John Jones Linoprints

One of the highlights of our day visiting Scarborough recently was calling in to John Jones' studio a few miles to the north of the town. We wanted to visit John as Vicky likes linocut prints.

John uses the reduction block method to create his prints. This involves building up a picture with layers of different coloured ink, working from lighter to darker shades. For each layer areas of the lino surface are carved or etched to form the printing area needed for the layer. When the final layer is complete, the block can't be used to make any more prints as the patterns for all the previous layers have been reduced to the final one. The end result is not only visually attractive but is also a high quality piece of art.

We were given a demonstration of the actual printing process using a linocut of a goose that John had previously used to make Christmas cards. He used a roller to apply ink to the lino then positioned the block in the press, a hand-operated Albion platen press from around 1830. In a matter of seconds, he had a perfect print of a goose!

John normally uses photographs or drawings to guide his work, either copying them closely or simply using them to inspire his own interpretation of the subject. Although he doesn't favour any particular themes in his work, we did notice that there are quite a few windows - stylish Georgian fanlights, Gothic style windows framing the scenes beyond them and, our favourite, images representing the seasons viewed through the window of a railway carriage.

As we were about to leave, John gave us the goose print he had made - a lovely reminder of our visit.

Vicky and Vince,
Love Your Art

Press Freedom

We always look forward to our trips to Richmond Station in North Yorkshire. And on Friday evening we were rewarded as usual with an exciting show of works by twenty of the UK's most popular printmakers.

As we strolled around the building, we were amazed at the broad variety of techniques used: etching, linocut, lithography, aquatint etching, screen printing and engraving. And with an even wider range of subjects and styles there was literally something for everyone to enjoy.

This made it very difficult for us to pick out a couple of particularly interesting pictures to write about. In the end, we agreed that everything was attractive and of high quality. So here are just a few of the things we saw in no particular order of preference.

Tescopolis, by Martin Langford, showed a busy townscape where all the buildings, vehicles and signs were branded or referred to Tesco, suggesting they are taking over the world. The only exception was an advertisement for The History Channel showing a program about Sainsburys.

Vicky's eye was caught by linocuts produced by Colin Moore. He has been influenced by Edward Bawden among others and Vicky instantly recognised the general style. The print "Suffolk" was her favourite with its soft colours and English themes.

Appropriate to the location in a former railway station, Gail Brodholt had a number of pictures showing railway stations and scenes. These were quite atmospheric, and were printed in strong, unusual, almost neon colours.

Ghost by Chris Pig was a detailed engraving that showed a building with ghost-like clouds swirling overhead. Chris has been influenced by film noire amongst other things and the building looks like it has a dark and scary past.

There were several attractive etchings of animals by Sonia Rollo including hares and cows. And Maggie, the cute little dog with big eyes made you just want to say "Ahhh".

We are hoping to win the competition running during the show. The prize is a copy of Nige Barges Past by Anita Klein. It shows a domestic scene which, like our own kitchen, is cramped, limited in space and means we are always bumping into each other. It is also typical of the way we use our kitchen: Vicky likes to cook and Vince likes to clear the cupboards of crisps, biscuits, etc. Hang on, that looks like our oven in the background too!

The show runs until 6th May 2011 and all the prints are available for sale. More details on the Press Freedom exhibition web site.

Vicky and Vince,

Love Your Art

Food, Glorious Food!

After the indulgences of Christmas and having polished off the last of yummy chocolates, cakes and puddings, we decided we needed to get out for some healthy fresh air. So last Sunday we had a trip to the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle to see Damien Hirst's current exhibition.

The exhibited works were grouped into four sections: photogravure prints of skulls and butterflies, Spirograph style drawings, spot paintings (multi-coloured circles) and pictures of medicine packaging modified to represent food, rather than tablets, as the contents. It was the latter display that caught our attention the most.

The thirteen prints of food packaged as medicine, collectively known as "The Last Supper", are intended to question the relative importance of drugs and food and whether people in the modern world can survive without both of these. The prints were cleverly presented using drug company packaging with the ingredients changed to items of food and the brands replaced by variations on Hirst's name.

We laughed at the idea of food as medicine: imagine popping a small pink capsule of sausage or having steak and kidney pie fed intravenously! We also wondered about the Science Fiction connection and the rehydrated food used by astronauts on space flights. We decided that we preferred the tastier and healthier option of preparing and eating natural food - the colours, tastes and smells that bring so much pleasure to life.

As we wandered round the other galleries, we were reminded that food has been a popular subject in fine art over the centuries. An oil painting by Henri Fantin-Latour with fruits and flowers looked so tasty we wished we could eat them (the fruits that is, not the flowers). Damien Hirst has brought this tradition of food in art into the 21st Century with familiar commercial packaging and a pop art style to give us plenty of food for thought (sorry!).

By now we were getting hungry and headed downstairs to the cafe. We were relieved to find that there were no fish and chip pills or dumpling suppositories on the menu and enjoyed a nice cup of Yorkshire Tea instead.

The "Damien Hirst: Print Maker" exhibition runs until 27th February 2011. More details are on the Bowes Museum web site.

Vicky and Vince,
Love Your Art