How does a collection start? The Stories and Experiences Behind My Colourful ArtWork
Not all artworks come from the same starting point. Inspiration can hit in different ways and develop at different speeds but ut almost always has a story at the centre of it - whether that’s from the outset of throughout the making process. In this blog, I take you through some of the ways in which my ideas develop.
Sketchbook
The vast majority of artists keep a sketchbook of some sort. I have piles of them in the studio and my loft going back as far as college. I used to think that they were a linear tool - sketch something, turn the page and sketch the next thing. In recent years, I have developed a habit of splashing paint on pages then jumping between them adding marks, sticking in things I’ve collecting or scribbling notes. It’s rare that a page just happens in one sitting.
Doodles
Doodles have taught me a lot about myself. I used to think that they were just random but looking back over them has shown me that I return to the same ideas and patterns - they mean something to me.
Because of this, I have started to introduce some of the recurring marks into my mixed media pieces and even enlarge some of them as part of the initial layer in a canvas or board. Whether they sit in my sketchbook, on the background or as a final detail, they tell my story. Look out for some of these marks in the close ups that I share. What do they bring to mind?
Photos
I’m no photographer but taking photos does help me to look more closely and to capture the reality of what I have seen, while my sketches are more a mixture of what I see and feel.
Sometimes a photograph can sit in my phone for years before I go back to it and it sparks an idea. Some photos never come to anything. It doesn’t really matter. Sometimes just the act of taking the photograph enables me to log something and move on. The moving on is often as important as the drawing and thinking. It enables me to let go of an idea to make room for another (sometimes literally as I make physical space in the studio.
If there’s an digital image that I am convinced is going to feed into my work, I might print it off and peg it up in the studio so it’s there in the background while I work. This has become less frequent since I started working in mixed media as I feel less bound to a specific composition.
Photograph taken in Beadnell between the bay and the links during the early stages of Storm Babet. This and other photographs informed a lot of the linocuts created as part of the Tidal Waves Collection.
Plumes – Limited Edition Linocut Print
Plumes was born from the raw energy of the North Sea during Storm Babet, when the sky danced with fiery pinks and oranges and the waves rolled with unstoppable force. Developed from watercolours and sketches made during a windswept walk along Beadnell Links, this piece captures the sheer movement and drama of a stormy sea.
A symphony of deep purples, hot pinks, and glowing oranges swirl in the sky, set off beautifully by the rich blues of the water. Look closely and you’ll see streaks of green light across the horizon and a soft glint of pale yellow in the white wash — a fleeting moment of sunlight amidst the storm.
This piece is ideal for anyone who finds beauty in wild landscapes, loves dramatic seascapes, or wants to bring the power and energy of nature into their home.
The Process
This original artwork was created using the linocut reduction method — a printmaking technique that involves carving more of the block away between each layer of ink. It’s a precise, irreversible process that leaves no room for error and results in a print that cannot be repeated once the edition is complete.
There are eight hand-printed layers in Plumes, each inked in oil-based Cranfield Relief inks and printed onto high-quality Fabriano Unica paper. The subtle cotton and wood pulp blend of the paper adds beautiful texture and luminosity to the final piece. All materials used are archival quality, ensuring lasting colour and a print made to be treasured for generations.
Details
Image size: 35 × 35cm
Mounted size: 40 × 40cm
Materials: Cranfield Relief Inks (oil based), Fabriano Unica cotton & wood pulp paper
Edition: Limited to 10
Sold unframed; bespoke framing available on request
ℹ️ Additional Information (EU GPSR 2025 Compliant)
Each piece is individually hand-printed
Ships flat with protective packaging
Framing enquiries welcome – get in touch to discuss options
Stories
What makes artwork so amazing is the stories and emotions that you connect with it. It doesn’t have to be a realistic landscape or portrait for this to be the case either. Many of my pieces start with a story - The Skipping Bridge, for example. This piece was borne of pure memory. Memories of walks in the Lake District when our parents would get us to come up with a different way to cross each bridge. Some bridges were epic stone creations that had been in place for decades or even centuries. Other ‘bridges’ with simply planks that had been place over small streams. Never-the-less the game continued and it kept us moving for miles on end with smiles on our faces.
The Skipping Bridge
An original limited-edition lino print
On long family walks through the Lake District, my parents kept my brother and me entertained by inventing playful rules for crossing bridges. Each crossing became an adventure — a skip, a hop, a balance along the edge. The Skipping Bridge is a symbolic piece inspired by those magical walks, where babbling brooks, snapping twigs, squirrels, and birds filled the air with life.
This print captures the nostalgia of childhood — the simple joy of ripples in the water, whether from stones, fish, or a friendly game of pooh sticks. It reflects the way those traditions have carried forward, from my own childhood through to my daughter, nieces, and nephews, threading memories through generations.
Created with nine layers of rich, oil-based inks, this work balances bold palettes with quiet moments. It’s a piece for those who long to bring the essence of nature, memory, and family into their home.
Details:
Limited edition, hand-printed lino reduction print
Printed on heavyweight archival paper
Nine layers of oil-based ink, applied individually by hand
Signed, titled, and numbered by the artist
Edition size: 8
Image size: 13 × 30.5 cm (5 × 12 inches)
Paper size: 19.5 × 36 cm (7 × 14 inches)
ℹ️ Additional Information (EU GPSR 2025 Compliant)
Handmade artwork: each print is unique due to the nature of traditional Lino printing
Unframed: images shown with frames are for illustration only
Printed using professional, lightfast inks for lasting vibrancy
Shipped flat with protective packaging to ensure safe arrival
Created in Newcastle upon Tyne
A lot of the stories in and around my artwork come from childhood:
Peacocks - watching the majestic birds on Sundays when we’d take a trip in dad’s kit car to Walton Gardens.
Bees - a more sombre reflection on a tragedy in Manchester where my brother lives.
Florals - many garden or floral related pieces stem from time spent in our garden or that of my Nana as a small child, It felt like being in wonderland.
The list goes on.
Surfaces
As an artist, I spend my life stepping back to look at the big picture after spending hours close to the surface of my work. Both views are as important as each other and it’s the same when I go on walks. I take in the full view, use all of my sense and enjoy the feel of a place. I also look closely - I zoom into the elements that fascinate me. We all do the same when we see a piece of artwork that dis us in. We move closer. We resist the urge to touch while wondering what the bumps feel like.
Detail and texture took over me as I carved linocuts. It was all consuming. Creating larger mixed media pieces is allowing me to engage with broader strokes and a wider variety of textures. I choose where to add the detail and where to leave things loose. It’s a continuous stream of decisions where I follow my instincts. The moment I start to overhang things is the moment I need to leave the studio and get some space.
You’ll notice that I share photos of the whole artwork as well as close up surface shots in my listings. This is to give you as good a sense of the texture, detail and layered story as I can. For those of you in travelling distance of Newcastle upon Tyne, I offer the opportunity to visit the studio and get up close to the real thing. Contact me here to arrange that. If you love what I do and want to be the first to hear about what’s coming next then join my Collector's List below.
