Mandela

This is a 30 x 20 cm limited edition hand print from a block wood cut. Some original prints are still available for 30 pounds, mounted for 40 pounds or framed for 60 pounds. The inspiration for this wood cut was the sculpture by Ian Walters that can be visited on the bridge side of the Royal Festival Hall in London. My first sketch led me to use a series of small bird shape mono prints to build up the image. I then cut the individual birds into the wood and made a reverse print as shown here. Usually the darker areas of the print are from the wood left intact but here I use a lighter print pigment on a brown background. I have always been fascinated by the shapes made by flocks of starlings as they gather at dusk and here I used this murmuration to make my image.