Tell us about yourself…
“I’m a printmaker and illustrator living in Brighton, UK, originally from Romania! I specialise in relief printmaking and have been doing this full time for two years, and part-time for the past year! I have finished an arts degree and have been working in the arts since, and am now doing an Illustration MA at UAL!”
How did you or your organization get into printmaking?
“I was introduced to etching in my teens by a well-known Romanian painter and printmaker called Matei Serban Sandu. I did this on and off for a couple of years, but I then never had the opportunity to do this again, as I chose a very conceptual course for my art degree. I did Fine Art Critical Practice at Brighton University, so my work was very different then. During lockdown, I, as everyone, had a lot of time on my hands so I started making relief prints, and I just never stopped! It all snowballed and became a full blown business and career!”
How would you describe your artwork?
“I would say that my work always involves people. I love woefully strange characters, and overly detailed and ornate prints! And I love illustrating stories too! Definitely quite surreal and I think my aim is to keep people looking, where every time they look they discover something new!”
How do you plan to take your artwork forward?
“Having started this Masters course in illustration I am hoping to be making more and more work, hopefully ultimately to be able to illustrate books! I want to get more familiar with reduction printing as I love colour, as well as experiment with etching again, which I get to do on my course and at home with my beautiful Gunning Press! I love delving into seriously complicated topics, so my Heaven and Hell series is taking front stage at the moment!”
Why did you feel a Gunning Etching press was the best fit for you and your artwork?
“I firstly really needed to print volume, and to get more consistent results than printing by hand! I also wanted to use professional printmaking paper as opposed to thinner alternatives, as I was started selling my work in art galleries! I can print up to 150 prints in one day on my beautiful press! I also wanted the variety it provides, as it can print virtually any printmaking technique! I expect to have my press for life, so I didn’t want to be limited to just relief!”
What’s your favourite feature on the Gunning Etching press that helps your printmaking process?
“The Registration bed is such a stunningly beautiful addition to it, I love how useful and beautiful it is, and how well it protects the press too! Haha this is a small detail, but I love that I can turn the tommy bars without having to move the press away from the wall, as they also turn inwards, but I work in a small studio space and I was so happy about this!”
Most printmakers has a name for their press, does your Gunning etching press have a nickname?
“I still don’t! I know one day I had such a brilliant idea that I have forgotten, and I keep trying to remember! I think I should just think of a new one! I am so bad at naming things!”
What would you say to someone thinking about purchasing a Gunning etching press?
“It is without a doubt one of the best investments I have ever made as an early career professional printmaker!”
Where can our readers find your work?
“My website is www.moatzart.co.uk, and that’s where you can also subscribe to my monthly newsletter for news about all of this! That is also where you can find my shop!
You can also find me in IO Gallery in Brighton UK, with some of my work in the Fabrica Gallery shop in Brighton too!”
Any other comments you would like to share with our blog readers?
“I really hope original print techniques become more and more known! If you love this process, as a hobby or as a collector, share your passion far and wide!”
To see more off Alexandra’s work you can find her at…
Website: http://www.moatzart.co.uk
Blog: http://www.moatzart.co.uk/blog
Shop: http://www.moatzart.co.uk/shop
Instagram: @moatzaart
Facebook: @moatzaart
Twitter: @TheMoatzart
Pinterest: @TheMoatzart
Youtube: TheMoatzartAlexandra
Tiktok: @moatzaart
Thank you for reading!
Happy Printmaking!
All the best,
Ellie & The Team!
To really get thing festive the processes discussed could be used to make the following things, christmas cards, wrapping paper, place settings for your christmas tables and much more. Or maybe it’s just a nice christmas gift for the grandparents to get framed.
@Ironbridgeprintmakers @Gunningetchingpress #GunningEtchingPresses #GunningEtchingPress #JennyGunningPrintmaker
If you have read to the bottom of this blog you are entitled to a free gift, please email Jenny@IronbridgefineArts.co.uk with your preferred printing Relief or Intaglio to claim. Postage of £6.99 will still apply.
“I recently moved to Northumberland with my husband and daughter having set up my art business in lockdown 2020. I worked at a large corporation for about 10 yrs previously and left the company at the same time that I fell pregnant; it was time to pursue a different path. I wondered what I could achieve if I put my efforts into delivering my own ideas rather than spending all that energy making other people’s projects happen! I was very creative and arty as a youngster and spent a lot of my twenties drawing and painting – often commission requests for birthdays and gifts. I probably hadn’t picked up a paintbrush for 10 years before covid hit so it was a pleasant surprise to find out that I still had a creative streak. Now I can’t imagine a day when I don’t create something.”
“When my daughter was three months old, I treated myself to a day’s linoprint workshop at Kate Humble’s farm. I’m not sure why I chose linoprint to be honest – maybe because I thought it would give me a process to follow as I was feeling pretty rusty when it came to painting or drawing something. It was so wonderful to have a whole day to myself and learn something new. As normal, I over-complicated my design and didn’t manage to finish my piece but I loved the process all the same. I went on another course 6 months later and cut myself with a cutting tool – another unfinished lino!! Not an auspicious start but I was hooked all the same!”
I would describe my style as illustrative but also quite adaptable; it is my challenge to see where and how I can develop that style into something a little more untamed. Northumberland is the perfect place! I tend to lean towards capturing the landscapes surrounding me.
Moving to Northumberland meant I had to ‘start again’ with establishing my art but the local community are wonderfully welcoming and there have been opportunities around every corner. I really hope I can embrace this and use my art to contribute to both community initiatives and the local economy. I want to develop my Ingram series and offer up landscape workshops where people can come and create prints based on their visit to the area. I recently set up a Children’s Art club called Inky Fingers earlier this year and this has been a great stepping stone to giving me confidence to help other people get creative. It’s also been lovely to see the children’s faces as they learn to create a piece of art.
If I’m really honest, I didn’t do much research
as I had experienced the press first hand at a workshop with Jenny; the existing list of professional printmakers using the press is also a good testimony! Shelley Wingrove (a wonderful printmaker based in Much Wenlock) first told me about Ironbridge Printmakers and I felt privileged to (at the time) live so close to this family run business set in an incredible town steeped in industry and history. The fact that the press was designed by a local master printmaker, is manufactured and produced by a family business and has been developed over decades is enough for me. Also, Jenny is incredibly generous with her knowledge and expertise so I know that there is support there if I need it. I have had to call her several times for printing support and she has always been at the end of a phone.
The reg bed is up there with the best thing since sliced bread. I even commissioned a second white reg-bed runner to sit on my surfaces so that I can ink up and measure up with ease. The ship-like wheel is also fantastic; having started off with the star shaped wheel, getting the round one has been a game changer and saved my dodgy shoulder from over-reach.
I have started studio workshops where workshop guests get to try out the press as well as hand burnishing techniques. They are really enjoying the experience of using the press and although most of my workshops are aimed at beginners, they take to the press very quickly.
Nope. Sorry to disappoint! But we do call the round turning handle the ‘Captain’s Wheel’ as my daughter likes to turn it for me. We pretend she is steering a ship!
Definitely see one in action first and get a workshop if possible. I found my day’s workshop with Jenny so useful. I got full use of a press whilst Jenny gave me tutiation in anything I wanted to know about printmaking. The press comes with a brilliant manual which has been so handy when setting up to print; it really does include every detail.
To see more off Anthea’s work you can find her at…
Website: https://www.amwoodart.co.uk/
Instagram: @amwood_art
Thank you for reading!
Happy Printmaking!
All the best,
Ellie & The Team!
“I have a keen interest in the relationship between printmaking and photography. My work explores the impact of light in both architectural and organic contexts; whilst being created by a process that is itself dependent on light exposure. I work predominantly with photopolymer etching plates which allow me to produce textures and detail with continuous tones and rich blacks. As an educationalist I have a love of buildings of historic or educational significance. Places that celebrate or house collections that both inform and educate.”
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If you have read to the bottom of this blog you are entitled to a free gift, please email Jenny@IronbridgefineArts.co.uk with your preferred printing Relief or Intaglio to claim. Postage of £6.99 will still apply.
Tag us using the Hashtags…
@Ironbridgeprintmakers @Gunningetchingpress #GunningEtchingPresses #GunningEtchingPress #JennyGunningPrintmaker
If you have read to the bottom of this blog you are entitled to a free gift, please email Jenny@IronbridgefineArts.co.uk with your preferred printing Relief or Intaglio to claim. Postage of £6.99 will still apply.
“I am a mixed media artist and printmaker specialising in lino printing. I have always loved creating art and attended adult education classes for painting when my children were little. Now I am the proud owner of a beautiful Garden Studio where I can be found most days either carving out or printing one of my lino cuts or teaching small workshops for adults.”
“It started when I visited a printmaker during Open studios. I fell in love with the effect of lino printing and couldn’t wait to learn and get started – ten years later and I am still in love with the whole process from start to finish!”
“I am inspired by many things – my pets, still life around the home, places visited and architecture. I love creating whimsical prints too – you will see my cats are in many lino prints as are my love of frogs, elephants, owls… I am always on the lookout for beautiful handmade papers too to use in my lino prints.”
“I am currently working on a series of flower heads which is completely different for me! So far I’ve made a lino reduction print of a beautiful allium head and I am now working on a sunflower. I’m hoping to get quite a few more done before my next Open Studios next June.”
“I was on the look out for my own etching press for a while; I really liked the look of the Gunning Etching press, the choice of sizes and of course the price. Jenny Gunning invited me to bring some lino cuts to print out to try on their presses at their Ironbridge Gallery. I had a wonderful few hours talking to Jenny who is a fantastic printmaker and had great fun using their presses. The Gunning Etching press is very easy to use and produces fabulous quality prints every time. Soon after, I ordered a No. 2 Gunning Etching press which has pride of place in my studio. Jenny delivered this with a stand on wheels and set it up for me in my studio in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
For me, the Gunning Etching press is perfect for printing out lino prints. It also gives me the flexibility if I want to do collagraph, etching or mono printing in the future.”
“Where do I start?
So many lovely features on my press!
The first would be the beautiful solid steel roller which is a good size and is very sturdy. I also love the turning wheel ( I have the star wheel, not a round wheel) which is always a pleasure to use when printing out my lino prints. I love how you can tighten/release the pressure with ease too. The bed feels lovely and sturdy and easy to clean and which I attach my registration pins on to so that I can create lino reduction prints easily.
I bought the stand for my press with wheels and brakes so that I have the flexibility of moving my press out of the way when visitors come to see my work during Open Studios. It’s so good to have a shelf underneath too for my extra printing places, paper, etc.”
“I run small adult workshops in my studio where the students create their own lino prints using my Gunning Etching press. They all love using it and are very happy with the results of their prints. I teach them how to print lino cut with colour, chine collee, rainbow rolls and also creating lino reduction prints.”
“Of course! My Gunning Etching press is called Grace! She is very elegant, works so smoothly, quietly and easily and looks great too!”
“Definitely! Visitors are always admiring my Gunning Etching press when they come to see me and my work during Open Studios and I always recommend they make an appointment with Jenny to go and try out the presses for their own printmaking. They have a good range of sizes to suit all printmakers – huge ones to small A4 size to suit everyone depending on space in their studio or home. The support is amazing too after you’ve bought one of their presses and the prices are very reasonable. I love the fact you are buying from a small family business too who care about their customers.”
“I exhibit locally in Buckinghamshire and also have work available at a lovely little gallery called ‘Secrets’ in Port Isaac. I belong to Buckinghamshire Art Society and we have two exhibitions a year; I also take part in Bucks Art Weeks every June where I open my studio to visitors so that they meet me and see where I work. I am currently preparing to take part in the Amersham Art Unlocked Autumn Fair on Saturday November 5th.
All of my lino prints are available to buy from my Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/nathaliepymmart”
“I can’t recommend Ironbridge, their Gunning Etching presses and their staff enough.
A wonderful family run business; they are all so helpful and friendly. I was lucky enough to have a solo exhibition in January 2022. Sarah and her team hung my work beautifully on their walls; the lighting and venue are perfect for exhibiting. The gallery is a printmakers dream shop; they do framing, sell their own rollers, choice of inks, papers, lino, plates, tools, everything you need to get started or top up your own supplies!”
My website is https://www.nathaliepymm.com
Facebook: Nathalie Pymm Art
Instagram: nathaliepymm
LinkedIn: Nathalie Pymm
Thank you for reading!
Happy Printmaking!
All the best,
Ellie & The Team!
Tag us using the Hashtags…
@Ironbridgeprintmakers @Gunningetchingpress #GunningEtchingPresses #GunningEtchingPress #JennyGunningPrintmaker
If you have read to the bottom of this blog you are entitled to a free gift, please email Jenny@IronbridgefineArts.co.uk with your preferred printing Relief or Intaglio to claim. Postage of £6.99 will still apply.
We are going to print a hessian backed 3.2mm thick lino which has not been – what we call registered’ which means stuck down to a piece of board using double sided tape – this is done when the plate has to be printed many times or if its a very large plate, then this prevents movement. Plates created from soft cut lino or Japanese vinyl are softer materials and have a tendency to squash in any press we would recommend choosing to use a hessian backed lino.
First thing to do is to Put your 4mm plastic runners into your press. Slide them through under your top roller so the lie flat along the edges of the bed and secure your runners down with the safety stops that came with your press. They make sure your runners do not move around the bed when you are printing. Your safety stops should go on the top side of the bed and on the top of the runners. The bolts are put through the holes and the wing nuts secured so that everything is tight and secure. (note – you have two different types of safety stops for your press – one set of two is these that we have just used and the other set are smaller because they sit on the underside of your press bed when printing intaglio – never use them together.
Drop the top roller down onto the runners – they should feel even both sides -go down until the tommy bars feel heavy and even, and then come back on yourself about half a turn and then test the feel of your pressure. It should be moderately easy to pull through – you want your rollers to run along the runners which are acting like rails.
A note for those who use hessian backed lino, If you have been cleaning your plates with any type of oil then you have probably ruined your plates as the hessian backed lino is actually made from linseed oil so when you clean your plate with oil it sucks the ink into the plate making it extremely easy to slip when printing. We recommend cleaning using the Zest it Printmakers cleaner. Simply put it in a spray bottle and wipe your plate clean with a rag. Tag us using the Hashtags…
@Ironbridgeprintmakers @Gunningetchingpress #GunningEtchingPresses #GunningEtchingPress #JennyGunningPrintmaker
If you have read to the bottom of this blog you are entitled to a free gift, please email Jenny@IronbridgefineArts.co.uk with your preferred printing Relief or Intaglio to claim. Postage of £6.99 will still apply.
“I am a learning and development consultant for the banking industry by profession, having studied languages at university. None of that was art-related was it?! I would love to make printmaking my profession, but I haven’t yet taken that plunge. Mainly down to the dread of not being able to pay the mortgage, but also because I use art as my creative outlet, a passion and way for me to unwind at the end of stressful day.
As long as I can remember, I have always needed to express myself through art and I have often turned to it throughout my life as a way of clearing my mind, celebrating the beauty around us and recalibrating. I didn’t always have the time to do it as much as I wanted, as having children and a full-time job took over a bit. Now, aged 42, I think I have realised that I need to make time for it. “
“I never went to art college, but I have loved lino printing since the age of 14, when I first tried it out at school. My very first lino was a 3-stage reduction print of a portrait I had sketched of a handsome chap. I remember being quite excited about the big reveal each time I cut away and printed different colourways. Starting with carving the highlights on his nose, I had no idea how it would turn out, and it was actually rather good! I discovered my brain works quite well for the slightly backwards thought process involved in printmaking. My handwriting is exactly the same backwards and forwards, which tells you how weirdly-wired my brain is!
I explored different printmaking techniques in later life, and discovered the joys of experimenting with drypoint etching, mono-printing and collagraphs, then other types of relief printing, like woodblock and using found objects. Most recently, original print collage has really opened up my eyes to mixed media possibilities. Last year I finally made the decision to build myself a studio in the garden and get a Gunning Etching press and I haven’t looked back!”
“Playful! Inspired by textures, colours, lines and shapes around me, from nature to architecture, I use whichever technique will best represent the subject, or best express the feeling that the subject evokes in me. I will often sketch or paint first, and then use that as a starting point for my prints. Living in the Essex countryside, the changing landscape through the seasons always provides visual stimulation, as do our 5 cats and regular trips to Cambridge and London.
Using lino, woodcuts, drypoint etching, chine collé and mono-printing techniques, I align the method I use with the vision that I have in my mind and I am constantly experimenting. I really enjoy the visual surprises and interesting graphic qualities that can occur purely by chance through the printmaking process, especially with mono-printing.
I am quite spontaneous and curious with my artwork. Some people might find that odd, as printmaking requires so much process, but for me a lot of the ideas come out through the process. I rarely start out knowing exactly what I will produce at the end, it’s often a wonderful adventure and I still get tingles when I peel back the paper and reveal the final print. “
“I am taking each day as it comes. I have had a hugely productive year, and I wouldn’t want to feel restricted by focusing in on one technique or one subject, which I know is probably what most professional artists would advise me to do. I am lucky that I do not have to earn a living through producing my pieces, so I have the luxury of making whatever I am inspired to create. Sometimes I will see something whilst walking along, for example the beautiful bark of London plane trees, and that will spark off some ideas about potential projects, ruminating in the back of my mind until I am back in the studio. This feeling of liberty and embracing happenstance when printmaking is all part of why I love it so much.”
“On a workshop I went on a few years ago, I used a proper lino press instead of hand burnishing for the first time, and saw how the results are so much more professional. I couldn’t go back to hand burnishing after that. I was using the lino presses and etching presses at the Curwen Study Centre, a half-hour drive away, but I really wanted to have the independence of being able to do all of these things any time of day or night. I did a lot of research when looking into different presses, and I decided NOT to buy a second hand one, as I am a technical novice and needed to know it would work well, and I was keen to have a warranty etc. When looking at the Gunning presses, they seemed perfect for both relief printing and intaglio, there was little to no maintenance involved, and one of the team would come and set it up and show me how to use it. That final bit sold it to me. I have to say, the team were absolutely fantastic. I learned quite a lot on set-up day, and it was so exciting to finally be able to do everything at home.”
“I think it’s the ease with which you can transform its set-up from relief printing to intaglio printing. For relief printing, I have two different sets of runners for different heights of blocks, and then for intaglio it’s all about the blankets. It’s a fabulous press, and I am delighted with it.”
“Ooh, no, but that’s a great idea… I will ask the kids to come up with something! No doubt it will be cat-related….”
“Do it! You only live once, and it will transform how you work. Although beware of losing track of time – I have been known to carry on printing until midnight without realising. Good thing my kids are assertive when it comes to asking for dinner etc!”
“One of my etchings featured in the RBSA Print Prize Exhibition earlier this year, and some of my lino prints are currently featuring in the Mini Print Competition at Southbank Printmakers Gallery in London. I don’t have a shop, but may do in future. Otherwise, I only currently sell to friends and family but you can see my work on Instagram under jennie_merrington_”
“Watch out – printmaking is addictive!”
Instagram: @jennie_merrington_
Thank you for reading!
Happy Printmaking!
All the best,
Ellie & The Team!
Tag us using the Hashtags…
@Ironbridgeprintmakers @Gunningetchingpress #GunningEtchingPresses #GunningEtchingPress #JennyGunningPrintmaker
If you have read to the bottom of this blog you are entitled to a free gift, please email Jenny@IronbridgefineArts.co.uk with your preferred printing Relief or Intaglio to claim. Postage of £6.99 will still apply.
Please could you add any links to your social media sites and websites below?
https://www.instagram.com/jennie_merrington_/
Photo credit: MNA Media / Express & Star
“Dave Gunning was my first printmaking tutor in the late 1980s/early 1990s. I took an evening etching class and loved it. I had a theoretical knowledge of etching and other printmaking processes from taking a degree in the History of Art at Edinburgh University and having the opportunity to engage with the processes that Rembrandt had used was very exciting.”
“This led to me buying a Gunning Etching press and to taking a degree in Printmaking. I’ve had my Gunning press for so long that I can’t remember when I bought it! It has served me very well over the years.”
“A couple of years ago I replaced the press’s star wheel with a large wheel, which I love. The registration bed is also very useful. It is more accurate than my old hand drawn notations and has saved me a great deal of time.”
“My work focusses mainly on landscape and I most frequently use etching and collagraph at the moment. I try to capture the atmosphere and excitement of the place, the play of light and texture. I have used and taught many other processes and have just started to do some lino printing again.”
“Old faithful”
“They are a dream to use.
They work well and are very reliable.
Excellent follow up advice from Jenny at Ironbridge Fine Arts is available if needed.”
Thank you for reading!
Happy Printmaking!
All the best,
Ellie & The Team!
Tag us using the Hashtags…
@Ironbridgeprintmakers @Gunningetchingpress #GunningEtchingPresses #GunningEtchingPress #JennyGunningPrintmaker
If you have read to the bottom of this blog you are entitled to a free gift, please email Jenny@IronbridgefineArts.co.uk with your preferred printing Relief or Intaglio to claim. Postage of £6.99 will still apply.
“My name is Jane Spink. I am an artist who likes to work with printmaking techniques.
I’ve loved nature from early childhood and this is the main inspiration for my art. I
work from my 2nd floor home studio in Essex. It’s a fairly small space, but I have a
wonderful view of a windmill! I walk daily in a National Trust owned area close to my
home, where I gather ideas and images to use in my work.”
“I originally trained as a Textile Designer at Art School and focused heavily on surface
decoration, shapes and colour. Many years later, whilst working as an Art Teacher, I
decided to use simple printmaking techniques with my pupils. I loved the process and
the strong, graphic results and decided to use the techniques in my own work. The
rest is history!”
“I like to work with different techniques, including collage, linocut and cyanotype – either separately or together as mixed–media. I also experiment with monotype and
collagraph, but still have much to learn about these techniques! My favourite printmaking technique is linocut as it is a relatively straight foward process and also quite versatile to use. I like to work in small–medium scale and most of my work
depicts birds, insects, mammals and botanical subjects in varying combinations. I enjoy the challenge of fine detail and this often comes across in the pieces I make.”
“I am constantly learning and developing as an artist, refining my skills and
experimenting with new ones. I also enjoy taking photographs and I frequently use
the images I capture as source and inspiration for my prints. I am working to develop
my photography skills which will naturally feed the development of my printmaking.
I have started working more with monotype and collagraph and definitely aim to
develop my use of these processes in my artwork. I am currently writing a book on linocut printing, which I am very excited about! I am really enjoying the challenge of
creating inspiring linocut projects for my readers to learn from and develop their own
skills. The book is due to be published at the start of 2024.”
“I initially hand–burnished all of my linocut prints before I decided to invest in a
printing press. Prior to purchasing my Gunning Etching press, I used a little wooden
book press, and more recently a larger wooden with which I could achieve greater
pressure and make bigger work. However, I have always loved the idea of having a
traditional etching press and because I wanted to work with intaglio processes as well
as lino, this was the perfect reason to take the plunge! After doing some research and
asking other printmakers, I settled on my Gunning press. The No. 1 Etching press (A3
size) is perfect for me with my limited space – by far my best purchase in recent years!”
“This has got to be the lovely turning wheel! It’s so easy to operate smoothly and looks
absolutely wonderful in my studio. I have the press standing in the window and often
catch passers–by staring up at it! I also love the registration bed – so useful and I’m
really glad I asked for this option to be included!”
“I would recommend without hesitation. The presses are wonderful to look at and to
use – and the customer service is second to none! Jenny drove my press all the way
from Shropshire down to Essex and then set it up for me – and a few months later
when I was having a little trouble (due to my own inexperience!), Dave drove down to
Rayleigh and resolved my issues – I really couldn’t ask for more!”
“These are excellent presses and can deal wonderfully with just about any printmaking
processes you wish to throw at them! If, like me, you are new to using an etching
press, please allow some time for the inevitable learning curve. The process of using
an etching press is very different to other presses – but patience will pay off and you
will soon be making amazing quality prints!”
Thank you for reading!
Happy Printmaking!
All the best,
Ellie & The Team!
Tag us using the Hashtags…
@Ironbridgeprintmakers @Gunningetchingpress #GunningEtchingPresses #GunningEtchingPress #JennyGunningPrintmaker
If you have read to the bottom of this blog you are entitled to a free gift, please email Jenny@IronbridgefineArts.co.uk with your preferred printing Relief or Intaglio to claim. Postage of £6.99 will still apply.
Etching Printing Press No. 2
by Gordon Yapp, Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Etching Printing Press No.1
by Fiona Thomson
