WALNUT SHELL

WOAD

This live brief was delivered by the National Trust to my class. It was 10 weeks long, giving me time to specialise in a whole new discipline - printmaking. Fountains Abbey was a project led by experimentation. 

​

It was because of the 1000s of sheep that the Cistercian monks kept that Fountains Abbey became such a grand place of worship, generating profit and economic wealth in Ripon. So it only seemed fitting that I put the sheep into context with Fountains Abbey. I researched natural colours and experimented in making natural screenprint inks. 

To draw the abbey and sheep I used found objects, such as feathers, ink pens and charcoal. I developed a free drawing style that brought the fun back into drawing for me. that didn't rely on perfection or realism. And while initially I was awful at printmaking, with the help of my tutor Mark, my skill improved and improved.

It was a very tranquil time, getting away from everyone and focusing on practical work in the studio. It is this atmospbere I will miss the most.