Original Linocut - Dungeness Lighthouse Landscape 

Dungeness is one of my most favourite places in Kent. This view is taken from the water line of the vast shingle expanse, and just the tops of the low houses are visible. Most prominent are the power lines and the three lighthouses - yes, three. The treacherous and ever shifting shingle spit necessitated several lighthouses to be built here so that they could still be seen from the water. The first (10 m) was a wooden tower topped with an open coal fire, built in 1615. This was replaced by a brick lighthouse (33m) in 1635. The third lighthouse (35 m) was built in 1790, its 17 Argon lamos were fuelled by oil and later petroleum and it saw a costy short-lived conversion to electricity before the oil lamps we re-instated with improved refractory lenses, and a Low Light and fog horn were added nearer the waters edge.  By 1901, a new lighthouse had been commissioned. The iconic Old Lighthouse (46m high) was opened in 1904, it survived both world wars but the building of the nuclear power station obscured its light, and once again, the shingle spit had grown and the lighthouse found itself too far inland. By 1960, it was decommissioned and painted black to avoid confusing mariners. The new aully automatic Dungeness lighthouse (43 m) opened in 1961, on the site of the low light and fog horn.

From left to right, you can see the first two floors of the 1790 lighthouse (encased within the lighthouse keepers accommodation), the 1904 Old Lighthouse, and the 1961 new lighthouse.  

- original 2-block multiblock linocut print, using monoprint techniques over 4 layers of ink

- colour: custom blue blue oil-based Cranfield Caligo ink. *please be aware that the finish is shiny in parts of the print - this is caused by the oil-based inks drying more slowly when they are overlaid. The inks will continue to cure but may feel sticky when your print first arrives - please leave it somewhere dry and airy for a couple of weeks. When framing, ensure that the linoprint does not touch the glass.*

- paper: Bread & Butter printmaking paper, white, smooth, 280 gsm

- print size: approx 39 x 16.5 (this print will just fit into an A3 frame but looks best in an A2 frame)

- paper size: approx 43 x 20.5 cm

- signed and numbered. Unframed.

- This is a variable limited edition of 18. This print features several gradient rolls and a free-inked sky as well as a free-inked beach, it is therefore impossible to recreate the print exactly. On some, the sky or beach is darker, on others, it is lighter. Each print is will be very similar to the others but also unique in its individual patterns.

I design and carve each motif into linoleum before inking the plate and printing it using Albert, my giant Victorian cast iron manual book press. To make a multiblock linocut print, the design is split into layers which are carved into several coordinating traditional linoleum plates, in reverse. All the plates and all the paper pieces have to be registered so that they print in exactly the same area each time. The first plate is inked up, registered and carefully covered with paper, and then put in the press. When this layer is dry, the process is repeated with the other plates until the key block goes on which ties all layers together to make the image. Depending on the number of layers, multiblock prints can take several weeks to complete. The Dungeness print was created using monoprint techniques, the first block was printed three times, each time manipulating the ink to create the coulds. The second block provided the fourth layer, which was also manipulated to provide texture to the beach section.  

Thank you very much for looking at my cards and prints.