November 2005 Archives

Can you guess the mystery artist ?

Well, actually this is a trick question, the prints are by different
artists and from different time periods. The first and fourth prints are by Matt Brown from Lyme, New Hampshire. The other prints are by well known Canadian watercolour painter & printmaker Walter J. Phillips (1884-1963). Phillips made most of his woodblock prints between 1917 and 1952. Matt Brown was born in 1958 and made his first Japanese style woodblock prints in

I was taken back by the similarity in subject matter between the two artists. Like Phillips, Matt Brown also derives his inspiration from the surrounding landscape and animal life. Looking at the work of both men leaves no doubt as to their love and admiration for Nature.

You can check out Matt's website and gallery at: http://www.ooloopress.com/index.html

For a most comprehensive site on Walter J. Phillips you can visit and see all his prints at: http://www.sharecom.ca/phillips/

30cm x 20cm : Birchwood plyblock : printed Moku Hanga technique.
Six variant, reduction prints on Gampi vellum paper with Akua inks.

Regards, Harry

26cmx14cm : Birchwood plyblock : printed Moku Hanga technique.

I was delivering Baren brochures to the Gainsborough Arts Centre and came out with an unexpected exhibition opportunity to produce work from the immediate environment. I set about sketching this old hall which was a place of worship for the Separatists before they moved to Amsterdam and later to America. I hope to call the exhibition “West meets East" : just eight woodblock studies of Gainsborough Old Hall cut in the western tradition and printed in the eastern manner..or something like that..
I did not intend to print them Moku Hanga because of my inexperience in the technique, however, as I have signed up for the #27 Moku Hanga exchange (Mythical beasts) next year these prints are a trial run. I am only showing about eight prints so not to bamboozle the audience and maybe include a display as to how the prints were done..or maybe I’ll just exhibit and leave out the educational bit which would make a refreshing change!
Harry
Lincoln UK

Second color, alizarin crimson, applied to my reduction print. Almost finished carving for the third and last color.