Description
The Print
Only the finest materials were used to make this limited edition print, which I have produced myself. Both the paper (Somerset Enhanced Velvet) and the inks (Epson UltraChrome Pro) are of archival quality, meaning the print could last up to 400 years.
The Technique
I draw with Bic biros on raw linen canvas. To prepare the surface I lighten the canvas with a white oil paint wash. Once this is dry, I draw with the biro, as I would with pencil on paper. After the drawing is complete, it’s varnished (to fix the ink in place) and more white oil paint is used to add light and finalise the composition. The Bic ink is actually surprisingly versatile, in terms of its colour. If I want a blue tinge to the work I can smudge it, and a sepia tinge can be achieved by layering white oil paint over it. The paint interacts with the ink as it dries, changing the colour.
The Inspiration
Badgers really are wonderful creatures, living in clan like groups that can occupy the same sett for generations. They have huge amounts of character, that almost matches their appetite.
The inspiration for this piece came from a trip to a hide in the Cairngorm area of Scotland. We were lucky enough to be able to sit, watching 6-8 badgers for well over an hour. It was the way the cooperated that really struck me. A small amount of food had been put out for them, peanuts and peanut butter mostly, and there was no quarrelling at as they hoovered up to food, right down to the last morsel. A few of them started to groom each other before the set off into the night to carry on foraging. To me, this seemed to sum up the cooperative feeling I had, so it was this that I chose to depict in my artwork dedicated to these fantastic animals.
