The Art of the Print

The exhibition will bring together the work of three talented printmakers from the North of England, Stuart Brocklehurst, Snow & Crow Printmakers and Holly Magdalene Scott. Each printmaker has their own distinctive style, yet each draws inspiration from the natural world, the landscapes of the North and the creatures that inhabit them.
Most of the prints in the exhibition demonstrate the art of lino cutting, a process that uses simple tools and materials which produce graphic, intricate and contemporary images when utilised by a master in the art. All the prints in the affordable exhibition will be for sale.

STUART BROCKLEHURST
“I go for a walk with a sketchbook and make drawings of everything and anything that interests me. Then back in the studio I use the field sketches to try and make the best print that I possibly can.
I am a printmaker from the Calder Valley in the West Riding of Yorkshire. My work is naturalistic, representational and rooted in the British Countryside, its landscape and wildlife. Although I don’t consider myself to be either a wildlife or landscape artist being happy to tackle anything I feel will make an interesting or challenging print.
Linocut and Mezzotint form the main focus of my work, both being of equal importance to my practice. My linocuts are decorative with an emphasis on colour, pattern and composition. Mezzotint allows me to work in a more personal, expressive way to capture the mood and atmosphere of the subject.
For me printmaking is a marvellous alchemy of craftsmanship skills and art. I take pleasure in working in a traditional way with tools and methods that are essentially little changed over the centuries. Making a print has the appeal of a puzzle. For all the planning and working out that is done beforehand, there is no certainty about the outcome of the finished image. Until finally it is revealed as the paper is pulled from the block.
I have exhibited my work in exhibitions at galleries throughout the UK and Russia. My prints are held in the permanent collections of Doncaster Art Gallery, the North Bristol Health Trust and the Museum of Fine Arts, Ekaterinburg, Russia. As well as numerous private collections in the UK and abroad.”

HOLLY MAGDALENE SCOTT
“I am a printmaker based in Middleton in Teesdale. I create intricate, sensitive linocuts inspired by the natural world.
My process is long and complex and is very much shaped by my daily life and inner world.
I like to be fully immersed in the dramatic landscapes of Teesdale, and often feel inspired at dusk - a time which I have always associated with tranquillity and healing. In the ‘gloaming’ all creatures seem to reveal themselves in their natural environment.
I spend much time outdoors; wandering, experiencing, documenting. These experiences inform my writing, ink drawings and linocuts.
Borne from a strong connection to the land, and inspired by memories and chance encounters with wildlife, my hand-coloured prints seek to evoke the folkloric timelessness of animal lives, which often run unseen, tangential to our own human existence.”

SNOW & CROW PRINTMAKERS (Helen & Alan Holcroft)
“For the past decade we have worked mainly with canvas and paint, but for the last three years we have discovered the joy of printmaking.
Working mainly from home we produce intricately designed original lino prints and greetings cards, in both colour and monochrome.
Our prints hopefully reflect our real love of nature and the joyous pleasure it gives us on a daily basis. From our faithful Rollaco etching press we produce what we hope are timeless images which will grace any home. In our quiet time we also take our smaller etching press (Pete) out into communities to give folks a taste of printmaking at linocut workshops. We are passionate about giving people both young and old the opportunity to try something a little different.
We hope you get as much enjoyment from our work as we do from creating it.”

Free Entry

Opening Times