The Great Print Exhibition 2019 +

Hi there

As we're heading towards the end of the year, it is usually a time to slow down and recharge, but no(!), hot on the heels of my solo exhibition in Bamford and my appearance at the Woolwich Contemporary 2019, I'm now taking part in The Great Print Exhibition 2019 in Penrith!

It is apparently the biggest exhibition of original print in the UK, featuring over 80 artists and over 500 artworks! I have six prints in the show; donkeys, dogs, birds and landscapes. It runs from 6th December 2019 until 8th March 2020 at Rheged Centre Redhills, Penrith Cumbria CA11 0DQ, and is open 10am-5pm each day.



This is a selection of some of the work on show  (not including my own!)


LAST 2 EVENTS OF THE YEAR
I have two events left this year, and they are as follows:

Welbeck Winter Weekend
Fri 22nd to Sun 24th November 2019, The Welbeck Estate, Welbeck, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, S80 3LL, 10am-5pm (fri & sat), 10am-4pm (sun)
I'm returning to this great event for another year. Loads of great art and craft, and fine food and drink too. A quality event!

Winter Arts Market
Sat 7th December 2019, Liverpool Cathedral, St James’ Mount, Liverpool L1 7AZ, 10am-7pm
I've not done this event before but I hear good things! If it is anything like the Summer one is should be fab (no pun intended!).


NEW PRINT!
Finally, I have one new print to tell you about, and it is a 'Barn Owl'! It is a 2-colour linocut print, hand-pressed on A4 size paper, in an edition of 100. It is available now in my Folksy shop.



FINALLY...
A big THANK YOU, as ever for showing an interest in what I do. I know there are a million artists and printmakers out there, showing their work on numerous platforms, and it means a lot when people connect with my work. I feel very lucky to do what I do for a job (I still pinch myself after all these years), and I never take it for granted. I hope you all have a great festive break.

Cheerio

JAMES x

New exhibition, prints, t-shirts and loads of events...

Hi there

As ever, I'm behind with updating my blog, but I have lots of things going on to tell you about.

NEW EXHIBITION

I have a new exhibition at The Angler's Rest in Bamford, Derbyshire. It is a print retrospective of work I have created in the last three years or so. The venue is a great community-run pub and gallery, right in the middle of the Peak District. The exhibition features seventeen pieces; birds, stones, donkey and landscapes, and runs from 4th October until 6th November 2019. there is also a 'meet the artist' evening on 3rd Oct from 7.30pm, if you want to say 'hi'! I'm also running a linocut workshop there on 19th October, which has now sold out.

NEW WORKS


I have three new prints to show you, the first being a poster-print version of my 'Matlock Bath' linocut. The original sold out a while ago, so this version is in different colours, and A3 in size. It is available in my Folksy shop.

Secondly there is a two-colour linocut/screenprint entitled 'Terraces No.2'. It is actually based on a Sheffield view, but I wanted to make the image more as a typical British terrace street scene; the patterns of windows, rooftops, chimneys, doors, clouds and trees.


















Lastly, I have a new bird print. It is a one-colour print of a couple of 'House Sparrows'. I actually created it while demonstrating linocut at the Craft Festival at Bovey Tracey, in Devon this year.

TSHIRTS!


I have a new collaboration to announce in the form of a t-shirt! I've always wanted to create a donkey t-shirt, so I'm very excited about this. Hunk Print are well known in Sheffield and beyond for being the #1 screen-printers in town. You name it, they can print onto it! Anyway, we've collaborated on a 2-colour donkey design on lovely fairtrade cotton t-shirts, and you can order them now in all sizes. They are £28 each.


EVENTS

HULL PRINT FAIR
Sat 28th September 2019, 66-68 Humber Street, Hull HU1 1TU, 10am-5pm
This will be my first time at HPF. I'm really looking forward to it. Over 30 printmakers and print demos too!

NORTHERN CRAFT - GATESHEAD
Sat 5th and Sun 6th October 2019, BALTIC, S Shore Rd, Gateshead NE8 3BA, 11am-5pm
The mighty Northern Craft head further north to the mighty Baltic Centre For Contemporary Art! Two days of mighty fine contemporary craft, plus no doubt some great refreshments too!

GREAT NORTHERN CONTEMPORARY CRAFT FAIR - MANCHESTER 2019
Fri 11th to Sun 13th October 2019, Upper Campfield Market Hall, Campfield Arcade, 300 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 4FN
This will be my second time at GNCCF Manchester. It was great last time, a really big event with so many great artists and craftspeople from all over the UK and further afield.

ART& 2019
Fri 25th to Sun 27th October 2019, York Racecourse, Racecourse Road, Knavesmire Road, York YO23 1EX, 10am-5pm
This will be my first time at Art&, although I used to take part in their previous art Market events in Holmfirth. It has grown into one of the best art fairs in the UK, with a pretty exciting line-up of artists, plus lots of other activities to get involved with.

The Donkey Monoliths

So, as I mentioned last blog, I have a new exhibition starting very soon, on 13th June 2019. It is entitled 'The Donkey Monoliths', and is a series of eight new linocut-screen-prints.

I had the idea for the series a few months back, when mulling the idea over about further donkey prints and also wanting to incorporated some kind of sculpture in my work. So off I went to buy some Plasticene, and things started happening!

I made several small sculptures on which I imagined the donkeys exploring as a landscape, as a continuation of the donkey-world I've featured previously. I felt it important to actually make the sculptures, rather than just imagine them this time, as I wanted to get a sense of solidity into the shapes, and make them look like convincing 3D-ish landscapes. I love abstract sculpture and I think this is my way of paying tribute to that.

So after I made the sculptures, I then photographed them, created linocuts, added the donkeys and then printed them finally as screen-prints. The large prints (A2) are in a small edition of ten, and the smaller (A3) are an edition of fifteen. If there are any prints left over after the exhibition I'll put them in my Folksy shop. All are printed with System 3 inks on lovely Seawhite Antique White 290gsm paper.

Here are some work-in-progress photos from the project.

The exhibition opening is on Thursday 13th June , 6-9pm at Colours May Vary in Leeds. The exhibition then runs until 2nd July 2019. It is a very lovely book/art/craft/magazine shop in Leeds that also has a gallery space.

I hope you can make it down!

James

New donkey exhibition, more new prints, a new workshop date and loads of new events..

Hi there

It is never a straightforward life being an artist, is it? Or being self-employed generally.

Life never trundles along at an even pace. Instead there are periods of calm, followed by mad panicking and self-doubt. It isn't that bad all the time, but the last few months have been a little testing at times. HOWEVER, I bring you news, some quite exciting news, really, oh plus some new prints.

NEW EXHIBITION!

I'm very excited indeed to announce that I have a new exhibition called 'The Donkey Monoliths' next month! It takes place in Leeds at Colours May Vary, a fantastic art/bookshop/gallery, just near the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

I have created a new series of prints where my donkeys explore a sculptural landscape. Eight new linocut/screenprints, and a small edition of each (between ten and fifteen copies). The exhibition runs from 13th June until 2nd July 2019, with the preview evening on Thursday 13th June, 6-9pm. Any prints left over from the exhibition will be put in my Folksy shop. I'll blog more info soon, with some behind-the-scenes pics!


NEW PRINTS
I have two new prints to show you too.


Firstly I have a new landscape print of 'Polperro' in Cornwall. I visited last year while on holiday, and loved the place. so I have created a two-colour hand-pressed linocut of a view across the bay, in an edition of 100. The print is available in my Folksy shop and at events.


Secondly, and due to popular demand, I have created a poster-print version of my 'Olive The Whippet' linocut.  It is A3 size, printed in a red/brown and grey, and available in my Folksy shop and at events..


WORKSHOPS
I don't do many of these kinds of workshops, but I have one coming up in July:

'Two-colour/Advanced linocut printing' workshop

Sat 20th July 2019

10am-4pm

The Art House
8 Backfields
Sheffield
S1 4HJ

£45 per place

This workshop is designed for people who have already taken part in one of my 'intro' workshops previously, or recently done linocut elsewhere. Participants will learn how to do two-colour printing techniques, or explore one-colour compositions further. There are eight places in total on this workshop, and all participants must be over 16.


To book, please email me on jgprintworks@hotmail.com


EVENTS
While I'm here I might as well let you know the events that I'm taking part in over the next couple of months:


MANCHESTER PRINT FAIR
Sat 11th May 2019, Manchester Cathedral, Victoria Street, Manchester M3 1SX, 10am-4pm
I'm very happy to be returning to MPF after taking part in their brilliant Stockport event. Loads of interesting printmakers and workshops too.

PAPERDOLLS MARKET
Sat 18th May 2019, The Custard Factory, Digbeth, Birmingham, 11am-5pm
This is my first time at this or any Birmingham event! Loads of lovey craft, plants and workshops. I've heard very good things about this one!

SALTAIRE ARTS TRAIL - MAKERS FAIR
Sat 25th, Sun 26th and Mon 27th May 2019, Victoria Hall, Victoria Rd, Saltaire, Shipley BD18 3JS, 10am-5pm.
I always look forward to the Makers Fair at SAT. The atmosphere is always great at this event, with loads of quality makers, workshops, music, food and drink.

SUMMER ARTS MARKET
Sat 1st June 2019, Liverpool Cathedral, St James Mt, Liverpool L1 7AZ, 10am-6pm
I took part in this last year, and it was a really great event. Loads of stalls and a good mix of art and crafts, plus an amazing venue too.

THE CONTEMPORARY CRAFT FESTIVAL 2019
Fri 7th to Sun 9th June 2019, Mill Marsh Park, Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ13 9NB, 10am-5pm
When they refer to this event as a festival they certainly mean it! I took part in this last year, and was blown away by the size of the event. there are films, workshops, loads of food and drink, live music, talks and not least over 100 amazing artists and craftspeople. The standard is pretty mind-blowing. This year I have a tent to myself, as I am demonstrating linocutting. I will be cutting some new artwork, plus doing some printing (with my portable press). I will also have my prints available to buy too.

NORTHERN CRAFT - SHEFFIELD
Sat 15th June 2019, Trafalgar Warehouse, 120 Trafalgar Street, Sheffield S1 4JT, 11am-5pm
The NC team certain know how to put on a good fair. I've done a few now, and they've always been excellent; Well organised, top-quality art and craft, good food and music too. Sheffield is lucky to have them!

CRAFTED BY HAND
Sun 30th June 2019, Masham Town Hall, Little Market Place. Masham., HG4 4DY, 10am-4pm
This is a pretty well-established event in North Yorkshire. I took part a few years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I thought it about time to revisit. They curate a very wide range of great art and craft, and it is a super-friendly event too.

Donkeys and dogs (and cats)..

Hi there

I'm not going to apologise for the delay in my blog update. I think you're probably used to it by now. January has proved an interesting month. It is seen by a lot of creative people to be a month to get creative, as it is a fairly quiet time for events and selling in general. However this doesn't always work out. The pressure to create, just because it is January can prove very 'uncreative'. It can make things very tricky, a little like writers-block, I guess. You just have to relax and let the ideas come.

All this said, I have had a pretty creative month (phew)! I have created two (technically four) new prints and a new poster-print too.


NEW PRINTS

Firstly, I have created a donkey triptych (Why, I hear you ask? Why not..), entitled 'The Donkey Trip'. It started out life as one linocut, and I've separated it into three to create the screen-print. They took quite some doing, but I'm very happy with how they turned out. The prints are A5 size, printed with the same grey and orange colours, but with a different blue/green for each print in the sky/foreground. The edition is 50, printed on 220gsm off-white paper. You can buy them individually, or all together (at a slightly cheaper price) in my Folksy shop.

Next there are two versions of a linocut I have made of a friends' dog called 'Woody'. He's a very chilled-out hound, and has that far-away look I wanted to try and capture in print. The first version is the hand-printed one. It is a two-colour screen-print, 56x38cm, printed on lovely 290gsm Antique Seawhite paper. the edition is only 20 prints. The second version is an A3 size poster print. Both are available in my Folksy shop.

Lastly, my 'Otto No.3' print sold out of its original hand-printed edition, so I have decided to create an A3 poster-print version of him, with a duck-egg blue background..

EVENTS

I've got three events coming up in March...

THE HEPWORTH WAKEFIELD PRINT FAIR
Fri 1st, Sat 2nd and Sun 3rd March 2019, The Hepworth Wakefield, Gallery Walk, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 5AW, 10am-5pm
I'm so excited about this print fair! It has become the one that everyone talks about, over the last few years. The selection of artists there is really wonderful, and it is really a must for any print fans.

MADE BY HAND
Fri 8th, Sat 9th and Sun 10th March 2019,The Town Hall, Imperial Square, Cheltenham GL50 1QA, 10am-5pm
This will be my first time as an exhibitor to this event, which is connected to the Contemporary Craft festival in Bovey Tracey, Devon. It looks pretty big (100 exhibitors), full of all sorts of quality ceramics, glass, print, metal, paper and textiles. Tickets are available from their website.

MILLENNIUM GALLERY CRAFT MARKET
Sat 30th March 2019, Arundel Gate, Sheffield, S1 2PP, 10am-5pm
I'm back in Sheffield for this event for the first time in a while. Great location, and no doubt a whole load of interesting art and crafts.

WORKSHOPS

I have one workshop currently available for booking

'Introduction to Linocut' workshop
Saturday 13th April 2019
10am-4pm, The Art House, 8 Backfields, Sheffield, S1 4HJ

£45 per place

This workshop is an introduction to linocut printing. There are eight places, and during the day you'll learn how to create a one-colour linocutprint (size 10.5x15cm). You'll learn how to compose your image, cut the lino and then print.

All materials are included, and no experience is necessary. Tea, coffee and biscuits are also included. There are eight places in total on this workshop, and all participants must be over 16.

To book, please email me on jgprintworks@hotmail.com