earth pigments used in cave paintings.
This piece speaks to me of the rising sea levels caused by global warming, red being a signal or warning, to stop, to pay attention, to attend to rising matters of concern.
It's now Time for the Tide to Turn.
This piece was titled 'Red Tide', referring to a naturally occurring phenomena. Red tides can be hazardous to human health and sea life. They are caused by algae that grow in the water, the water changes colour in a red tide because the population of algae living in the water becomes so dense. Red tides have been around since long before humans. However, certain human activities are making them more frequent. Chemicals from farming, factories, sewage treatment plants and other sources can become dissolved in water on the land. This water, called runoff, eventually flows into the ocean and can cause algae to grow faster, leading to red tides.
Fellow artist and friend Jo Dacombe has chosen to publish the image in the October 2022 edition of IMMINENT. The zine is produced using recycled paper and plant based inks, printed through a riso printer running on sustainable energy sources. Imminent is a collection of words and images by contemporary creative writers and artists around the UK, edited by Jo, with whom I share the sentiment that the physical object has an agency which we often miss in these times of digital consumption. Jo's concept behind the zine is that "The zine will not exist online, because it needs to be a material thing. I believe that the experience of holding something in your hand that is tangible and has been produced from the world, and considering how that thing came to be, as well as our relationship with it, is part of the environmental connection that we need to renew in our current times.". To obtain a copy please click here to be directed to Jo's blog.
the original hand burnished Japanese woodblock print on kozo natural 6"x9" (2021)