Studio Snippets

Linocut Commission for Trowbridge Museum, Wiltshire

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 13:42:03 GMT

One thousand years of history...

If you visited me during Marlborough Open Studios in 2023 then you’ll have seen one of my most recent commissions.

‘A Thousand Years of History’ is a bespoke limited edition of linocut prints commissioned by Trowbridge Museum .

It’s been a fascinating project to work on and I’ve learned so much about Wiltshire’s rich textile history. I spent a day drawing on site, as wells as reading, observing and collecting as much information as I could to transport me back in time. I listened to stories from volunteers, their experiences and learned what they treasured most in the Museum, truly wonderful.

From some initial sketches I started to develop a composition, layout and design. I wanted this to be a true reflection of the threads and weavings that people had created as well as left behind. Working closely with the Museum team, I kept them updated of my progress and before long I started carving!

The most incredible aspect for me was to learn of the use of teasels in the manufacturing process. One of my favourite plants, the fuller’s teasel was actually grown and the seed pods harvested to make a ‘handle’ used to raise the nap of the wool.

Just outside Trowbridge Museum, there is a building called ‘Handle House’ which has bricks missing from one side, purposely created for each seed head to sit in a gap of the wall and dry out before being used to create the handle tool.

This has truly inspired me and my love of seed heads, plants and their profound uses just continues to grow! If this interests you too, check out my Oak Gall Ink workshops this year.

The original linocut prints and greetings cards are now available to purchase online and in-person at Trowbridge Museum's gift shop.

If you’re in the area and are looming about, please do pop in to see how the Museum has been beautifully renovated to tell such an important and vibrant Wiltshire story.

If you’d like to know more about how to commission me please contact me directly or visit the commission section of my website for more information.

Photo credit: Jo Hounsome Photography

New Print Studio Coming to Devizes Wiltshire in 2024

LN052442 — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 10:38:00 GMT

Rural printmaking space for artists, beginners, and enthusiasts...

Exciting times ahead! Over the last 3 years I've been working from my home printmaking studio in Devizes, Wiltshire. It has been a fantastic space for me to invite you to during Marlborough Open Studios, for private workshops, printmaking CPD and mentoring. I've loved watching the garden's seasonal shift, listening to visitors recommendations about herbal teas and seed harvesting tips. But, from this tiny space, big things have grown and I'm moving out of the house into a new rural studio space just down the road in Rowde.

It's a stone's throw from the infamous Caen Hill lock flight on the Kennet and Avon canal and the studio is in walking distance of the Caen Hill Diamond Jubilee Wood and Caen Hill Cafe.

The studio is surrounded by beautiful gardens and fruit orchards, abundant with birds and wildlife, it offers to be the most inspiring setting and I can't wait to welcome you in.

With views to Roundway Hill and the Wessex Downs, I 'm certain that this new studio space found me and was waiting... just around the corner. Here's to growing a rural printmaking community in the heart of Wiltshire.

If you'd like to find out more about joining as a studio member , see what printmaking courses are going to be on offer, or are simply print curious, join my Studio Snippets community here.

Top 10 relief printmaking book recommendations for beginners

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:02:24 GMT

What are the best linocut books for beginners? Check out these top 10 relief printmaking books!

There is a wealth of information out there on the internet and it's a great resource! But, how do you know if it's always valid and useful advice? That's the beauty of a good book! If you're you new to printmaking and wanting to learn more about linocut, stamping and relief printing, have a look at these top 10 tried and tested printmaking books. With the best books for complete beginners starting at number 1, to beginner/improvers at number 10;

Block Print for Beginners: Learn to make lino blocks and create unique relief prints, Elise Young, 2021
Making an Impression: Designing and creating artful stamps, Geninne D. Zlatkis, 2013
Block Print Magic: The essential guide to designing, carving, and taking your artwork further with relief printing, Emily Howard, 2018
Print Workshop: Hand-printing techniques and truly original projects, Christine Schmidt, 2010
Print Pattern Sew: Block-printing basics + simple sewing projects for an inspired wardrobe, Jen Hewett, 2018
Rubber Stamping: Get creative with stamps, rollers and other printmaking techniques, Stephen Fowler, 2016
Linocut for Artists & Designers, Nick Morley, 2016
Printmaking Handbook: Relief printing, Ann Westley, 2004
Linocut and Reduction Printmaking: Design and techniques, Laura Boswell, 2022
Printmaking: A complete guide to materials and processes, Beth Grabowski & Bill Fick, 2009

My top tips on where to find these beauties without breaking the bank - head to your local library or look for second hand books! Search on eBay and other sale sites to see what you kind find and contact your local bookshop, they are a fountain of knowledge and book people so they're bound to be fab (bookish pun intended)!

Quick overview of books 1 - 3
The first few beginner books are full of colour photographs and illustrations that are clear and concise, perfect for first steps into the basics and getting your head around some of the printmaking terminology. They have easy to follow instructions, have great mini projects to get you going, so are perfect for getting you started.

Quick overview of Books 4 - 6
These books are brilliantly creative and have a wonderful variety of relief and linocut print techniques to try across a range of media, from fabric printing to creating your own stamps. This is a great next step and they will help you to play, explore and experiment with your printing - super fun!

Quick overview of Books 7 - 9
So you've found your feet with beginner lino printing, now you're hooked and wanting to develop more skills with your carving, inking and printing knowledge - these are well worth the investment and you can refer to them anytime. All three of these books will teach you something crucial about relief printing, for example how to register your lino block for reduction printing, multi-block printing and multicolour techniques like jigsaw and rainbow rolling. The Printmaking Handbook by Ann Westley also has a fantastic section of information about types of tools, relief papers and methods of inking (it's a personal favourite of mine).

Quick overview of Book 10
The deep dive into all things print! This is a comprehensive guide about to materials and processes within printmaking covering all of the above (but not just relief printing, although relief printing does have its own complete chapter, quite rightly). It covers the history of printmaking, has beautiful and inspiring artist's work throughout and a fantastic troubleshooting section at the back!

Books and printmaking go hand in hand, so I hope this has inspired you to head out and find a good bookshop and a good book too!

If you'd like to learn more about printmaking join the Studio Snippets community , take one of my online classes or come along to one of my printmaking workshops in Wiltshire .

Honour your home renovation with a beautiful, custom commissioned linocut print from Hannah Cantellow Studio

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 18:54:35 GMT

Custom Victorian Style Linocut Print ~ Client Commission

The story behind the making...

Recently a client approached me for a custom design linocut and bespoke print for their home. They had been looking for a print to buy online for sometime, but not found anything unique for their Victorian Period renovation. The client specifically asked for texture, pattern and for me to incorporate unique period features found around the interior and exterior of their Victorian terrace. Hello Hannah Cantellow Studio! Hey, that’s me...and what a lovely brief if I do say so myself! There was already a frame and a specific place in the house in mind, so this was to be a large and impactful print to compliment the period decoration and existing black and white prints in the dining room.

On a serious note, if you have just spent all that time honing your interior style and pouring in the effort to create that 'hygge' feeling in your vintage, eclectic, period home... Then you totally deserve to honour that beautiful, inspiring space! I can handcraft you a design, hand carve and handprint an artwork that is made for your space!

This is what I do ~ this print is called ‘The Heart of the House’ it's a Victorian style print that can be personalised for you. The centre diamond (as seen below containing the original client's heart design) can be changed and made unique to you. Perhaps you'd like your initials? or your house number? Your front door keys or the date you purchased your home?

I will hand-carve and handprint a personalised centre piece, so you can have your very own, gorgeous, Victorian Period Style linocut print framed in your home. Where it can take pride of place, hanging up on your one-of-a-kind, gallery wall.

Head over to my online shop to purchase and personalise your print

Big Love, Hannah
The Wiltshire Printmaker