prints | Rosie And The Boys

Interview with Vicky of Woah There Pickle

I have a weakness for print. Whether it’s a linocut, a screen print or letterpress; there’s a good chance that it will make me smile. Couple beautiful print work with a dose of wit and I’m yours for the taking!

Recently I came across Vicky of Woah there pickle – a veritable sweetshop of printed loveliness and wit. Within hours I got in touch with Vicky and asked her to share more about her work.

Grab yourself a cuppa and enjoy….

1. Describe yourself in three words

Brighton’s Printmaking Pickle

2. Your work seems full of humour, warmth and colour – are these attributes that you consciously include in your work.

Image: Woah there pickle

Definitely, humour is the most important. I like printing things that you wouldn’t necessarily think of as subject of a print. Silly things, nostalgic things and more so now I’ve been using more typography, things I’ve heard. I really like incorporating little things I’ve learnt while travelling so that when someone else recognises that thing as specifically New Orleans or specifically Tel Aviv its something special.

Image: Woah there pickle

I’ve also always been inspired by people who use really bold colour. My absolute favourite artist is Keith Haring and one of the reasons for that is he never shied away from really just going with it with colour but always kept it simple. It adds up to an easily recognisable but exciting style of work which I really try to apply to in my linocuts too.

3. I love the variety of your subjects…do you keep sketch books of ideas or run home as soon as inspiration strikes?

I’ve never been good at keeping sketch books on me so I have a big long list on my phone which isn’t very art of me I know! You never know when you’ll see something or someone will say something in a different way and you think ‘Right, that’s going on the list!’. Its got pretty long now so I don’t think I’m ever going to run out of things to linocut!

Comedy Disguise glasses, nose and moustache

Image: Woah there Pickle

4.Lino printing involves being skilled in a lot of processes. Do you get more enjoyment from carving the design or printing it?

Image: Woah there pickle

That’s one of the things I really love about linocutting. The carving and the printing are two really different processes so if I’m flagging a bit doing one then I can switch to the other.

Image: Woah there pickle

The carving can be really relaxing when you’re not stabbing yourself with the tool and once you have a design is very methodical. But there’s something very magic printing a block for the first time because you never really know how its going to come out, especially with a few colours.

5. America seems to have a big place in your heart, tell us more..

Image: Woah there pickle

America is really a fascinating place. It’s so strange that its one country when sometimes the different parts of Europe feel like they have more in common with each other than the different states of America in landscape, climate, culture or people. And it has the benefit of me being able to speak the language, well, kind of!

I’ve been around a good chunk of it and my second home is definitely New Orleans. You get such a sense of important and sometimes weird history there with strange and exciting traditions and such a unique culture. The food, music and festivals are all incredible and it all comes wrapped up in that Southern hospitality you don’t find in all states that’s for sure!

New Orleans Water meter cover lino print

Image: Woah there pickle

The first time I went I was living and working in a hostel over Mardi Gras season so I’ve made some incredible friends there and they have very courteously spread themselves all over the country and the world so I have even more places to go and visit a friendly face now!

6. Can you tell us more about your internship with Hatch Show Print?

I could talk all day about that place! I’d been told by a friend that as I was passing through Nashville I would have to stop in there and it really is an Aladdin’s Cave for anyone interested in print. I fell in love with it and stored away the idea of applying for their internship programme. 4 years later I thought I might as well give it a go, applied and was over them moon when I got it.

Image: Woah there Pickle

For those who don’t know, Hatch Show Print is a letterpress print shop that has been producing posters since 1879. That’s the same year the lightbulb was invented! It eventually became famous for printing posters for some of the most iconic popular music acts there have been, including Johnny Cash, Elvis, Hank Williams and anyone who was anyone in the country music scene. Since the mid 80s its been run by the amazing Jim Sherraden who has kept the place thriving in a time where people automatically jump on a computer to lay a poster design out. He now says that this is the best thing that could have happened to the shop because it sets aside what Hatch and other letterpress printers do from computer made design and offers a more human and tactile alternative which people cant get enough of. They have continued to make posters for incredible acts right through from Led Zeppelin to current bands like Mumford and Sons today. We had people phoning before the poster was even designed to buy copies of that one!

Image: Woah there pickle

During my time there I learnt, from scratch, the running of a letterpress poster shop. There, the designer is also the printer so I had to first get to grips with the humongous archive of wood and metal letter blocks, hand carved lino blocks and metal photo plates and where it was all kept which was a mammoth task in itself! We then had to learn the traditional skills of typesetting, making colour separations, locking in the block on the press, making sure everything was printing and bumping up things that don’t, printing with the correct inconsistency of ink. Pretty soon we were working on live jobs and I made posters for a wide range of clients like The Country Music Hall of Fame, a local school, Counting Crows and the comedian Kevin James.

No Drinks or Drunks on the piano lino print

Image: Woah there pickle

My favourite thing about working in letterpress is how you have to learn design within the limitations of the process. It really forces you to make creative design decisions like if you don’t have enough ‘e’s in the typeface you’re using do you find another typeface altogether? Switch a few letters to a new one and make a mix? Find a good looking 3 and put it upside down? It all adds up to such a lovely quirky character you just don’t get on a computer.

7. You are obviously a big fan of craft fairs – what do you love most about them?

Craft fairs are great for two main reasons in my eyes. Firstly, making crafts or prints can be such a solitary job. Craft fairs are one of the big opportunities to meet up with people who are doing some of the same things as you so are effectively the colleagues you get to have a gossip with, see what else is going on with exhibitions or other fairs and talk about the things you’re doing and love. Luckily now I work in a studio so its not quite so lonesome but its lovely to be a part of that tight knit ‘scene’!

The second biggest pro to doing fairs is that there are not a lot of other opportunities to present your work to people face to face in a laid back atmosphere and get to chat to them about it. If you sell work on line of in galleries you don’t get a feel for the kind of person buying your stuff. With them in front of you, having a good old nose, they tell you which bits they like or which bits remind them of a thing their Grandma used to have or what else would be funny. That kind of feedback is not only invaluable as market research but is just really lovely to hear face to face!

8. What’s it like to be surrounded by such a vibrant community of designer makers in Brighton and how does Woah There Pickle get involved?

If you’re going to have a go at making a living from anything creative or crafty I think Brighton is one of the best places in the world to make that happen. I think it must be the pull of the beautiful sea! There’s so much going on down here and quickly you will get to see the same familiar faces at events across the city.

Image: Woah there pickle

Everyone is so open and friendly in the making community. I’m fairly new to it and already feel like I’ve been welcomed in by so many talented people who offer help and advice or a bit of a chat. Also the diversity of what people do is so interesting as well. People are truly doing some unique things and it makes me want to be better at what I do and make a real success of it.

There are so many ways to become involved in the community as well, it’s not just craft fairs. There are the monthly meet ups and talks put together by Craftaganza, the Brighton Etsy Team which also creates events and provides support and the twice yearly Open House festivals Brighton has to name a few. Really there is always something going on in Brighton!

9. What’s your favourite piece in the Woah There Pickle shop and why?

Image: Woah there pickle

Generally I think that the last thing I’ve done is my favourite print. I guess that’s a good indication that I’m still getting better at it! The last one I’ve done is a Gummy Bear card which is a great example of a print making me giggle once I get that revealing second colour on.

Betcha I can tell you where you got them shoes

Image: Woah there pickle

Other than that I really like the ‘Bet you I can tell you where you got them shoes’ scam one from New Orleans. I thought it might be a bit too much of an in joke to have any appeal else where but people from all over the world seem to by them which really makes me smile. (The answer is generally on the street or on your feet!)

10. What can we look forward to from Woah There Pickle this year?

All sorts! The studio I’ve started working in has an insane screen printing set up so although I’ll most likely keep using linocutting as my base for design I’ll be able to produce bits on fabric and combine the processes which I’m really excited about. I’m also starting to team up with some great independent retailers so I’ll hopefully gain more of a presence in physical shops this year so keep an eye out!

Image: Woah there pickle

If you want to find out more about Vicky and her work or you’d like to buy something then here’s the information you need:

Website: www.woahtherepickle.co.uk where there’s a calendar of events to find me at craft fairs etc.

Twitter: @woahpickle

Instagram: woah_there_pickle

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Woahtherepickleprints

Contemporary Craft Not Digital Doping

As the world focuses it’s attention on France for the 100th edition of the Tour de France for the next three weeks, some people are bound to question whether a cyclist’s performance is due to his hard work and skill or to more dubious means.

Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill

Cycling Art Print – Tour de France Cyclist – Coppi: Cycling Quotes
Image: The Handmade Cyclist

In the world of art and design people sometimes pose similar questions claiming that drawing on a computer is cheating and isn’t REAL art.

This year I started using Adobe Illustrator to create and edit designs on my computer. I can honestly say it has transformed the way I work. As I started climbing a very steep learning curve (no pun intended) getting to grips with the strange new world of path tools and clipping masks; Neil Wyatt (otherwise known as The Handmade Cyclist) offered me a helping hand.

Neil has created a range of stunning work celebrating the stories and scenery of the cycling world, which you can see scattered throughout this post.

He’s very kindly agreed to answer some questions about how he uses uses Illustrator in his work.

So if you’ve ever wondered what you can achieve with Photoshop (other than making models look perfect) or still think that using a computer to create art is cheating read on to find out more…

Does Illustrator really feature significantly in your creative process?

It’s really central to it. It’s just a really fast way of working through ideas. I’ll often use pen and paper to quickly sketch out compositions and then use basic shapes in Illustrator to get a feel for how they will work. You can change shapes, reposition, work through colour schemes, and generally play around until you are happy the image will work. My Flanders poster is a good example – I must have come up with 15 different layouts of the shapes making the landscape before I was happy. Then it’s down to adding the details.

Cycling Art Print – Tour of Flanders Image: The Handmade Cyclist

Once the design is complete in Illustrator I will then paste it in layers into Photoshop to add textures and depth – this is vital to give the image that something extra. Vector shapes created in Illustrator can sometimes feel a little flat, so the final steps are important.

Some people feel that using a computer is cheating – do you agree?

No, not at all, its really a case of horses for courses. I love hand-drawn art, collage, paper cut – but I know I wouldn’t be able to get the precision I want using those techniques. When I was learning to draw I really loved technical drawing – in the days of using pencil, protractor etc – and I really loved creating precise exploded diagrams and the like. So I’ve always been drawn to creating sharp, graphic images. Using the computer helps me achieve the finish I want – that’s why I use them. Maybe in the future I’ll experiment a little with other media, but for me it’s about getting the right end result.

Cycling Art print – Milan-San Remo

What are the advantages and disadvantages of creating designs digitally?

The advantages are the speed and flexibility. You can change composition, colour really quickly. You can experiment. Sometimes things happen by accident and you really like the result. You have complete control when you need it.

The disadvantages are just like any art – sometimes it’s still hard to get the vision in your head onto the screen or paper in the right way. Sometimes I can still sketch an idea on paper better than I can get it to look on screen. It’s frustrating when that’s the case. You learn how to do things better every day – I’ve not even scratched the surface of what’s possible yet.

A lot of people would say that craft implies handmade. In my own experience as a designer I would claim that craft refers to an understanding of processes and materials and how to use them skillfully, and so using a program like Illustrator to create designs is also using craft. Would you agree?

Yes, for me Illustrator or Photoshop are just another tool to make things look better. I could do all my posters in pen and ink but would people like them as much? I’m not so sure. I do take great effort to make sure the whole process is done with love – I took time to find a great printer, who cares as much about my work as I do and produces beautiful prints. I might not hack the finished products out of a lump of tree with my bare hands, but the process is done with love, attention and craft.

Cycling Art Print – Tour de France Cyclist – Kuiper: Cycling Quotes 4 Image: The Handmade Cyclist

Galibier, Aubisque, Marie-Blanc, Puy-de-Dome, L'Alpe D'Huez, Croix de Fer, Tourmalet

Bike Art Print – Tour De France Climbs
Image: The Handmade Cyclist

Just as the shape of a piece of wood might dictate the design a woodcarver can create, does creating art digitally dictate the outcome of your work?

If anything I would say that using digital techniques makes the outcome more open. The possibilities are endless. And developments like 3D printing will really open things up – imagine the possibilities!

Sometimes the open possibilities can be a bit daunting – having some restrictions and discipline can really help the creative process. With digital art it’s tempting sometimes to chase perfection, and that can be quite a negative thing to do – you’ll never achieve it and rough edges give character.

I want to do more screen printed posters, there’s a purity there in the restrictiveness of the process, and some of my favourite artists like Army of Cats use screen-printing exclusively. But a lot of my prints are better suited to Giclee printing due to the textures and number of colours used – so again its horses for courses. Digital doesn’t mean bad – it’s just a means to an end.

If you missed our in depth interview with Neil you can read it here and if you want to find out more or purchase a beautiful print here’s how:

etsy.com/shop/TheHandmadeCyclist
Blog: thehandmadecyclist.tumblr.com
Twitter: @handmadecyclist

Interview with Gemma Hutchinson of Owlish Grey

1. 3 words to describe yourself

‘Whimmy’ – not really a word but describes my tendency to do things on a whim. A friend of mine actually describes my huge collection of unnecessary possessions as my ‘Whimorabilia’

‘Kooky’ – well most people say ‘weird’ actually but I prefer ‘kooky’.

‘Creative’ – I have always loved to create things with my hands – I get a crazy joy from taking a bunch of materials and turning them into something useful or just pretty to look at.

‘Palaverous’, a new word I learnt, which means wordy. I’ve gone and used four words to describe myself now so I guess that says it all.

2. You say you are inspired by all things geometric, galactic and geological. If you had to pick one which would be your strongest influence and why?

Coral Rhombus Earrings

For Owlish Grey, I think I am most inspired by geometry – I just find myself drawn to minimal shapes with clean lines.

Really though, the scientific inspiration isn’t exactly limited to these three things. I have an old and very big ‘Hutchinson Encyclopedia of Science’ that I love to flick through – this is great for ideas and chucks out new areas of science for me to look into and maybe create something from. It is such a great book – plus, my name is Gemma Hutchinson so it really feels like a big book just for me.

3. What’s your favourite stone, shape and constellation?

Quartz Necklace

Stone – Quartz. “Pretty standard stone” I hear you think. It does make up a huge chunk of the earth’s crust and is possibly not the most exciting choice from someone that loves rocks. But I have a good reason for loving this stone so much…

Someone once asked me “What’s the most special thing you have ever held in your hands?” – this is a brilliant question that I now ask all the time because I love the variety of answers I get in response to it. Most people have to have a think about this a while but I knew my answer instantly and replied “Lightning!”. Obviously I need to explain. When I was a kid my parents took me to Matlock Bath, which is close to where I live in Nottingham. We visited a stone quarry and then went into the gemstone shop. This was the day I decided I wanted to be a geologist (archaeologist and palaeontologist came later with the advent of Time Team and JurassicPark). I was fascinated by all the shiny colourful stones and was umm-ing and ahh-ing about which to have when the shop keeper came over to help me. I remember him to be an old man, but I was a kid so he was probably just the age I am now really. He gave me two dusty white stones that were pretty lack-lustre compared to everything else in the shop. He then dimmed the lights and told me to bang the two stones together – voila, LIGHTNING! Well, probably just a few sparks but to my imaginative child eyes there was an actual rod of lightning between my two small hands. Obviously, these were my take-home stones and quartz remains my favourite today, particularly the rutilated kind.

Circular ‘galaxies apart’ cufflinks

Shape – Circle. The circle has a mocking kind of character about it – who can draw a perfect one?! I certainly can’t. The circle literally lives in its own little bubble of mockery – I like him, he’s cool.

Constellation – Draco, the Dragon. Because it’s a dragon! I don’t think I need to say anymore but Draco does also look down on Hercules!

4. Many don’t see science and art as particularly compatible; people are “good” at one or the other. What do you think?

Asteroid Belt Tourmaline Stone Necklace

But what about Leonardo Da Vinci?! Okay, so his talents were considered to be superhuman, possibly not the best example. But most of my friends are scientists and almost all of them have artistic talents outside of their dayjob; a few have their own bands and my friend Mark is a brilliant scientist, currently building a giant world atlas out of computer parts in his spare time!

Science itself has so much to offer for artistic inspiration too, hence Owlish Grey. Anyone that chooses the path of science is simply seeking truths about the fascinating world that we live in – this craving for knowledge doesn’t necessarily mean losing an appreciation for things just because they are beautiful to look at.

5. Each of your letter charms comes with a rock fact – which rock would you pick to describe yourself and which for Owlish Grey?

Personalised charm designed to fit onto wine glass

Wine Charm place markers

For me – Quartz, just because I am a sparky kind of person.

Picture of a variety of stones inlcuding quartz, howlite, onyx and amethyst

Lots of lovely stones – including howlite

For Owlish Grey, it would have to be Howlite! This is a white rock veined with a lovely grey colour, but I didn’t pick it for the colour. I chose Howlite because it tends to grow in irregular nodules to eventually resemble a cauliflower. I feel like my little business is quite unpredictable, even to me, as to what will be the next thing I do. I don’t think there will ever really be any eventual shape, cauliflower or otherwise, as I hope to always have this waterfall of ideas to play with and to keep developing my product range.

6. What are the best and worst aspects of the design process for you?

Gemma’s creative space

The best is the ideas bit. It is so exciting when an idea first springs into my head and I get to swill it around and think up all the possibilities. I have so many scraps of paper that just look like the scribblings and doodles of a mad man. They are always scraps too as I never have these ideas whilst I am sat at a desk with a nice tidy book to hand.

Necklace with Ombre wooden nuggets

When I decided to turn my creative pursuits into a business I initially felt restricted on what I could do on the design front. I felt like I had put myself into the jewellery bucket and now must stay there. I found this really limiting and a bit of a killer to my creative spark so I just scrapped it. It may not be the normal thing to do but I am happy having my jewellery mixed in with prints, cards, home accessories, things for kids… all sorts really. I don’t think this make a Jack of all trades as I am still very picky where quality is concerned. Sometimes I will try my hand at a new skill and just find that I cannot do it to a standard I am happy with, no matter how hard I try – in fact, I probably have almost as many bad ideas as I do good ones.

7. There seems to be a hidden/secret message theme to a lot of your work – is this a fair comment?

Morse code message printed in the shape of the moon

The Morse Moon print

Absolutely fair. I developed these mainly for Valentine’s day. I’m not really a soppy sort myself and if someone was to give me something to say they loved me then it had better not be a big fluffy bear holding a heart saying “I LOVE YOU”. A secret message though, containing a really personal message for my eyes only – that might just sway me. I thought this might just be me though and was literally baffled at the popularity of my morse moons and sound wave cards. I’d love to be able to share the mixture of funny, sad and sometimes deeply personal messages I’ve received – especially the sound recordings, with crazy women laughing, babies babbling, men gushing, kids singing… the list goes on.

8. Tell us about your amazing self-designed gift box.

Gemma’s amazing self designed icohedron box.

This came as a result of my terrible best friend, procrastination. I was supposed to be working on my thesis but instead found myself cutting and sticking bits of paper, trying to turn it into some kind of shape. I’m not great at maths (probably shouldn’t admit this as a scientist) so this was a long 6-hour process of trial and error – the lid drove me crazy. This was one of the rare occasions where I felt that the end result was better than the creative process itself. Despite spending so much time on it, I had actually planned only to use it to store all the little things accumulating on my desk. But, I loved the box so much I actually started Owlish Grey just so I could have an excuse to send it out to people.

9. Can you tell us more about your love of the periodic table?

Genius greetings card spelt using periodic table elements

One of a range of periodic table inspired cards from Owlish Grey

The periodic table is just incredible in its simplicity. I remember the day I was introduced to it in science class and feeling amazed that our planet had been boiled down to these core elements, all organised in a tidy little table. It really is quite a remarkable thing.

10. What can we look forward to seeing from you in 2013?

Gemma’s nephew

One thing I really want to work on is a science range for kids. I am lucky to have a 6-year old nephew that has all the interests I did when I was his age. He loves science and is already planning the ‘Archeology Dig’ he is going to be doing with his grandparents in the summer. I got him an ant farm this Christmas and solar system mobile the year before but it took me forever to find these – I really don’t think there are enough toys for kids that like to learn. I’ve started with the spring experiments test tube kit for easter – there’s some chocolate in there to keep them happy but mainly it is about the learning activities designed to teach kids about the spring season in a fun way.

The new Spring Experiments

I am also saving for a laser cutter as I would like to expand my range to use sound waves in personalised jewellery and wall art.

Here’s how you can keep in touch or buy something from Owlish Grey: Just click on the links!

Facebook: Owlish Grey

Website: www.owlishgrey.com

Twitter: OwlishGrey

Interview with Debbie Kendall from The Enlightened Hound

Last year one of the designers that really caught my attention whilst visiting one of the MK Handmade and Vintage extravaganzas was Debbie Kendall of The Enlightened Hound. Both her subject choice and deceptively simple aesthetic appealed to me and I wanted to find out more. As a dog owner myself I could identify with the concept of “Canine Wisdom” and recognise the special bond that exists between dog and human.

Debbie very kindly agreed to do an interview for the blog and has given a fascinating insight into her creative process:

Debbie and Figo

Tell us more about yourself

My design history is quite varied. I attended Chelsea College of Art in London where I studied interior design and Amersham College in Buckinghamshire where I learnt a variety of printmaking techniques. I am also a self-taught furniture painter and have up-cycled furniture on and off for around 20 years as a both a hobby and business. I have also worked in marketing and advertising for several brands and retailers however it is only recently that I have the time and support to focus on my printmaking full time. Although it was a hobby to start with I have always wanted to sell my work. I thrive on the recognition that comes from someone liking my work enough to part with their hard earned cash and choosing to hang it on their wall. That is a great privilege and I love knowing that I am producing work that others can connect with.

Lino cut used to create Debbie’s prints

You use fonts from the Wild West and American Civil – what attracted you to these?

I wanted my prints to have a sense of nostalgia and vintage appeal. I have always loved the fonts used in the American Wild West Wanted Posters. They were designed specifically for posters so that the message was clear and stood out and they manage to be both bold and striking yet curiously ornamental. The way the fonts were used, combined with other decorative elements (like the pointing finger), gives the ‘wanted’ posters a strong sense of identity and heritage which I felt would be perfect for my prints. The old ‘wanted’ posters were mainly produced from woodcut letters by letterpress, a relief printing process that has many similarities with linocut. My hand printing process creates a softly distressed effect, which further echoes this vintage look.

Figo

Tell us more about your relationship with Figo

I think that unless you have a dog it is very hard to put into words the special bond that develops between humans and dogs. I always loved dogs but was not sure if I wanted the commitment involved in actually owning one, however I was under a lot of pressure from my boys (I blame Enid Blyton’s Famous Five as I used to read the stories to them and they loved Timmy, the dog). I eventually agreed when I felt that I could give a dog the time and focus it deserves and I can now not imagine the family without Figo. He is always there for me, devoted and loyal, incredibly calming and very difficult to be anything but happy in his company.

Debbie’s prints

What do you love and hate most about the creative process?

This is a great question because it acknowledges that the creative journey is not always an easy one. It took me over a year to develop the Enlightened Hound prints and they are deceptively simple. When I look back over my developmental sketches and layouts for the prints I am reminded what a long and sometimes tortuous journey it was and it is this, precisely that I both love and hate about the creative process. I believe that if it is too easy then the work probably isn’t good enough! Being a bit of a perfectionist it is sometimes difficult for me to relax into the creative process and not be afraid of trying things that, in my mind, might not work out. But when I manage to let go of my judgemental side and just truly play and experiment with my work it is very rewarding.

The ink recipe cards used by Debbie

Can you tell us more about your choice of colour palette?

I wanted to reinforce the American Vintage inspiration for the prints with the colour palette. I therefore researched the American Shaker and Colonial Buttermilk paint colours. I played with this palette to find combinations that worked for the prints – 2 bold complementary colours for the typography and a more subtle tint for the background element. I hand mix all my colours and make ‘recipe cards’ for each one so I can repeat the colour another time, however each time I make up the batch there is always some variation.

Canine Wisdom

What is your personal favourite piece of dog wisdom?

Start Each Day with a Wagging Tail is my favourite because for me it totally encapsulates daily life with a dog. It is so easy to start the day in a negative frame of mind with the stresses and pace of modern life, however Figo always reminds me to put these into perspective when he greets me in the morning.

Debbie’s studio

Do you have a favourite spot in your workspace?

I am very lucky to have just finished creating a new studio for my work in our loft. I have created a seat under a huge velux window there, where I can look out over the tree tops and hopefully be inspired!

Figo on a walk!

Do your walks with Figo influence your work – where is your favourite walk?

This is an interesting one! Spending time with Figo and watching how he reacts and adapts to life is a constant source of interest to me. I find my walks are the best time for me to clear my head and think about where my work is going. I always come up with my best ideas on a walk, even if they are not related to the walk itself, as it is the perfect time to free my mind from the detritus of everyday life. My favourite walk is one that I only get to do on holiday as it is by the beach at Daymer Bay in north Cornwall. Figo’s coastal heritage means that he is completely at home on the beach and in the sea.

A closeup of the fonts used by Debbie

Tell us more about your love of typography

I think typographic art is here to stay. The re-discovery of the original “Keep Calm and Carry On” wartime government poster in a second hand bookshop sparked a huge surge in popularity of slogans and mottos as wall art. In today’s fast paced world these light hearted, humorous reminders can help ground us when stress levels run high. However I felt that the glut of these types of posters had become a little cliched and I wanted to make my prints more personal and meaningful. Celebrating the timeless and unshakeable bond between humans and dogs was, for me, the perfect way to do this. When we hang our chosen words on the wall we are sharing a part of ourselves, and our view on the world, with others. It taps into the trend for sharing our views and desires with the world at large, epitomised by facebook and twitter. Typographic motivational art can be uplifting and personal and is a witty and relatively inexpensive way to personalize your homes or work space.

The Enlightened Hound Press!

What can we look forward to from Enlightened Hound in the coming months

I have been delighted and hugely grateful for the positive response to my work that has struck a real chord with dog lovers. A card company has made my designs into greeting cards (on sale in my Folksy shop) and they are also being licensed for reproduction onto mugs and tea-towels.

I have a total of 8 prints in the Canine Wisdom series however I have only cut lino plates for 4 of these, so I want to develop all eight designs into prints. I do have some other typographic dog inspired art ideas which are at sketchbook stage, and for these I am planning on using totally hand drawn fonts – the antipathy of computer created perfection. I also have a table top letterpress – an old Adana 8×5 – and I would like to get this working.

The demand for original handmade work is also very strong as an antithesis to mass produced, computer generated goods. A handmade print fits the bill perfectly in the quest for something unique, different and individual.

Print available from The Enlightened Hound

One of the new prints now available from the Enlightened Hound

The light-hearted “I love you anyway” lino prints by The Enlightened Hound were inspired by a comment from my husband when I (in his opinion) gave our dog one too many cuddles! They make a perfect gift for Anniversaries, Birthdays or Valentine’s Day to remind your dog-smitten loved ones how you feel! They are also available as greeting cards.

Greetings Card – perfect for Valentines!

The design and typography is influenced by original 19th century show posters and fonts, but these are combined with a playful folk art vibe and some more modern typefaces. The letters are all hand drawn and hand cut into the lino plates so the prints have a naive, homespun feel which makes them uniquely personal.

The prints are available in two under-stated colours – a soft grey-brown taupe or smoky blue. They are printed by hand using traditional linseed oil ink (hand mixed) on heavy 175gsm printing paper in limited editions of 250 prints. All prints are numbered, titled and signed by the artist.

If you are as smitten with Debbie and Figo as we are then here are all the details of how you can find out more or get your hands on their beautiful work:

website: http://www.theenlightenedhound.com

shop: http://www.theenlightenedhound.com/shop-gifts-for-dog-lovers.html

blog: http://theenlightenedhound.wordpress.com

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theenlightenedhound

twitter: HoundArtPrints

email: theenlightenedhound@yahoo.co.uk