WENDA BARTLETT ARTS

This leaping cat lino cut was based on my own black cat

As a printmaker, I enjoy working with a wide variety of printing techniques.Some of these include etching, lino cut, wood engraving, woodcut and collagraph.This site shows some of the unique and wide variety of prints and craft items which have been the outcome of this.These include original limited edition prints, unique hand printed scarves, mugs and cards . Other craft items are being researched based on my original designs.I'm interested in conservation and ecology and subjects of the original prints include animals,of birds,trees, seascapes and landscapes.In recent years I've been comissioned to do a linocut of a Hare for the Hare preservation Society.Sadly these amazing animals are near extinction.Also I've been involved in a project called "Rewilding"which aimed to raise public awareness on the plight of many British birds, including the turtle dove, which are nearing extinction.I am a member of Spike Print Studio , Bristol, where I work on my prints.

This lino cut has been printed on wet paper to create an embossed effect and then hand finished with water colour

This lying cat lino cut image has been used on cards, mugs and keyrings.

This fox etching picture has been used on mugs, drink mats, table mats and cards

Origins

History

One day I walked past a sign saying Etching Saturday School and was intrigued. I'd heard of etching and thought it would be interesting to enrol for the course. I didn't have an art school qualification, having trained as a teacher, but was active in art in my spare time. The course, being over a full day enabled me to leave with a finished print, working from scratch. After that I was hooked. I never looked back and have been printmaking ever since. I have been a printmaker for many years, working in both relief printmaking and intaglio. After concentrating on etching as a print form for many years, I moved to mainly relief printing, producing lino cuts and then wood engraving and woodcuts. In recent years I have gone on to transfer these designs to textiles, printing on cotton and then silk. I also had a series of leaping animals mugs produced as well as a variety of cards printed from prints. They are mainly of animals, and birds , landscapes and seascapes. Recently, I've been exploring other ideas of printing my designs on different items such as tea towels.

Original Prints

Etchings ,lino cuts and wood engravings have been printed as limited editions.At the moment the mugs are in four designs- a leaping hare, a leaping cat, a leaping spaniel and a sunbathing cat!They are all in bright, contrasting colours .The silk scarves are of two designs, one a square design of resting doves, The other design is a rectangle of birds resting on the seashore with waves reprinted several times on the scarf. The scarves come in two lengths and a variety of colours.They are hand printed in fabric inks which are colour fast and can be washed in warm water.The scarves are unique as they have all been printed individually and the design varies slightly in each one. Sometimes borders have been added, depending on what is needed to finish the scarf.

Budleigh Through the Pines, Lino Cut

Leaping Cat Lino Cut

Cat Siesta, Lino Cut

Leaping Spaniel, Lino Cut

Leaping Hare, Lino Cut

The Old Man Of Storr, Lino Cut

Resting Seabirds, Lino Cut

Tidemarks, Lino Cut

Burrowmump, Burrowbrdge, Somerset, Etching

Seven Sisters, Quantocks,Etching

Cat Siesta Mug

Leaping Spaniel Mug

Pack of 5 leaping Animals Cards

Coastal Scenes

Cards

A wide variety of cards have been printed both in small and large sizes. They are also in themed packs of five, with a heading card in a cellophane pack. Recently I've been looking at the idea of a cardboard presentation box rather than cellophane.