Bike Art and Cards (& Tandems!)

Like many people I experimented with lino-cut at college. I loved it. In 1980, a year after leaving college, I bought an old book binding press always knowing that someday I’d use it in earnest for relief printing. Apart from using it occasionally when my children got to do lino-cuts in their schooldays, it has been a heavy lump of cast iron that moved home with us many times. Always residing under a workbench in the bike shed. A sketchbook has been a companion on my many cycle tours.

In 2009, retiring from 30 years police service, we moved to live in S.W. France. This life changing move was principally to be able to ride our tandems and bicycles on idyllic, traffic free lanes in beautiful weather. Our home is a very old farmhouse with a variety of stone barns. One of these barns has become the bike shed. This time, however, the old press has pride of place on the bench, and it has been joined by a much larger roller press.

The beautiful lanes, tracks and countryside that I ride along almost every day are a constant source of inspiration. As I ride along I soak up the views, occasionally stopping to sketch or take a photo, many of which get worked up into future lino cut projects.

I started to produce lino-cut prints for my pleasure and to create artwork for my home. People liked it and wanted to buy it. In February 2014 I opened my Etsy shop so that people could do so.

To create a lino-cut, I transfer a sketch onto a piece of lino, then using special tools gouge and cut away the lino to reveal the image. I then roll ink onto the cut lino and press paper onto the lino block using my press. I like to add watercolour to some of the Lino prints to create beautiful, unique pieces of art.

Cycling through beautiful countryside is inspirational and I imagine that I’ll be continuing to produce many sketches, paintings and prints. Having my Etsy shop has been both motivational and fulfilling, it’s wonderful to be able share my art with others.

In summer 2018 I added a T-shirt section to the shop. Great quality T-shirts with hand-printed designs. All designs are available in men’s, women’s or unisex Ts.

The lino-cut process produces test prints, off-cuts of Lino, paper and left over ink. My wife Sue uses these to produce beautiful, handmade cards, and in 2017 opened her Etsy shop Cards from the bike shed to sell them.”