Printmaker Courtney Sennish on Somerset®

 

Artist Courtney Sennish brings a unique perspective to printmaking and sculpture, drawing inspiration from the often-overlooked details of urban architecture and landscapes. 

Courtney’s process involves a keen observation of found colours, shapes, and textures within the built environment, which she then masterfully abstracts into her evocative prints and three-dimensional works.

The choice of Somerset® paper often plays a crucial role in her printmaking, adding a tactile richness and subtle depth to her interpretations of the urban world, allowing the ink to settle beautifully onto its soft, textured surface. 

Courtney shares how she recently explored more shades and surfaces of Somerset® paper, including Velvet Newsprint Grey, Satin White and Textured Cream. 

“Somerset has been my favourite paper choice to print etchings for the last 10 years, but for some reason I have not explored all of the paper options… and I am so excited!”

“I mixed up some ink colours that I felt paired well with the different paper colours and surface finishes. The White paper has a Satin finish, the smoothest of the surface options. The Newsprint Grey paper has a Velvet finish, my usual go to paper finish for everything as it has a very subtle texture.  Velvet, to me, is a general crowd pleaser if you can’t decide on a surface.  And the final paper is Cream with a Textured finish.

“With etching, the paper surface smooths out in the image area under the pressure of the press but the paper maintains the visible texture in the paper margins. It is a really nice look, especially when printing with a rich black etching ink. In my experience all of the finishes print beautifully for all etching processes.”

Watch Courtney's video of printing 'Ground Cover'

“Thank you St Cuthberts Mill!  It has been so fun to explore these paper colours and finishes. Since I typically use Somerset® White Velvet paper this experimentation has opened up some new ideas for my print practice.”

Watch Courtney's video of printing 'Permeable Paver'

More about Courtney Sennish

With a strong foundation in printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design and further interdisciplinary exploration at the California College of the Arts, including papermaking studies in Japan, Sennish's artistic journey has led her to co-found Moonlight Press.

Sennish, a trained Master Printer from Crown Point Press, has exhibited her compelling work in numerous Bay Area shows, including solo exhibitions, and recently presented her prints alongside her sculptures in "Curbside," offering a comprehensive view of her artistic dialogue between the natural and constructed realms.

Find out more 

Learn more about Courtney Sennish’s work at these links:

www.courtneysennish.com/ 

www.instagram.com/courtneysennish/ 

www.facebook.com/courtney.sennish

Find out more about our Somerset ® paper range on our website.

Artist Interview: Martin Truefitt-Baker

 

Fine art printmaker and painter, Martin Truefitt-Baker, a fan of Somerset® Satin, tells us about his creative journey and inspiration for his artwork, including his impressive wildlife reduction linocut prints on Somerset® paper.

Martin is a renowned artist working in Wales celebrated for his exquisite linocut prints. His work, deeply rooted in the stunning landscapes of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, captures the essence of the Welsh countryside with remarkable detail and sensitivity.

 

'Kingfisher, Evening Rain' by
Martn Truefitt-Baker

Martin, tell us a bit about your journey as an artist and how you came to focus on printmaking?

I’m originally from East London but first moved to Wales to do a degree in Visual Art at Aberystwyth. My practical studies there specialised in graphics, illustration and printmaking. The course was 50% Art History and my dissertation was on Edward Bawden (I was lucky enough to visit him and his studio), so I had started to develop an interest in lino printing, producing a few small prints. 

On graduating I did some illustration work back in London at first but there seemed to be little prospect of making a living (I was also working as a bin man!). I trained as a teacher in Cardiff in the early 80s and then taught in a Welsh Valleys school for the next 30+ years (Head of Department for 20+ years) to 11- to 18-year-olds.

I found teaching did two things at the same time, it honed my critical and practical skills but sapped my personal and creative energy. 

Ten years ago, I was able to leave teaching, after the school was restructured and I started making work for myself again in 2017.

At first, I was just working out what interested me and what kind of artist I was (I’m still working on that). I live in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), in the beautiful Usk Valley, so the local landscape and wildlife have had a big influence. 

Maybe if I still lived in London, I’d be making edgy metropolitan street scenes, or be more into social comment? 

Quite early on I had some work accepted into a couple of important exhibitions, which made me think that my art practice was still valuable and something that was worth investing time and energy in. I'm lucky that it is now a full-time and successful career. 

I exhibit regularly and also sell my prints online, which has opened up an international market. I still do the occasional bit of teaching but I try to keep that limited.

Another small income stream has come from my work being picked up by a few publishing companies. My print designs can be found on greetings cards and more recently a jigsaw and a notebook. These are all good advertisements for my handmade limited edition lino prints, so are worthwhile pursuing. In a way I’ve ended up as the illustrator I first hoped to be 40+ years ago. 

'Bluebell Wood Fox' by Martin Truefitt-Baker on Somerset Satin

Where does your inspiration come from for your themes about nature and wildlife?

I base my wildlife work on the animals I see where I live and only the ones I’ve seen. It is as much about my feelings towards that animal and where and when I see it, as about its physical appearance. 

'Swimming in Stars' by Martin Truefitt-Baker on 
Somerset Satin

There is often a bit of narrative, maybe that’s the illustrator in me. I try to catch some of the magic in the way the animal moves and lives within its environment, as if you were there with it running or swimming alongside, the same size, rather than observing from a distance.

The time of day and the season are very important. A fox running through crunchy white bracken on the hillside, with frosty breath, is magic. Compositions of an animal isolated in a rectangle just seem a bit of a lost opportunity.

The landscapes in my paintings and prints are real places, some become more stylized than others. Simplifying or reimagining shapes, form and colours to make a good composition is important to convey something more than a photographic reality.

An edition of prints takes me around two months to finish, from first rough sketches, to numbering and signing (editioning).

Which printmaking techniques do you find most rewarding, and why?

Most of my printed work is linocut and most of it is by reduction. A single piece of lino is progressively cut away and overprinted onto paper several times, in a succession of tones, to build up the final image. Sometimes a layer can have three or four blended colours. 

All of the colours and tones in my prints come from these layers of printing, which I think gives a cleaner, more graphic quality to the final image. I don’t fill in any areas with watercolour.

I occasionally experiment with other techniques. I’ve been making a few small drypoints and mezzotints recently. I’m trying to reflect more of the tonal softness in some of my painted work. It all helps to keep you thinking! 

I’m also impressed at how well Somerset® works for these intaglio techniques. For lino printing the paper is kept dry to print, so there is quite a difference in process

You frequently work with Somerset® paper. What qualities of Somerset® paper make it ideal for your printmaking?

As I said earlier, my reduction linocut prints are made with several layers of printing (usually between 5 and 8). I use the Somerset® Satin 300gsm for my large prints, it is perfect if you have a press (I would recommend the thinner/lighter 250gsm for hand printing) . It is robust enough to go through the press repeatedly and to take the handling involved with hanging to dry each time.

The surface of the satin paper is perfect for many layers of overprinting and takes a clean, crisp impression, so there is less tendency to over-ink or to use excessive pressure. The inks I use also dry well because of the absorbency of the surface, especially the first few layers, so there is no need to be waiting for days between rounds of lino cutting and printing. The printing of an edition can often be completed in about two weeks. I tend to use White Satin sheets, as it gives a brighter finish when making a multicoloured design, I know others prefer the warmer white (Soft White), especially if working with a single dark colour. 

Find out more

To see more of Martin Truefitt-Baker’s artwork, visit:

www.truefitt-baker.co.uk

www.instagram.com/truefittbakerart

www.facebook.com/martin.truefittbakerart

Visit Martin’s blog to learn more about making his fox print  ‘Deluge’.

www.truefitt-baker.co.uk/post/deluge 

To learn more about Somerset printmaking papers visit our website.

 

Carne Griffith's ICONS Series on Bockingford

 

Dive into the captivating world of Carne Griffiths' ICONS series, where the artist breathes new life into legendary figures of the 20th century. Through a unique blend of ink, tea, and alcohol, Griffiths captures not just likeness, but the very essence of these iconic individuals. In this blog post, we delve into the artist's creative process, exploring the inspiration behind the series, the significance of his chosen subjects, and the pivotal role of Bockingford® paper in his intricate technique.

Carne, what inspired you to create a series of ICONS?

I have been painting portraits for nearly 15 years now, but up to this point I have mainly steered away from famous portraits, or even been concerned with including recognisable people within my work. The ICONS series came about because I wanted the challenge of bringing my usual style of work to influential figures of the 20th century.

Doing so has presented a completely different challenge within my work, where capturing not just a likeness but the spirit or essence of the individual character within my painting.  My aim with the ICONS series is to create a series of 52 portraits focusing on 20th Century ICONS , which I will eventually use to create an exhibition and a deck of cards featuring all 52 portraits.

Which piece from the ICONS series holds the most personal significance for you, and why?

Out of those painted so far, the Bowie piece definitely resonates the most.  I grew up surrounded by his music and his creativity provided a background to my youth.  What I love about Bowie is the changing personality and the way he created characters throughout his career,  I tried to select a reference image that was closer to the man himself than to one of his portrayed characters.  The hush image just seemed perfect to capture his spirit and I really like the way the piece played out.

Your work, including the ICONS series, heavily features Bockingford® paper. What qualities of Bockingford® paper make it so essential to your artistic process, especially when working with ink, tea and alcohol?

Yes, about 95% of all work I create uses Bockingford® watercolour paper.  I was lucky to discover this paper early on and it had a huge effect on how I create my work.  Bockingford® seems to handle the materials I use in a very different way to other papers.  There is a vibrancy and a crispness to the work that I just cannot achieve with other watercolour papers.  I use the 535gsm CP (NOT) paper and I normally stretch this on an open aluminium frame, this allows me to dry the paper from the back and to occasionally embroider elements through the back of the paper while stretched.

The process I use involves more of a staining than a painting of colours.  I pile on a lot of liquids, teas, alcohols you name it, and the surface of the paper just holds up every time. The depth of colour is achieved by the slow absorption of these liquids and only Bockingford® paper will give me the desired effect with the dye colours and liquids that I use, it is also really important to me that the surface of the paper holds up after applying these liquids, as the next part of my process is to draw over the work with fountain pen inks.   I find that Bockingford® will maintain a crisp line more so than others I have tried, and to be honest I haven't felt the desire or need to move away from this paper in 15 years!

What do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your ICONS series? What emotional or intellectual response are you aiming for?

ICONS is a fun light hearted series and the people who connect with these pieces will probably be the same ones that have a feeling of nostalgia, or are fans in some way of the portrait painted.

Most of my studio work is about creating a dialogue about our relationship with nature and though this is an underlying theme in all my work, the ICONS series is definitely a more playful approach that focuses more on this nostalgia and celebrity. I hope the work creates a dialogue about what we consider an icon to be and for me this is very much a visual thing.  I don't really believe that someone can be considered iconic without a very strong visual presence.  I know that people will be disappointed if someone doesn't make the list, but the further through the series I go the more fun it will be to have the conversation about who will be painted next!

Links

If you would like to follow the creation of the rest of the ICONS series, sign up to Carne’s socials or subscribe to his website for updates.

www.carnegriffiths.com/ 

www.instagram.com/carnegriff

www.facebook.com/CarneGriffiths

www.youtube.com/@100sqft 

x.com/carnegriffiths 

To explore more about the range of Bockingford® paper visit our website.

Artist Interview: Cindy Wider

 

We talked to Cindy Wider, a celebrated Australian artist and author, about her exciting new children's book. Known for her dedication to fostering creativity, Cindy is now sharing her artistic vision with young readers through an enchanting tale filled with whimsical characters and colourful illustrations. Cindy shares her inspiration, creative process, and why she loves Saunders Waterford®. 

Cindy, tell us about your art practice and your journey to get to where you are now.

I was born in Brisbane Australia and grew up on the island of Papua New Guinea. I’ve been a full-time artist, illustrator, author and online drawing mentor for over 32 years (since the age of 23.) I’m the founder of DrawPj.com and Cindy’s Drawing Club where I present my ‘learn-to-draw and colour’ videos, books and mentoring online. 

I teach mostly retired women around my age; 55 and over, from a selection of 7 different mediums and 5 art styles (depending on their own unique areas of gifting, interests and needs.) Just over 7 years ago I began to transition from the world of fine art (where I was award-winning and gallery-represented) into the wonderful world of children’s picture book writing and illustrating. It’s been a huge transition and nothing at all like I first expected. I surrounded myself with some amazing experts in the industry who have helped me along the way. My first children’s book has just been published!

What was the inspiration for your children’s book? 

My husband and I, along with our two young daughters moved to England in 2013 to live nearer to his parents and family. It was so different to the endless blue skies, bright, tropical foliage and white sandy beaches of the great Australian beach lifestyle that had inspired my subject matter as a fine artist. At first, I struggled to make a connection to place in England.

After a short while, however, I soon became fascinated with the tiny details, textures and patterns like the rows of stone walls neatly dividing the hillsides. They looked just like giant patchwork quilts. Then there were the cute stone cottages with their snow-capped chimneys and warm glowing lights shining out from the windows. I was in awe of seeing real Holly and Ivy growing in the streets. I felt like I was stepping into a real-life children’s picture book that I’d read and enjoyed so much as a child.

Then, when we visited the Lake District, I experienced this deep nostalgic feeling of mystery and wonder. My imagination from my childhood suddenly awakened and came alive! I began thinking of all the little animals that might be living there and the exciting adventures they might go on. 

The very first characters I created were soft, fluffy little clothed anthropomorphic kittens. I always had a cat growing up, so it made sense to begin there. I called them the ‘Cuddleecats’. The rest is history. I was smitten by the world of children’s picture book illustration. 

Here I am today with my first Children’s book just published 7 years after leaving England. This book is the first in a series of Cuddleecats books that I intend will follow, and it’s titled ‘Mummy’s  Biggest, Best Birthday Surprise Ever!’ 

The setting of the book is an imaginary place called ‘Cuddleton Village.’ It’s a very special place deep in the English Woodlands. A place where no human has ever been. The stylisation is inspired by the golden age of illustration with a vintage feel and a touch of modern times sprinkled in.

Do you have any tips for other artists looking to be self-published?

I’ve published my own book because I had a very specific artistic vision that I wanted to accomplish. My biggest tip (if you choose to self-publish) is to be prepared to surround yourself with experienced professionals if possible. For example, you’ll need an editor, a book designer, a reliable and quality printing company. It’s a great idea to be a member of various organisations to support you with things such as learning resources, networking opportunities, community support, information on how to price your illustrations etc. I highly recommend SCBWI (the Society of Children’s Book Writes and Illustrators) and ASA (Australian Society of Authors), which is for illustrators as well. 

What is your go-to paper for illustration, and what qualities in paper are important for your work? 

My absolute favourite paper is Saunders Waterford Hot Pressed High White 425gsm (200lb). I have very carefully chosen this specific paper after many experimentations because I need a paper that is robust, reliable and smooth enough to allow a beautiful even spread of colour. My chosen paper also needs to have enough texture to hold several layers of colour; first inks and then once dried coloured pencil on top. My favourite thing about Saunders Waterford is that there are no surprises in the texture; I can rely on it to perform for me time and time again. 

Cindy Wider’s Cuddleecats book ‘Mummy’s Biggest, Best Birthday Surprise Ever!' is available for purchase on her website www.cindywider.com.

For more information about Cindy’s Classes and mentoring: 

drawpj.com

Links

www.youtube.com/@CindyWiderArtist 

www.instagram.com/cindywider

www.facebook.com/DrawPj

www.facebook.com/CindyWiderArtist

To learn about our Saunders Waterford range, visit our website.

Artist Interview: Julie Collins

 

Award winning artist Julie Collins, author of ‘The Colour Mixing Companion, ‘The Colour Mixing Guide, Watercolour Botanicals’ and ‘Colour Demystified’ and a member of the Society of Women Artists talks through the art of glazing in watercolours.

Glazing is the most important technique that I use in my painting. It is a wonderful way to create depth and interest in your watercolour paintings. If you look at the painting ‘Invisible Moon’ the foreground is created by painting multiple layers of paint which adds a depth and mystery to the painting.

Invisible Moon by Julie Collins 
on CP 638gsm Saunders Waterford 

The transparency of the paint is crucial for this method to work well. Each layer, or glaze, must be allowed to dry thoroughly before the next layer of paint is applied. The glazes must be very transparent so that the underlayers shine through. It is possible to use opaque paint which is thinly mixed, but transparent and semi-transparent watercolour works best. The result is that the colours are mixed by the eye, and an element of mystery and atmosphere can be created in your paintings. A simple example is if you paint a layer of yellow, allow it to dry and paint a red glaze on top it will appear as an orange – but a much more interesting orange than if you had simply painted an orange layer of paint.

Hestia by Julie Collins

In ‘Hestia’ I painted various red, pink and orange glazes to give an interesting background for the figure to stand in. Similarly, in ‘Sister Mary’ I painted at least 5 glazes of colour until I was satisfied with the depth of the red and blue areas in the painting. You will notice that when you paint the colour will seem much brighter when the paint is wet. This is another example of where glazing is useful as when it is dry you can paint another layer of paint to strengthen the colour.

Beach Huts by Julie Collins
on Saunders Waterford CP 638gsm

Glazing is useful in so many ways. If like me, you often feel intimidated by a sheet of pure white paper, you can over this by painting a light glaze as a background over the entire surface. This underlayer then has the effect of unifying the whole painting. When I started ‘Beach Huts’, I painted the entire surface with one colour which gives a unity to the picture and gave a good background to begin working with.

Solent Summer by Julie Collins
on Saunders Waterford CP 638gsm

The glazing technique is often used for landscapes and skies, see the example ‘Solent Summer’ where I have used glazing to add depth and luminosity to this landscape. Glazing will create luminosity in a way that can’t be achieved in other watercolour techniques.

Calm Before the Storm
by Julie Collins
on Saunders Waterford CP 638gsm

Several glazes or layers of paint will give depth and creates an illusion of space in a painting. In the painting ‘Calm before the storm’ I have used more complex glazing to give depth to the picture. Here I have painted large and small areas of glazes, and I gave myself plenty of time in between to consider how the painting was working out.

Saunders Waterford is robust enough to take many glazes. This paper produces a wonderful texture with each layer of paint, and the watercolour glides nicely across the surface, making it an ideal paper for glazing. My favourite paper is the Saunders Waterford CP (NOT) surface 638gsm(300lb) as I love working on heavy paper.

To find out more about Julie Collins visit:

www.juliecollins.co.uk

www.instagram.com/juliecollinsart 

‘The Colour Mixing Companion, ‘The Colour Mixing Guide, Watercolour Botanicals’ and ‘Colour Demystified’ books by Julie Collins are available through Search Press. 
 

About Julie Collins

Julie studied BA Hons Painting at the University of Reading 1980-84. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the ING Discerning Eye, three awards from the Royal Watercolour Society and has twice received the prestigious 1st prize for watercolour at the Royal West of England Academy. During 2021 Julie was elected a member of the Society of Women Artists, a Member of the SWA Council and RWA Network Member.  Julie has written seven art books to date, ‘Colour Demystified’ was published by Search Press in August. Her latest book, ‘The Colour Mixing Companion’ was published May 2023 and can be seen for sale at Tate Modern, Tate Britain and Kew Gardens. Julie is currently working on three new watercolour books to be published 2025-2026.

To learn about our Saunders Waterford range, visit our website.

Artist Interview: Bronwyn Royce

 

Miniature watercolour artist, Bronwyn Royce, tells us about her journey as an artist, and what led her to create her enchanting miniature paintings. Bronwyn shares useful tips for aspiring miniature watercolour artists and about her favourite paper, Bockingford® Cold Pressed.

Bronwyn Royce is an ambassador for Princeton Brush and posts regularly on Instagram where she has a large following.

By Bronwyn Royce on Bockingford

Tell us about your art practice and your journey to get to where you are now.

My art journey started in Cape Town, South Africa in 1999 when a friend invited me to join her for a watercolour art class. I doubted I was capable of creating anything worthwhile, especially with only 10% vision in my left eye, but I was instantly hooked.

When I immigrated to the UK in 2007, I set my paints aside for almost 10 years to take up full-time employment in order to get my British Passport. A combination of a massive life-changing curveball thrown at my family in 2012 when my oldest son was very seriously injured in Afghanistan, together with unexpectedly being made redundant at the end of 2016, forced me to ponder life and the importance of doing what I love. I took a year off to write a book ‘One step in a poppy field’, sharing the tragic details of how life can be changed in an instant.

By then it was time to follow my heart, and in 2018 I launched my business, Pigments Art. My art has become my therapy!

By Bronwyn Royce on Bockingford

What initially drew you to the medium of watercolour miniatures?

I have tried painting with most other mediums, but watercolours will always be my preference. When I started going to art classes, it soon became apparent that I loved to add as much detail as possible.

Encouraged by my younger son, in 2018 I joined Instagram and challenged myself to complete a painting a day over the next year. Some days I was pressed to get a large piece done in time so, looking for what I assumed to be a less labour intensive option, I ventured into the fascinating world of miniature painting. My compulsion to fit as much detail into my work has meant that sometimes these tiny paintings take me longer to complete than a large painting, but the response I have had to my little artworks has been unexpected and very humbling.

By Bronwyn Royce on Bockingford

Can you describe your typical process for creating a watercolour miniature, from initial sketch to finished piece?

I constantly look for inspiration for my miniatures, whether it’s during my daily walks, or from a photograph I see. I do a lot of research online to get ideas and will often take elements from a few images, combine them, adding my own touch. Once I have decided what to paint, I will choose the shape to paint, be it a circle, a square, a rectangle, or my favourite, which I call breaking boundaries, which is when part of the painting escapes from the border. I then do a very basic pencil sketch just to give some idea of placement of shapes but, with miniatures, the area is so small that in fact pencil lines are too thick to be able to draw much. My finer details are only achievable because of the miniature paintbrushes I use, which vary in size, but the smallest I currently use is an 18/0 Velvetouch from Princeton Brush.

By Bronwyn Royce on Bockingford

How do you approach capturing detail and realism in such a small format?

It is important to recognise that often not every detail can be included, especially in a more detailed piece, so choosing the best bits is sometimes enough to give the full impression.

What qualities were you looking for in paper when you chose Bockingford?

Bockingford CP was first introduced to me by my art teacher in 1999, as she felt it was the most forgiving paper for her students. I started on 190gsm paper, but soon progressed to 300gsm when I became more competent in my work, and I have continued to use it ever since. 

When I started painting miniatures, I was encouraged by other miniature artists to try smoother papers, but I never got on with them and I always revert to Bockingford.

By Bronwyn Royce on Bockingford

What advice would you give to aspiring artists interested in creating watercolour miniatures?

Perseverance is key. Initially the tiny details seem almost impossible to create but with practice, hand and eye become coordinated. A steady hand is essential though, as well as a magnifier of sorts for the very tiny details. I sometimes use a free-standing 2X magnifying glass in order to touch up the finer sections.


Links 

To learn more about Bronwyn Royce visit:

www.instagram.com/pigmentsart/

pigments-art.myshopify.com/

 
To explore more about the range of Bockingford paper visit our website.