I am a Broadstairs-based illustrator and printmaker, working mainly in linocut (sometimes known as linogravure). I set up The Black Gold Press in 2013, offering illustration services, one off commissions and limited edition prints.
My heritage, and chief inspiration for initially picking up a lino-cutting tool, lies in the (ex) coal mining communities of the Rhondda Valleys, South Wales.
Mainly working from vintage photographs, as well as my own, my linocut mission is to honour and emulate the spirit, energy and edge of the Expressionist originators of the medium; one which has often been used through the years, and across the world, in political and protest art.
As well as industry, my other areas of interest are tradition (the stranger, the better), eccentricity, tribalism, exploration, folklore, palaeontology and the human interaction with the animal kingdom. Living on the Kent coast – with its heady mix of seaside towns, folk festivals, history and colourful characters – provides me with a plentiful supply of subject matter.
Producing a lino print involves a number of processes and skills, including drawing, carving and inking a lino block, to finally creating the printed image on a printing press or sometimes simply by hand. In addition to the (deceptive) simplicity of linocut, I enjoy the physical nature of making art in this way and I love seeing the evidence of the artist’s individual marks and cuts in the final prints – each of which are unique.
By finding new and interesting avenues for my designs – which have recently included a Laser dinghy sail, a poetry anthology illustration and an album cover – I hope to help elevate linocut as a legitimate and thought-provoking contemporary form. I'm currently working on a project with one of my favourite bands and can't wait to share the results.
I'm available for commissions, collaborations and other opportunities to mess about with ink, so please get in touch.
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