In the 1980's and 1990's Lowick House Print Workshop in Cumbria, run by master printer John Sutcliffe, was one of only two open access print workshops in the north of England.   On and off over a period of 15 years I would go down to Lowick and, with the assistance of John, who made himself available to help and advise at all hours, I would just work.   There were old caravans to sleep in at night, though with winter temperatures sometimes below zero, printing in the workshop was often a more attractive option than sleeping in the caravan.

For the majority of my farming lithographs I would draw onto prepared zinc plates - with a separate drawing in black greasy crayons for each colour to be printed.   Often these lithographs necessitated six or even eight colours and printing over the accumulation of colours and seeing the picture slowly come together was both thrilling but also extremely nerve wracking.   Was I printing the right colour at the right strength . . . or was I messing up the whole edition?

Some of these lithographs are still available for sale.  They will be mounted in Conservation (Larson Juhl) Solid Core Off White 2.2mm mounts with conservation backing board and all framing is with UV glass. 

Marking

This edition is sold out. A smaller reproduction of this image, unsigned and uneditioned, is now available. Go to ‘WORK’ and then to ‘Reproductions’ and on to ‘colour images - Landscape and Farming etc.’

An edition of 100 with 10 artist's proofs. Printed in black with hand drawing in red, signed and numbered by the artist in 1986 at Lowick House Print Workshop, Cumbria, UK on John Purcell 285gsm mould-made 100% rag paper. 

£300.00

Ennerdale Show

An edition of 200 with 20 artist's proofs. Printed in 9 colours, signed and numbered by the artist in 1987 at Lowick House Print Workshop, Cumbria, UK on John Purcell 285gsm mould-made 100% rag paper.

This edition of lithographs was commissioned in 1985 by Copeland District Council, Cumbria.

£410.00

Brother Sun

An edition of 200 with 20 artist's proofs. Printed in 8 colours, signed and numbered by the artist in 1990 at Lowick House Print Workshop, Cumbria on John Purcell 285gsm mould-made 100% rag paper.

The figure in Brother Sun is a drawing of Jarrod, a farmer in the village where I live. He features in a lot of the pictures I made at the time. I followed him a great deal when he was at work, mainly because of the way he carried himself - he always looked so interesting.

£310.00