'A Journey through the Landscape' is the title of my first ever calendar. It features a series of lino prints capturing the British landscape and its wildlife through the changing seasons, from the fresh colours of Spring to the colder tones of Winter.
I thought I would share with you some of the inspiration behind the artworks and my thought process on how to best represent each month of the year. The new designs took me around 7 months to create as well as slotting in a couple of existing artworks.
JANUARY
'Winter Furrows' was the first artwork I created for the calendar which happened to be on a freezing cold January day. The landscape scenery is based on a view looking from Sustead church across the frosty fields and tree-lined lane towards Thurgarton in the Norfolk Countryside where I grew up. I always find it strange that you don't see or hear pheasants where I live now in more urban Nottinghamshire, so they are always a welcome sight when visiting the countryside and remind me of the Winter months.
FEBRUARY
February can be a quite a bleak month and the landscape can look quite bare. I was inspired by one of my Mums photos from a walk she was on in Norfolk. It captures the church at Burgh near Aylsham with the river running by. This area is a special place in our family and reminds me of my Granny, whose birthday was in February. The print is called 'A Quiet Place', one of those walks where you don't see another soul!
MARCH
'Sounds of the Shore' is the third lino print in the series. It is a more simplified two colour monochrome print capturing two Oystercatcher's flying over the shore. Like a lot of my prints, it is quite stylised with lots of flowing lines and shapes. My aim for the design was to capture the starkness of late Winter, but also to bring hope that there are brighter days on the horizon.
APRIL
A more colourful approach was taken to this month, the colours inspired by the fresh shoots of Spring. I always get déjà vu when the 'April Showers' arrive, it reminds me of walking down a particular lane near my parents house when I was younger, with a canopy of trees for protection. There's something more pleasing about the rain when the temperature is that little bit warmer. The print captures a hare leaping into a puddle - maybe that was what I was doing in my wellies! The hedgerows are starting to grow thick with Alexanders (horse parsely) which seems to thrive in the Norfolk countryside.
MAY
May to me is all about new life. 'The Towpath' print captures new life emerging on the waterways. The design is inspired by our local canal which at that time of year is awakening; new reeds are coming through, cygnets are bobbing on the water, narrowboats are on the move and the leaves are getting thicker on the trees. It has become something to look forward to after the dreariness of the Winter months.
JUNE
'Thornham Avocets' is an ever popular print which I decided to integrate into the calendar because I felt it fitted well with the theme. The design captures Thornham on the Norfolk coast and two avocets wading at the waters edge. The days are warming and the wildlife is really starting to thrive. June sees our longest day of the year and hopefully this print captures the brightness of the month.
JULY
July for me is all about the coast, it's the place I long to be when the weather is good! That's why I came up with 'Summer Seals' as my July design, to bring a bit of the coast to everyone's home during that month. The quirky one colour design captures two seals swimming near Blakeney point on the Norfolk coast. A boat trip to see the seals is such a great experience at this time of year.
AUGUST
'Towards the Sea' is inspired by the height of Summer, when the days are warm and the hedgerows are brimming with wild flowers. The design captures a cyclist heading towards the coast as swifts fly overhead. It is an imagined scene but reminds me of the rolling hills in the Dorset landscape.
SEPTEMBER
The month when we see the weather start to change with crisper mornings but warm afternoons. 'Flying Home' is an existing print of mine that fitted in nicely. It portrays flocks of migrating birds starting their journeys to warmer climates, heading out over the ocean. Again, this piece isn't based on a particular location, but I hope it captures the feeling of Summer coming to a close.
OCTOBER
'The Shepherd's Hut' is probably my favourite print for the calendar. It is inspired by Autumnal weekends spent staying in the Derbyshire Dales, a place that my partner and I really love. It captures a glowing sunset as an owl swoops overhead. There is nothing better than escaping urban life and technology and reconnecting with nature.
NOVEMBER
As the nights draw in and the landscape becomes bare once more, November has a particular charm. The design 'Moonlit Deer' captures a stag and deer in the woodland under the moon light. It represents the colder days ahead but also the beauty that this month has to offer.
DECEMBER
'Midwinter's Eve' was the second print created for the calendar while it was still Winter. The design is inspired by a cold Decembers day walking through fields of snow. A blackbird sits in the hedgerow in the foreground as the sun sets on the shortest day. It was fun to play with different gradients in the piece and hopefully it evokes the feeling of a crisp winters day where every moment of day light counts.
I hope this gives you a bit more insight into each design. After months of hard work, its so lovely to see the positive response so far, thank you everyone! You can purchase a calendar here or via my Etsy shop and the Green Pebble marketplace. Some of the original prints are still available to purchase as well as greetings cards too! If you are a shop or gallery that would like to stock my calendars (and cards), I'd love to hear from you!