My 2024 Artweeks exhibition is inspired by beautiful British Wildlife; our countryside, gardens, creatures and the changing seasons.
I have loved the countryside for as long as I can remember; wild flowers and weeds, animals, birds and insects.
My exhibition is a celebration of these in the medium of linocut.
Nearly all my prints are reduction prints: a single Lino block is carved “reduced” in stages and the colours are printed over each other in layers and the image gradually builds up. I enjoy the challenge of rendering a picture using bold shapes and a limited number of colours. I aim for a mix of a strong, almost geometric style whilst retaining a degree of botanical or physical accuracy for the subject. I relish the combination of artistry, technical challenge and luck that is needed to produce a print, and I’m constantly in awe of what is revealed when the paper is peeled back from the block.
In May I'm exhibiting with a eclectic group of Artists (pottery, decoupage, printmaking, painting) at the Catholic Church in the small town of Watlington in South Oxfordshire. Watlington is a fantastic place to visit for Artweeks as it has a huge number of artists exhibiting but is small enough to walk around easily. We have an Artweeks town trail and map where you can chose your favourite venues to visit.
Start your Artweeks trail by using the free parking at the Catholic Church and there you can pick up a trail map for your visit (what three words ///arrive.dragonfly.javelin)
Please do have a look at my website, Instagram or facebook for all my up-to-date events.
Gerry Coles OAS
I discovered Linocut Printmaking quite late on in life compared to most people I talk to, who seem to have dabbled at school.
My education was seriously lacking in that respect - maybe I just went to the sort of school where they didn't willingly give the kids sharp tools.
I enjoyed painting and drawing very much as a child and although I studied Art up to A level, there I stopped.
Life intervened and somehow, something I loved became something I never did.
The seeds of change were sown when I visited the Victoria gallery in Bath in 2012 and saw an exhibition of wonderful relief prints which made me want to rush off and try for myself. To paraphrase Mark Twain - "I never let schooling interfere with my education" so I bought myself a small kit and I started to uncover the mysteries of printmaking. I was hooked. Proudly self taught, I developed skills through workshops, books, demonstrations and of course many hours of practise - trial and error. I continually like to update and improve my techniques, and broaden my knowledge.
Throughout the year I’m busy making prints, showing, selling and teaching.
After two successful consecutive entries in their Open Exhibitions, I was invited to become a member of Oxford Art Society in 2019.
I have enjoyed being part of ArtWeeks festival with group and solo shows since 2018. I regularly exhibit and sell at local exhibitions throughout South Oxfordshire, including Thame Art crawl and Henley Arts Trail.
I sell online though ETSY and ARTFINDER, in the UK and internationally.
One of my prints “Christmas in the Covered Market” was selected to be included in the Oxford Art Book published in 2018 and another of my prints "Historic Oxford" is now licensed for use as a postcard for guests, by the Randolph Hotel Oxford.
My striking and colourful linocuts also make excellent images for greetings cards. I now have over 70 designs professionally made into beautiful cards using recycled cardstock.
I regularly teach linocut workshops (find them in the Workshops section of the Artweeks site and on my own website)
I’m always very happy to answer any queries or chat about my printmaking so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.