I began printing when I discovered the work of the artist Peter Hay (1951–2003) who created Two Rivers Press. His work is unsophisticated but with a delightful and witty political edge. I wasted no time in finding a teacher and attended workshops and classes with eminent printers such as Chris Daunt and Kate Dicker and book binders, all of whom contributed to broad style moving from pencil erasers like those Peter had used to working with wood, lino and any other relief medium I can find. Before, I recently retired and with a degree in Classics and reading Latin and Greek I worked in Special Collections at the Library in the University of Reading where I was surrounded by inspirational materials in the Publishing Archives and the books by and about masters in the printing trade and book design industry; from the 16th century and the likes of William Caxton to Eric Gill, , Robert Gibbings, Vanessa Bell of the 20th century and many many more.
During this time I visited Rio de Janiero several times where I learned much about the art of book making not unlike the Chapbooks we might have seen in Great Britain and Europe in the 17th and 18th Centuries and called Cordels, (string literature). These are simple hand printed booklets, still sold on street corners and fairs and hung by threads . So with this experience and my other interest in poetry particularly Haiku, I am keen to create my own printed art works adding my own flourishes of colour and texture and the fun inspired by Peter Hay in my studio and print room.
During this time I visited Rio de Janiero several times where I learned much about the art of book making not unlike the Chapbooks we might have seen in Great Britain and Europe in the 17th and 18th Centuries and called Cordels, (string literature). These are simple hand printed booklets, still sold on street corners and fairs and hung by threads . So with this experience and my other interest in poetry particularly Haiku, I am keen to create my own printed art works adding my own flourishes of colour and texture and the fun inspired by Peter Hay in my studio and print room.