SIM PUBLISHING

Home     Publications     Artwork     News     Links     About

ORIGINAL LIMITED EDITION RELIEF PRINTS

INTRODUCTION

This series of block prints began in May 2004, partially in response to being selected as the featured artist for Amphora, Number 135, the journal of the Alcuin Society, and partly just because I wanted to. I consider many of my pen and ink drawings to be one step short of being a block print, as the images have already been selected, focussed, filtered, and presented as simply as a block print would be. Some drawings are intended to be used as the template for a block print. I just hadn't previously taken the time to start cutting them.


Tools I typically use for lino cutting: X-acto knife with 011 blade; palm gouge; U or V hand gouge.


My antique J. Smart press (originally called a copying press).


A vertical assembly of the components that I use for printing.


A planholder drawer full of relief print blocks and copper etching plates (upper right).

I enjoy the quiet workmanship involved in cutting a block, and the mental rigour necessary to decide what to cut and what to leave - all of it in the negative, and hopefully mirrored before starting to cut the block. Making the prints is another enjoyable physical process, one that connects me to centuries of printmakers, with its slow repetitive pace of rolling out the ink, placing the paper on the block, pressing the print, peeling it off the block to see the results, placing it to dry, then re-inking the block for the next print. I recently discovered that the J. Smart Company in Brockville, Ontario made my press. Their foundry was established in 1860. In 1880 the Gill brothers joined the business. In the late 1890's the company bought Gardiner Tool of Montreal, whose logo was a G in a diamond (4 sided). Smart kept using the diamond-G logo, presumably for continued brand recognition.






A number of snakes hand-tinted with Pitt india ink brush pens.



ORIGINAL LIMITED EDITION RELIEF PRINTS

Note: prints are generally shown in chronological order, starting with most recent



MOCK TURTLE

SOUTHERN SNAIL

NORTHERN SNAIL


CANADA GOOSE, LOST LAGOON

TREE SWALLOWS

BLACKBERRY HARBOUR


RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH

WHITE BREASTED NUTHATCH

OREGON JUNCO


GREEN HARBOUR

DARK MERLIN

BIG BAMBOO


COLUMBIA BLACKTAIL

NORTH, SOUTH, EAST & WAYZ

SEAGULL


FIVE BAMBOO

REACTOR

PENGUINS


HUMMINGBIRD

LITTLE BIRD

A CANDLE FOR UKRAINE


YOUNG HERON

GIRAFFE

BALD EAGLE, MASSET


HERON, LOST LAGOON

FRAGMENT

THE SPINNER


NORTHERN LIGHTS

DREAM SNAKE

MORNING OWL


SKYLINE

KOULOU

MALLARDS


LABYRINTH

LIONS IN SUMMER

HERON


WAYZGOOSE 2019

WINTER GRASS

DARK SWAN


TRAIN A' COMIN'

RACCOON

FLICKER


SNAIL

SUMMER REST

BROOKS MOGUL 2-6-0


GALLERY IN SUMMER

BETWEEN TIDES

WAYZGOOSE MMXIII


WAYZGOOSE MMXI

GALLERY IN WINTER

SKOOKUMCHUCK


RUDBECKIA (colour variation)

RUDBECKIA

COAST RANGE 1


WRECK

EAGLE'S EYE

BASKING


SOUTH SHORE

HIGHER RISES

LOOKING AWAY


RUN

BURRARD BRIDGE

SNOW ON ELMS


WAITING

PRICKLY

SHUCKING SHED


LAWN BOWLERS

OTTERS ON SAVARY DOCK

LIONS GATE colour study


WATER TAXI

LIONS GATE

LOOKING WEST


   
 

ENTROPY PRESS

 



Home     Copyright 2009 - 2024