September-Evening-

‘September Evening’ new linocut for the 20:20

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Carolyn Murphy’s new ‘September Evening’ linocut is all set for this year’s 20:20 Print Exchange. The work shows the view looking west from the artist’s home at twilight. It suggests peace and calm – a haven in the city. All 25 prints in the edition are dry and were delivered yesterday.

“This is a view I never tire of – the backyard, nearby trees and bats” said Carolyn. “It’s been a really important small space during pandemic lockdowns and self-isolation. I wanted to capture it for the 2021 print exchange.”

‘September Evening’ linocut by Carolyn Murphy

Each year around 500 printmakers in the UK and from international printmaking workshops take part in the print exchange. All the work features in a touring exhibition, which travels around the UK and abroad.

Carolyn is submitting work again this year with Prospect Studios in Rossendale. This limited edition linocut will appear in other printmakers’ boxes later this year. Each artists receives a random selection of original artwork, all 20 cm by 20 cm in size. The annual event is organised by Hot Bed Press in Salford, UK.

To find out more about how this linocut was made, you can check out Carolyn’s blog.

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New member of the Printmakers Council

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Carolyn Murphy is now a member of the Printmakers Council. Carolyn joined in August this year after following some of the zoom talks by artist members on the organisation’s website. “I really enjoyed watching the member talks on the website, during recent lockdowns. I also got the chance to see the ‘Natural World’ online exhibition of members’ work. These inspired me to join,” explained Carolyn. “I am planning to balance my time between London and Manchester, over the next few years, so I hope to be able to visit future London shows in person and contribute fully to the Printmakers Council in time.”

The organisation formed in 1965 to promote new developments within printmaking and it has consistently promoted the place of printmaking in the visual arts since then. The organisation is artist-run and non-profit-making. In recent years, the Printmakers Council has organised exhibitions in London, across the UK as well as internationally.

‘Singing Ringing Tree II’, linocut, by Carolyn Murphy

Carolyn is excited to be a new member of the organisation and plans to contribute work for selection to future exhibitions. You can check out her profile page here. Her linocut ‘Singing Ringing Tree II’ was accepted into the Printmakers Council Archive at Scarborough Museums Trust. The archive dates from 1992.

Welcome Home

New butterfly linocut revealed

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Today, Carolyn Murphy launched a new multi-plate butterfly linocut from her website shop. The linocut design, called ‘Welcome Home’, is inspired by the return of the rare Manchester argus butterfly to its local habitat, after 150 years.

Carolyn, a Manchester-based artist and printmaker created the linocut during the pandemic lockdowns. The BBC featured the positive story of the recent reintroduction of this local species in May 2020. “I was really amazed by the story of this heath butterfly”, explained Carolyn. ” Nature has generally thrived during the pandemic, thanks to more limited human activity, however this small butterfly needed human help to return to its former home. It’s fantastic to see the number of organisations working together to make this possible.”

Back in Manchester

The Manchester argus became extinct in Manchester in 1850, because of land drainage and other pressures on its habitat, according to The Wildlife Trust. The Trust was part of a partnership project, GM Wetland Species Reintroduction Project, which masterminded the butterfly’s return, in conjunction with Chester Zoo. The Manchester argus butterfly returned from other populations in the North West to the Manchester Mosses area. However, because it does not travel far during its lifetime, it needed a helping hand from the project. Let’s hope it goes on to thrive again locally.

New linocut design

The new butterfly linocut design is a stylised image of the butterfly and complements ‘Hard at Work’, her linocut of Manchester bees (2015), in that it has the same image size (25cm x 25cm) and a similar structure and colours. Both reflect the balance between people and our fragile natural world.

‘Welcome Home’ goes on display at an exhibition later this year in Chorlton, Manchester. Further details will follow in due course.

Carolyn’s printmaking work is available for sale via this website. To find out more about the story behind this artwork, why not check out Carolyn’s blog post.

Image of Atom original linocut by Carolyn Murphy

New Lancashire Panopticon series of linocuts

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Carolyn Murphy’s new series of original linocut prints feature East Lancashire landmarks with fantastic views. The popular structures, known as Panopticons, include Burnley’s famous Singing Ringing Tree, Haslingden’s Halo and the Atom at Wycoller.

The Lancashire landmarks were all part of an innovative art and regeneration project, some years ago, and have gone on to capture the local imagination.

A keen walker, Carolyn loves to create a sense of place and space. She sought to capture the drama of these wild locations. “I love the contrast between these human structures and their untamed settings”, she explained.

This set of three original linocuts are all in small limited editions. The image size is 21 cm x 21 cm.

Longitude Gallery in Clitheroe regularly showed Carolyn’s work and sold her work on their website. They included this new linocut series in their shop on EASEL too, however the gallery closed in August 2024 (post updated in September 2024).

Carolyn’s work is available for sale in the shop on this website. If you would like to find out more about how these artworks were created, you can see behind the scenes in Carolyn’s blog post.

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Towneley Hall ‘Impressions’ exhibition 2020

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Prospect Printmakers’ exhibition ‘Impressions’ opened at Towneley Hall in Burnley this year, delayed by Covid-19. Printmakers produced work inspired by Towneley Hall Historic House, Art Gallery and Museum, and the surrounding parklands. Artist Carolyn Murphy’s linocut ‘That Window’ responds to the statue in the window of one of the main galleries.

Towneley Hall ‘Impressions’ exhibition 2020
‘That Window’ original linocut by Carolyn Murphy

The exhibition, organised by Alan Birch with the curator, includes a wide range of printmaking techniques. Artists visited Towneley Hall over a period of months to develop unique and often quirky work.

The exhibition runs from 19th September 2020 until 19th January 2021, however for much of this period, the exhibition has been only open to booked visitors, or indeed closed, given government restrictions. It is currently online as a virtual tour here. Please enter via the door ahead on the left!

Other work in the show included Carolyn’s ‘Serenity’ and ‘Halo’ linocuts.

Carolyn Murphy, with her ‘Serenity’ linocut, visiting the exhibition in September
‘Halo’ original linocut by Carolyn Murphy
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‘Land’ exhibition at Bury Art Museum

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Prospect Printmakers’ new exhibition ‘Land’ opened at Bury Art Museum on 10 May 2019.

The exhibition runs until 13 July. It features work by Alan Birch, Jill Randall, Karen Vine, Peter Cave, Gary Thomas, Cate Gibson, Carolyn Murphy and other artist printmakers from Waterfoot’s Prospect Studio.

The opening took place on Saturday 18 May and was well attended. Alan Birch was on hand to answer questions about printmaking techniques.

Peter Cave’s collagraph featured in the exhibition poster

Image of Carolyn Murphy's original postcard 'Above Ullswater'

Twitter Art Exhibition 2019 Board’s Choice

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Carolyn Murphy’s original linocut ‘Above Ullswater’ was chosen as a Board’s Choice in the 2019 Twitter Art Exhibition. Back in 2017, artist and printmaker Carolyn Murphy took part in the online Twitter Art Exhibition and was soon hooked. Every year since then, she has donated a one-off postcard-sized piece of original art to a great cause. She has enjoyed seeing other artists’ work from all around the globe on Twitter.

‘Above Ullswater’ a linocut by Carolyn Murphy

Her 2019 contribution, ‘Above Ullswater’, is a one plate linocut on a mono-printed background. It captures a fairly wild and barren fell landscape, high above Ullswater in the Lake District.

Carolyn was delighted to find out that her work was selected by David Sandum, the founder of the Twitter Art Exhibition, as a Board’s Choice in this year’s catalogue of the exhibition.

The Board’s Choice entry in the 2019 exhibition catalogue

To see the development of this work and a video snippet showing the catalogue, check out Carolyn’s blog post.

Imaage of the Parsonage in Didsbury

NEW linocut workshop dates

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Following the success of the first two linocut printing workshops at the Didsbury Parsonage, Carolyn Murphy and Cate Gibson have released new dates for workshops in March, April and May. All workshops are 3 hours long, running 10am until 1pm with a maximum of 8 people, so ideal for beginners.

In February workshops, the group created some fabulous work and had fun in the lovely setting at the Old Parsonage – in Gallery 2, with its stained glass windows looking onto the beautiful gardens.

Next workshop dates are: Wednesday 13 March, Thursday 11 April and Wednesday 15 May. Tickets cost £30 and can be bought via Eventbrite at: www.linoprint.eventbrite.co.uk or by contacting Carolyn directly by email carolyn@carolynmurphy.co.uk

Don’t worry if you’re new to linocut printmaking – or have tried it years ago – the session is easygoing and fun. You only need to bring an idea or two and an apron! Everything else you need is provided for the workshop and friendly help is on hand!

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New Linocut Printing workshops

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In February, printmakers Carolyn Murphy and Cate Gibson will be introducing Linocut Printing Workshops at Didsbury’s Old Parsonage. The workshops, which are ideal for beginners, will run on Thursday morning 7 & 21 February from 10am until 1pm.

Numbers are limited to 8 people (aged 18 or over) per workshop, so early booking is essential. You can email Carolyn at carolyn@carolynmurphy.co.uk or buy tickets via Eventbrite: http://www.linoprint.eventbrite.co.uk

All materials and equipment for the session are provided. You just need to bring an apron and an idea for your linocut print.

Local artists Carolyn Murphy and Cate Gibson exhibited their linocuts at the Old Parsonage in Didsbury back in October & November as part of the ‘Spectrum’ exhibition.

Clitheroe exhibition makes its mark

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Clitheroe’s Longitude Gallery is featuring the work of a wide range of local and regional printmakers in its last exhibition of 2018. Called ‘Make Your Mark’ this exhibition of printmaking is on until 19 December.

You’ll find work by Prospect Printmakers, including Carolyn Murphy’s ‘Halo’ linocut, by Reveal Printmakers and work by Michela Griffiths and Stephanie Holden. In all there are over 30 artists involved with this new exhibition. All framed work in the show is for sale and there is also unframed work in the browsers. It’s a beautiful gallery and a great spot for Christmas shopping.

The Longitude Gallery is upstairs in the Lee Carter Building, off Castlegate, Clitheroe BB7 1AZ (Sadly the gallery closed in August 2024 – updated September 2024).