From Tree to Print, The Muker Ash

In June 2018 the huge limb of an old Ash tree, close by Lover’s Lane, fell in the wind

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Much of the wood was cleared immediately and moved from the meadows to allow the hay to recover, but a stack of log rounds remained.

Fast forward to the start of this year when we first discussed a workshop with Shona and my thoughts went back to that old tree. The idea of a print made from the Muker Ash seemed perfect and so, a few weeks ago, and with the permission of William, I headed back to Lovers Lane with a wheelbarrow to retrieve a couple of rounds. Last week, having finally got the chain saw working, I sliced and sanded them in preparation for printing.

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On Thursday as she dropped of her work for her Featured Artist spot, Shona collected the Ash, and just five days later sent through a photo of the first print!

The Muker Ash

Magical!

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If you’d like to know more about Shona’s work please contact us at ask@theoldschoolmuker.co.uk and remember that Shona will be in Muker on both the 14th and 21st April.

Featured Artist, Shona Branigan

April kicks off our Featured Artist series with the relief wood prints of Shona Branigan.

Shona prints directly from the wood, producing wonderful works of art that reveal the nature, texture and history of the tree from which they are produced.

Shona’s workshop on April 14th is now sold out, but she will be at the Old School on Sunday 21st April to share her love of trees and nature, and to demonstrate relief printing techniques.

The Old School Welcomes, Shona Branigan

The Old School Muker is very pleased to welcome the work of Northumberland artist Shona Branigan. Shona creates prints directly from the wood, burning to raise the grain, brushing, sealing, inking and printing, to reveal the texture and detail in all its beauty.

Shona will be our featured artist in April 2019, and will be running a workshop in Muker on Sunday 14th April. See https://theoldschoolmuker.co.uk/2019/02/05/wood-printing-workshop-with-shona-branigan/ for more details.

Wood Printing Workshop with Shona Branigan

Sunday 14^thApril, 11am – 3pm 

If you love wood and enjoy (or want to learn) how to produce wonderful prints direct from the wood, this workshop will be for you. Shona will take you through the process of making the print, from burning the wood, through brushing, sealing and inking, then producing the print itself.  Every small detail of the wood being re-produced creating a beautiful piece of artwork which you can take away with you. If you’d like to bring your own, favourite, piece of wood to print then it should be a slice of wood, 44x44cm or smaller, that you can carry and will sit on a table-top. Due to the hands-on nature of teaching places are limited so be sure to book early

Location: Muker Village Hall
Places: 5
Price £50 
Booking: email ask@theoldschoolmuker.co.uk

Recently featured on Countryfile, Shona is our featured print maker during April. Her wood prints are made from printing directly from the wood, burning it to raise the grain so everything you see in the print is the nature of the wood itself revealed in all its mystery and complexity.