20:20 Print Exchange

by with No Comment Behind the Scenes

Each year I take part in the 20:20 Print Exchange, organised by Hot Bed Press. I started in 2011 – and became hooked. This year I created a linocut with added blind embossing. Here’s a little bit of behind the scenes on my 2025 edition and my box.

Firstly, the 20:20 print exchange concept is simple: each printmaker creates an edition of 25 original prints, on paper that’s 20cm by 20cm. Printmakers submit work through their print workshop, and in exchange receive a randomly selected box of 20 prints from other participating printmakers. I love the sense of community, as around 50 UK and international print workshops take part. In fact, this year 744 artists took part from studios as far afield as Canada and the USA.

I tend to see my 20:20 print as an opportunity to experiment as well as extra practice at editioning.

The lino plate

This year, for the first time, I designed a linocut plate and an emboss plate to work together. It was experimental and I learnt a lot. Some things went well, others were more challenging, but that’s often the way when you try something new!

My idea was to create an abstracted ‘landscape’ and play with the sense of space and depth.
I kept the linocut simple and had sleek lines, and the plate and paper slightly bigger, so I could cut it down to 20 cm square. I chose Fabriano Unica paper, which I tested first, as I wanted a paper that would work fine dry with the lino layer and wet for the emboss.

Things that went well

I was happy with lots of elements:

  • the consistency of the lino layer
  • the gradation worked well too
  • I liked the ambiguity of the spaces
  • and the austerity of the design.

What did I learn?

Paper expands and contracts when wet – and does so differently depending on the direction of the grain. This caused a few issues with trimming down, but luckily didn’t spoil too many. I hadn’t spotted when cutting my paper that I did not have all the paper grain going the same way. I learnt that paper expands differently with and against the grain… I’ll know next time to check.

The outcome

I sent off an edition of 25 prints, which I called ‘Echoes’ in October. And I just received a fantastic box – including works from Germany and Russia. Take a look!

My 2025 box of fabulous prints!

Participants in a linocut workshop showing their artwork

Linocut Workshops in Manchester

by with No Comment Event

Carolyn Murphy regularly runs linocut workshops in Manchester with fellow printmaker Cate Gibson. The pair run the workshops at Sett Art Cafe, on Burton Road, in West Didsbury, a music and art space, with a lively events programme. Individuals can purchase tickets through the Eventbrite page on Sett’s website. There are dates out now for March and April.

Linocut workshop at Sett Art Cafe

The local printmakers have also run introduction to linocut workshops at Didsbury Parsonage. All materials are provided for the workshops, which tend to be 2.5 to 3 hours in length. Carolyn and Cate guide participants through how to create, cut and print their own linocut design. It’s a fun, informal printmaking session, that’s designed for adult beginners. They suggest people come with an idea or image – and wear clothes they don’t mind getting messy in.

Carolyn and Cate also organise group linocut workshops, normally for six to ten people. So, if you’re thinking of a workplace creative activity, either as part of a team building or staff wellbeing day, or for a group of friends, this is an activity that everyone can enjoy. Charity organisation Our Room Manchester included a workshop as part of their staff wellbeing day earlier this month. They provided the following feedback:

“Our staff team thoroughly enjoyed the linocutting workshop with Carolyn and Cate. It was the perfect balance between relaxing and challenging – we were absorbed in the process and loved learning a new skill! It was great to have a laugh together and come away with lovely pieces of artwork. The session was just what we needed for our wellbeing day and we’d highly recommend it!”

Carolyn and Cate announce linocut workshop dates on their social media. You can follow Carolyn on Instagram here. Alternatively, you can get in touch for a quote to your specific requirements, using the Contact page.

Inspired by Manchester

by with No Comment Exhibition

‘Inspired by Manchester’, a pop-up exhibition in Sale town centre, includes work by Carolyn Murphy. The exhibition, organised by Neighbourhood Gallery, features work by artists from across the North West of England in a range of media. It’s the first time that Carolyn has submitted work, so it was great to see ‘Bridgewater Canal’ on the wall, alongside some fabulous artists. Carolyn also had some of her linocuts in the window and all works were for sale.

Exhibition in Sale town centre

The exhibition runs from 9 February to 2 March with a private view on 8 February 2024. It’s an exhibition of works “inspired by Manchester’s iconic cityscapes, spirited people and vibrant culture”.

Carolyn at ‘Inspired by Manchester’ with her etching of Bridgewater Canal

‘Bridgewater Canal’ is an etching, which captures a hidden level of Manchester, where the canal runs right through the city centre. It’s an atmospheric image and it’s due to feature in a book about Manchester soon.

‘Sale Water Park’, a reduction linocut by Carolyn Murphy, has gone off to new home from the show.

September-Evening-

‘September Evening’ new linocut for the 20:20

by with No Comment New Work

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.

Murphy_Singing-Ringing-Tree-II_Linocut

New member of the Printmakers Council

by with No Comment Membership

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

by with No Comment New Work

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

by with No Comment New Work

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.

IMG_2570

Towneley Hall ‘Impressions’ exhibition 2020

by with No Comment Exhibition

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

Twitter Art Exhibition 2019 Board’s Choice

by with No Comment Exhibition

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.

55dd8b72-dd0f-4ac3-9ebb-a848e25de18f

New Linocut Printing workshops

by with No Comment Event

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.