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
Wrens have always been one of my favourite birds, they have such a secretive charm to them. Known across most of European folklore as the king of birds, due to their reputation for cunning. Such lofty aspirations seem unlikely when you think of their tiny size (although not Britain’s smallest, that title belongs to the goldcrest) and secretive nature. We were lucky enough to see a wren in a Hawthorn tree whilst out walking and this seemed the perfect combination. The king of birds sitting in a tree known as the abode of fairies.
