Fields of Gold

The fable, - In his will, a father leaves his sons his fields describing them as being ‘fields of gold’. Upon his death the sons immediately took to digging up the land in the search of the gold! They found none! As they gave up disheartened, the land gradually returned to growing a bounty of crops.

This Linocut features ‘fields of gold’ that pepper our rural landscape in spring in the production of oilseed rape.

I studied Graphic Design at Newcastle Polytechnic, now the University of Northumbria, graduating in 1984, working in graphic design practice before returning to Northumbria as a Senior Lecturer. My return to printmaking (first so enjoyed as a student when I was never happier than when in the print room) was a gradual but consistent process until my move to rural Northumberland where I now have my studio. After fifteen years teaching I now make prints and offer occasional workshops in my riverside studio, creative days with a small group of enthusiastic students, and in addition to these, I also work with other organisations to run workshops elsewhere.

My background as a graphic designer undoubtedly influences the way I work.

I am a printmaker inspired by plants and natural forms - the garden therefore, is a key source, but colour, structure and pattern in landscape draws my attention too. The process of printmaking itself though is there at the top of the list of drivers - along with all other printmakers, that thrill of 'lifting up the paper', the big reveal, is a joy (most of the time).

Drawing underpins my work - it is where many of my prints begin, in sketchbooks, and the processes I choose which allow me to incorporate drawing in some form or other.

The riverside studio in which I work, in rural Northumberland, is rich in inspiration.