In spring 2019 – after having worked predominantly with linocut as my prefered printmaking technique – I made a radical change based on a increased focus on sustainability and a growing need to connect more with the material I worked with.
The decision to learn woodcut has made a solely positive impact on my practice.
It's completely different working with a natural material, something that once lived, as opposed to something constructed by man, something artificial and perhaps most importantly something that is less degradable and therefore less sustainable.
It's completely different working with a natural material, something that once lived, as opposed to something constructed by man, something artificial and perhaps most importantly something that is less degradable and therefore less sustainable.
I am environmentally-aware.
I try to adapt to this mentality in every aspect of my life,
so why shouldn't this also include my working practice?
I try to adapt to this mentality in every aspect of my life,
so why shouldn't this also include my working practice?
It should.
June 17th I took my first step in this direction,
when I attended Creative Learning Aberdeen's Workshop
'Make Your Mark – MOKUHANGA PRINTING'
taught by Master Printmaker Michael Waight.
when I attended Creative Learning Aberdeen's Workshop
'Make Your Mark – MOKUHANGA PRINTING'
taught by Master Printmaker Michael Waight.
The next step I took was when I later that year attended
Peacock Visual Arts Aberdeen's 'Woodcut Bootcamp'
hosted by Printmaker Tom Huck aka Evil Prints from the US and James Vass.
Peacock Visual Arts Aberdeen's 'Woodcut Bootcamp'
hosted by Printmaker Tom Huck aka Evil Prints from the US and James Vass.
With these two courses as a foundation I felt confident to focus on Woodcut
for my Honours Year at Gray's School of Art.
for my Honours Year at Gray's School of Art.
This is a journey I'm currently on.
My skills develop, I discover new techniques and ways of creating,
while working with a material that I feel has a certain soul
and therefore can provide a greater depth to my work than perhaps lino could.
My skills develop, I discover new techniques and ways of creating,
while working with a material that I feel has a certain soul
and therefore can provide a greater depth to my work than perhaps lino could.
This is my journey, so far
:
:
MOKUHANGA PRINTING with Michael Waight
June 17th 2019
One day workshop
June 17th 2019
One day workshop
•
WOODCUT BOOTCAMP with Tom Huck
August 31th 2019
6 days workshop
August 31th 2019
6 days workshop
•
Infographic
October 2019
1st project in my Honours Year
October 2019
1st project in my Honours Year
Created as a chart in an invented series that I called 'How it works'
inspired by the Vienna Method's Isotype charts.
inspired by the Vienna Method's Isotype charts.
Created and printed as a woodcut,
with the combination of laser-cut and carved elements.
with the combination of laser-cut and carved elements.
The chart's information is based on the knowledge
I obtained while attending the Woodcut Bootcamp with
Tom Huck at Peacock Aberdeen.
I obtained while attending the Woodcut Bootcamp with
Tom Huck at Peacock Aberdeen.
'Chart 71' hints to both the workshop's tutor
and his idol Albrecht Dürer,
as it is both their year of birth.
Though the age difference is 500 years.
and his idol Albrecht Dürer,
as it is both their year of birth.
Though the age difference is 500 years.
The last session of the Bootcamp unfortunately got cancelled because of illness, which meant that
this woodcut would not only be my first attempt at printing this type of print in a press, but I also had to manage this myself.
this woodcut would not only be my first attempt at printing this type of print in a press, but I also had to manage this myself.
I was extremely pleased with both the result
and my own achievements in the printmaking room
after making quite a few attempts.
and my own achievements in the printmaking room
after making quite a few attempts.
I worked out some valuable lessons during this process.
I had my first encounter with Japanese Rice Paper,
which has become a firm favourite of mine.
Don't underestimate the importance
– I borrowed some professional carving tools
(thank you Neil Cobban!)
which I decided to order and still use today.
Mixing extender with ink when printing Woodcut
can make a difference that you don't want to miss out on.
I had my first encounter with Japanese Rice Paper,
which has become a firm favourite of mine.
Don't underestimate the importance
– I borrowed some professional carving tools
(thank you Neil Cobban!)
which I decided to order and still use today.
Mixing extender with ink when printing Woodcut
can make a difference that you don't want to miss out on.
•
Cristmas cards
November 2019
Woodcut
November 2019
Woodcut
Hame for yule
After moving to Scotland from Norway,
I was amazed by how many words we share
between our two very different languages.
I was amazed by how many words we share
between our two very different languages.
Hame and yule are two of them,
they do not only mean the same in both languages,
they are also pronounced the same way.
they do not only mean the same in both languages,
they are also pronounced the same way.
Two very dear words to me
and something I always look forward to
-going hame for yule
and something I always look forward to
-going hame for yule
Silent night | Stille natt
This was a woodcut I started on
when I attended my first course with Michael Waight.
It felt like the right decision to complete the print
and send it out as a Christmas card that year
– the best way of showing what I'd been up to.
when I attended my first course with Michael Waight.
It felt like the right decision to complete the print
and send it out as a Christmas card that year
– the best way of showing what I'd been up to.
Although this motif doesn't exist in real life,
I dream of spending Christmas eve in this landscape,
in this little cottage
– a silent, holy night.
I dream of spending Christmas eve in this landscape,
in this little cottage
– a silent, holy night.
Poinsettia
If you ask me to name one flower that I associate
with Christmas, then Poinsettia is the one.
In Norway we call it Julestjerne
which means Christmas star – very suitable.
with Christmas, then Poinsettia is the one.
In Norway we call it Julestjerne
which means Christmas star – very suitable.
I developed this woodblock into a patterned block print,
however, I found it so timeconsuming and hard-laboured
that I discontinued it as a prospective project.
however, I found it so timeconsuming and hard-laboured
that I discontinued it as a prospective project.
•
Interim Show
January 2020
Poster
January 2020
Poster
No one could have predicted that our Interim show was actually going to be our one and only show.
All around the world – all the classes of 2020 –
have seen their expectations and exitements of a degree show vanish
because of Covid-19.
But let's look at what we did have,
what we did manage to do!
All around the world – all the classes of 2020 –
have seen their expectations and exitements of a degree show vanish
because of Covid-19.
But let's look at what we did have,
what we did manage to do!
Here's an excerpt from this project's sketchbook:
'Time to hang. It was now time to merge the two parts I had been working on.
These two were the woodblock with all the components that I had used
in the printing process, attached, and the imprint of all the different components.
The two parts represented the objects and the imprints, and I aimed to showcase
my journey through experimentation. By creating it like this, I wanted the audience
not only to observe what I had made, I wanted to invite them into the printmaking room
and observe with me. To learn How It Works.
I’m more comfortable with writing than explaining myself in spoken words,
and I think my handwriting is more inviting than my voice,
so this is also a way of conveying myself in a way that I’m comfortable with.
I wanted to engage the audience in my artwork and for them to engage with the artpiece.
I placed the components – the fabrics and the woodcut – onto the plywood,
and attached tags on each of them.
By placing the tags on the lower part of the poster I encouraged people to touch
– take a note and read it, feel the fabric, explore the textures.
These two were the woodblock with all the components that I had used
in the printing process, attached, and the imprint of all the different components.
The two parts represented the objects and the imprints, and I aimed to showcase
my journey through experimentation. By creating it like this, I wanted the audience
not only to observe what I had made, I wanted to invite them into the printmaking room
and observe with me. To learn How It Works.
I’m more comfortable with writing than explaining myself in spoken words,
and I think my handwriting is more inviting than my voice,
so this is also a way of conveying myself in a way that I’m comfortable with.
I wanted to engage the audience in my artwork and for them to engage with the artpiece.
I placed the components – the fabrics and the woodcut – onto the plywood,
and attached tags on each of them.
By placing the tags on the lower part of the poster I encouraged people to touch
– take a note and read it, feel the fabric, explore the textures.
I am very present in this poster, perhaps more here than in anything else I have created so far.
I am there in the symbolism, behind the scenes.
I am there in the symbolism, behind the scenes.
I mentioned at the beginning of this sketchbook that this project changed how I view my art.
First of all, I don’t think I had discussed my work while using the caption 'my art' much before.
Perhaps there was a seed that was sown with this project that allowed me to believe in myself as an artist.
The reason it changed my view was that I developed the mindset of
'how will this look like when printed' as opposed to 'how can I create this in the best possible way'.
I seem to keep coming back to Paul Klee’s wise words that 'drawing is like taking a line for a walk',
but I think that quote applies in this context.
I managed to free myself from the never-ending hunt for perfection.
This hunt can be exhausting and you can never fully win. The new mindset suits me much better.
I learned to see beyond the picture-perfect.'
Poster created in two piecesFirst of all, I don’t think I had discussed my work while using the caption 'my art' much before.
Perhaps there was a seed that was sown with this project that allowed me to believe in myself as an artist.
The reason it changed my view was that I developed the mindset of
'how will this look like when printed' as opposed to 'how can I create this in the best possible way'.
I seem to keep coming back to Paul Klee’s wise words that 'drawing is like taking a line for a walk',
but I think that quote applies in this context.
I managed to free myself from the never-ending hunt for perfection.
This hunt can be exhausting and you can never fully win. The new mindset suits me much better.
I learned to see beyond the picture-perfect.'
Top half: Monotype and Woodcut embossing
Bottom half: Materials used in the process of printing
•
Gákti
February 2020
Two layer reduction Woodcut
February 2020
Two layer reduction Woodcut
Gákti – inspired by the beauty and colours of the Sámi people, in particular their national costume.
This print was created to mark the Sámi National Day.
I chose to focus on the sheer beauty of the Sámi people in this Woodcut.
The colours, their connection to nature
– the wild and snowclad landscape.
I’ve been inspired by the printmaker John Andreas Savio, his depiction of Sámi life and his simple
yet so expressive woodcuts.
I’ve also been inspired by the beautiful Gákti
– a traditional Sámi clothing.
The colours, their connection to nature
– the wild and snowclad landscape.
I’ve been inspired by the printmaker John Andreas Savio, his depiction of Sámi life and his simple
yet so expressive woodcuts.
I’ve also been inspired by the beautiful Gákti
– a traditional Sámi clothing.
I found that this print resonated well with a poem by Rolf Jacobsen from his book 'Brev til lyset'
(Letter to the Light) – poetry (1960)
translated by me
(Letter to the Light) – poetry (1960)
translated by me
Tett bak din fot | Close behind your foot
'Close behind your foot, all silence is greatest,
and a strange tenderness is laid,
different from anything.
and a strange tenderness is laid,
different from anything.
Different from anything you can hear, you can see
– the song from your shoes, the light of your hands.
– the song from your shoes, the light of your hands.
Close behind your shoulder,
closer than anything you imagine,
a peace you have not known yourself,
closer than anything you imagine,
a peace you have not known yourself,
where the world is silent, a deep, a steep second
that after an unprecedented promise
through a closed mouth '
that after an unprecedented promise
through a closed mouth '
•
Hjarte | Heart
April 2020
Woodcut
April 2020
Woodcut
The heart-shaped mittens was originally created as an element for The Norwegian Church Abroad Aberdeen's
annual Christmas Fair.
The core of the church is community,
where the heart plays a central role.
Not only does it stand for compassion,
but also the heart-shaped waffle
which is as symbolic as soup is for the Salvation Army
where the heart plays a central role.
Not only does it stand for compassion,
but also the heart-shaped waffle
which is as symbolic as soup is for the Salvation Army
