Wightwick Manor

I finally got round to visiting Wightwick Manor - what a feast of Arts and Crafts it was! Much more extensive than I was expecting and full to bursting with textiles, paintings and ceramics by Morris and Co and William De Morgan. The newly opened Malt House Gallery houses an exhibition featuring Willliam and Evelyn De Morgan.

Nettlefold Courts

I'm now starting the next lino in the Winterbourne series. This one looks at John's work as Chairman of Birmingham Housing Committee. He gave a lecture in 1906 about the work of the Housing Committee and their efforts to improve the lot of those living in back-to-back housing. He was an advocate of opening up the enclosed 'courts' by removing one side of the square buildings. This allowed light and air into the homes as well as proper drainage. This upgraded housing became known as 'Nettlefold Courts'.

I am using the existing 'Back to Backs' in Hurst Street, run by the National Trust, as my visual reference, as well as contemporary photos of slum housing in Birmingham..

The border design will be taken from wallpapers that were found when the NT renovated the Hurst Street houses. Layers of papers have been dated and attributed to the specific families that lived in the houses at the time.

I particularly like the one above that was from about 1880 (Gardner Family). It looks like a camillia or similar and would work well as a border design.

John's clothes and pose are taken from production stills from 'Ripper Street' .

Trinidad

After two months of cutting, I have finally inked up the Trinidad lino for the first time. I have a few tweeks to make, but I shall leave it for a while and start another lino before going back to this one.

The border design is based on a small begonia that grows in the Orchid House.

Reduction Cut Lino Course

I ran a day long course at Winterbourne yesterday. All the participants were new to lino printing, so I was delighted with the results. All the prints were inspired by the gardens.

First Proof of 'The Dance at Highbury'

Still some tweeking to do, especially on the faces and arms, but the third lino is more or less there. It has proved very difficult to get John's likeness.

John had quite deep set eyes and these are tricky too get right.

Dance at Highbury Hall

The lino for the dance at Highbury is well under way, most of the background is cut.

I found a booklet at the Oxfam Bookshop in Kings Heath that has proved quite helpful. It's from the 1980's and features a photo of the Hall as it was in 1890 which is just the right period. The description also gives some more information about how they would have cleared the furniture from the Hall to hold dances.