Photos from the print show

The Cambridge Original Printmakers Biennale was a great success.

Core team: Anthony Hopkinson, Kate Heiss, Jo Tunmer, Sue Jones and Tracey Ashman

Huge thanks must go to the core team who spent the last 18 months pulling it all together.  Not an easy task with 39 printmakers to co-ordinate, two Print Houses, various talks and demonstrations and all the sponsors, website, brochures and advertising to sort out.  Well done guys.

Me hanging my work on Wednesday 21st September

I thought the standard of work this year was fantastic.  It was externally selected by Colin Wilkin, Véronique Chance, Elizabeth Armstrong and Jonas Almgren, the CEO of Artfinder.

Neil Bousfield talk

There were talks by some very interesting printmakers. The highlight for me being Angie Lewin talking about her inspiration, sketchbooks, printmaking techniques and branching into product design. I have since bought her new calendar for 2017

Angie Lewin

Personally the best thing about the show is talking to the other printmakers, finding out about their techniques and being inspired to try new things and generally up ones game!

Set of my new Bike prints

I sold really well, not just prints but also just over 200 cards!  So I'm afraid I went a bit mad and spent my profits on this fabulous carborundum drypoint called 'Landmarks' by Ross Loveday.

Can't wait for 2018....

Cambridge Original Printmakers Biennale

Where have the last couple of month gone?  I can't believe we are half way through September already.  I have had my head down producing some brand new prints ready for this prestigious show which starts this week.

Cambridge is a hotbed of talented printmakers and this show brings them together to help demystify the art of hand-pulled prints. Thirty-nine specially selected printmakers will be exhibiting, alongside Print Houses, Printmaking Education Centres and the MA Printmaking students from Anglia Ruskin University.

This is the full list of printmakers:

I am particularly looking forward to a talk by Angie Lewin and a demonstration by Celia Hart.  For more information about the show, see the Cambridge Original Printmakers website.

First weekend of Cambridge Open Studios

Here are some of the visitors I had at my studio in Milton this weekend.  I think there were nearly 100 over the two days with good sales and interest in my work.  I had lots of requests for printmaking workshops so I will look into the feasibility - watch this space for any announcements!

Looking forward to doing it all again next weekend or by appointment during the week.

Art Auction for Arthur Rank Hospice

All the artists taking part in Cambridge Open Studios this year, have been asked to decorated a heart template. These will be auctioned later in the year to raise finds for the new Arthur Rank Hospice currently being built at Shelford Bottom (no sniggering at the name please).

I decided to do a paper drypoint print featuring blackbirds and a smaller heart highlighted with silver metal leaf. Click on the above photo to see the process involved.

And here is the finished print, titled 'Every Moment Counts'.  There are eight prints in the edition, a framed one going to the auction.  I will also be donating £5 from the sale of each of the remaining prints to the hospice as they have been instrumental in the care of several family members, so I know at first hand the valuable work they do.

Cambridge Open Studios 2016

It's the first day of July and open studio season begins. My studio is having it's annual tidy, ready for opening next weekend, come rain or shine.  Do come along if you can, there are other studios open the same weekends in Milton and surrounding villages.

The yellow guides featuring over 300 artists taking part are available in shops, galleries and libraries around Cambridgeshire.  My studio has disabled access and is listed as studio number 102 on page 38.  I look forward to seeing you, the middle two weekends in July or by appointment during the week in-between.

Meadow Hare

I always like receiving commissions and this was from my neighbour.  She already has 'Viewpoint', the print of a goldfinch perched on top of a teasel and she wanted another to go with it, for her holiday house in Norfolk.

Hares seem to be more prevalent in Norfolk than in Cambridgeshire and we often see them when heading back from the coast.  I've been wanted to do a new print with hares for a while, so this spurred me on.  Cow parsley is one of my favourite subjects and I thought it worked well with the hare to create balance on the right of the design.

I made the plate from a special type of coated board.  It isn't very hard wearing so I could only print eight.  For each print, the plate has to be inked individually which wears the lines away.  Once the print is dry, I add watercolour by hand then sign, date and edition the print.

Country Kitchen

I am pleased to say I have another new stockist, a lovely food and gift-ware shop in the pretty village of Haslingfield, just outside Cambridge, called Country Kitchen.  It's very easy to find, just opposite the church. They are now stocking my coasters, tea towels and greetings cards.  However, if today is anything to go by, I don't think I'll be making much profit from supplying them as I will be spending far too much on all the delicious produce they sell.