‘Lobaria’, framed monoprint, pigmented filler, pen, pencil & ink, 80x110cm

Description

‘Lobaria’ was selected for the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair 2025, and has subsequently sold.

‘Lobaria’ was inspired by my tour around Bovey Valley Woods in March 2024, courtesy of the Woodland Trust

This was my most ambitious mixed-media print to that point, and while gelliplate monoprints still predominate, there is a large element of drawing and experimentation with areas of sculpted and sanded filler. I masked meticulously around the lichens and white areas of bark and then printed multiple layers of metallic colours and gloss medium. Once the masking is lifted off, these areas of acrylic lift at the edges due to their elasticity and mimic the curls of the lichens.

The title of this piece refers to the Latin name of some of our more leafy Tree Lungworts, which thrive only in our oceanic/hyper oceanic and ancient, temperate rainforests, and are very sensitive to pollution. These can be seen in abundance in the wetter areas of Bovey Valley Woods, especially in lower situations on trees near the river. I have rendered some smaller Lobaria-like lichens here, along with larger beard lichens.

Temperate rainforest makes up only 1% of our landscape and is globally unique in terms of the endemic species within it. This percentage could easily reach 10% across our western areas & provide massive buffers against climate change through moisture retention and carbon capture.

The Woodland Trust now has many projects in place to manage & expand these habitats. This includes removing invasive Rhododendron and Sitka Spruce, including the management/reduction of conifer plantations remaining from the 1960s, and reducing the surrounding grazing.