New print "Along the Coastal Path"

After printing my series of three coastal path prints in 2020, I felt I had more I wanted to express in a print. Using a path as the focal point, I wanted to tie the flow of the path in with fences and create a different style of the path itself.

I always start sketching out my ideas in my notebook, and yes, I often use my lined paper notebook as it is to hand.

You can see the sketch below.

Starting with an old fence, stone pathway, tin mine, cove, beach, grasses with dips and hills, dry stone wall, and windswept trees it’s almost like a fantasy path. I guess you could say it is a Cornish cliche, but I love the way they work together and bring out the best in me when I draw them.

I wanted to use more expressive textures in the print. The textures I've created, the scraped ink and distressed halftones, within the sea, sand, in the cliffs and rocks create a more immersive sensation. I'm constantly looking to develop the textures myself. I need to destroy a couple of paintbrushes next to get the right effect.

You can see some of the textures below.

Screenprinting allows me to create a mixture of elements that I have yet to achieve through lino printing, for example, the large areas of vivid colour combined with stylised elements such as the grasses, fence grain and rocks. 

Mixing the textures and colours allows me to give depth to the sea and the rocks and more interest within other areas such as the stone wall and fence.

I was able to take the layering of the colours within the print further this time by overprinting with white. I chose to do it this way, both through necessity and because there will always be a first time for everything! I had not overprinted with white before.

It would have been very challenging to cut the white out of the other colours within the print as they would all need to align perfectly. Avoiding this issue and using overprinting allowed me to have the white as slightly translucent, and I'm delighted with how it looks in the final print. Creating this print showed me how important it is to complete tests and start to develop artists proofs, as however carefully you complete test strips, it is not until you achieve a first print that you see how all the colours work together as one.

The other colours within the print are my key colours, yellow and blue, with stone and a warm grey. They always work well with the subject matter and make me feel more connected with the environment.

You can find 'Along the Coastal Path' in my shop; it is a limited run of 28. The paper measures approximately 42.5cm x 30cm, with the artwork size about 36cm x 25.5cm. I think it looks best in a plain white frame or oak, whatever suits you and your home best.