Ian Phillips

The use of linocutting as a medium was initially inspired by Japanese woodblock printmakers. I was fascinated by the artists' ability to achieve such subtlety and depth with line and limited flat colour, and still accurately portray their society and landscape. To achieve the simplicity and beauty of Japanese prints and combine it with the drama and abstract patterns of western printmaking is my main aim. I print using the reductive technique. This involves cutting all the colours from a single lino block and printing by hand with a Baren. I walk with my sketchbook looking for colourful patterns and strong, simple shapes that capture my attention. These I record as a black and white line drawing with notes on colour and atmosphere. Using this drawing as the basis for my lino prints, I attempt to distill the beauty of a place to its essence while retaining some topographical and seasonal accuracy. I have been working on developing movement, pattern and abstraction within my work thanks to a small project grant from the ACW.