Once again, we’re proud to present a selection of incredible projects by our membership community. This month, we’re showcasing some outstanding portrait-based prints created by our Official Members, innovatively created using a range of printmaking techniques. Check out the portraits below:
Pierre XZXZ: Waves
Waves is a turning point in Pierre XZXZ’s career; with this project, a new method of work was born in connection with his artistic approach. “I have this desire to touch new materials, new techniques, to mix them, declined… and to this desire is added to create with the world around me, to extract the best through my visuals,” says the printmaker. Thus, Pierre decided to organise photoshoots with models, to meet people, and to talk about life. “Then the images speak for themselves, they’re are spontaneously created, dancing, matching up to give life to new creations.”
Ashley Jouhar: Portrait Collages
“As someone with an advertising background, I love the juxtaposition of words and pictures in visuals,” says artist Ashley Jouhar. Using the stripped down language of a poster, 3 or 4 words and an impactful visual, Ashley has been putting together a series of French and British cultural icons as portraits. The intention is to communicate something tangible but to also leave the interpretation slightly open for the viewer. These prints are all collages which have then undergone digital manipulation.
Marie-Louise Hayward: Theresa
This 5 layer silkscreen on paper was created in Marie-Louise’s studio in The Bahamas. The portrait is based on one of the students who attends the INARU workshops on the island of Grand Bahama. “On a daily basis she struggles with developmental delays, but in the printing workshop her focus and passion to learn is an inspiration,” describes Marie-Louise. This portrait is reflective of the power of creativity to transform our everyday selves by encouraging growth and healing.
Minot Feroce: The Magician
“As an artist, portraits are my favourite subject and I will never get bored of capturing the complexity of the human face in wood or lino,” describes printmaker Minot Feroce. The Magician is one of their very first woodcuts inspired by Robert de Montesquiou’s famous portrait painted by Boldini in 1897. “His (very) nice mustache made me want carve his likeness and add my witchy twist to his impeccable dandy style,” says the artist. Almost all of their prints are inspired by real 19th century photographs or paintings that they then transform into something strange and occult.
Lee James Abbott: Alone/Together
This portrait screen print by Lee James Abbott began from a photo which he edited to add some wavy texture, removing some of the model’s face giving the impression that she is fading away. To create the first colourful layer of the print, Lee hand-mixed 5 individual colours using water based ink. These were then poured onto his screen where he pulled and mixed the colours together to create a blend. After a number of pulls, the gradient finally smoothed out to a seamless transition. The black layer of the image was the final layer printed on top.
David Cumming: Stop Overthinking
This portrait print from David Cumming represents a moment from time, specifically Lockdown One. “Not only was it messed up but I was going through huge personal upheavals in my professional and personal life. So I spent a lot of my fresh air exercise slots sitting outside contemplating life,” describes the printmaker. The work is based on a selfie taken in 2000, but created in 2022. “I made it as a way to remind myself that things won’t always seem so bleak,” says David. Stop Overthinking is cut into reclaimed commercial flooring, thus turning material destined for landfill into art.
Haychley Webb: The Linocut Lines of Lynch
Printmaker Haychley Webb is a big fan of filmmaker David Lynch; “His willingness to embrace his unique view of the world and stay true to himself is really powerful”. Thus, Haychley wanted to create a linocut print paying homage to his style; a portrait of a different kind. The resulting linocut is composed of hundreds of smaller lines representing the light and dark that so often characterises his work. It’s a large block, A3 size, carved in traditional grey lino and printed on Awagami Masa paper, a bright white Japanese paper to emphasise the white lines on his face and hair. She will be releasing this limited edition print internationally very soon and she is also considering a dark red edition too.
Isabelle Lin: Mothwing Lullaby
Created back in 2021, this piece by Isabelle Lin is an experimental print using flooring linoleum. She explains; “At the time, it was difficult for me to restock on my favourite carving material, Japanese vinyl, and I had just heard about carving actual flooring lino. It carves just like traditional grey lino, though it needs more sanding before.” Mothwing Lullaby plays with bold contrasts, inspired by vintage fairytale illustrations. In the piece, Isabelle also tested mixing pearlescent pigments into the printing ink, with stunning results.
Caroline Erolin: Memento Mori
Memento Mori is a zinc plate aquatint etching of Caroline Erolin’s Maine Coon cat Finnegan. The print is a portrait of him in both life and death, based on a photograph she took with his skull superimposed. Being a medical artist, Caroline actually dug up his skull two years after he passed and used this as reference for the piece, to be sure it was anatomically accurate.
Check out more awesome work by our community and apply to become a POP Member at www.members.peopleofprint.com.
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