Fenland prints

The edge of an apple orchard somewhere in the West Norfolk Fenland and when we saw the method of pruning the trees we were intrigued. The apple in this orchard are that great British favourite the Bramley, a green cooking apple that is loved by cooks and chefs, sometimes you would think that it was the only cooking apple in the world. The old orchards where I walk our two Parson Jack Russell Terriers always have a good quantity of Bramley trees but they have all been pruned in the traditional manner. The trees in this orchards are pruned like a crewcut, it all looks very brutal but it obviously very much machinery based, our farmer neighbour tells me that it takes three years before you get a commercially viable crop but then the trees do fruit exceptionally heavily. I mentioned earlier about the Bramley being a ‘green’ cooking apple but our retired farmer neighbour never picks his until they have a reddish or pink blush, he blames the supermarkets for altering what people want perceive they want. Personally we prefer the earlier Grenadier apple which is streets ahead and more flavoursome whether it used as a sweet or savoury accompaniment. So now you know. Meanwhile, after the sermon, back to the print. This is really a test print for a second larger print so there are more frightening Arthur Rackham trees coming your way soon.

Bramley crewcut. A linocut printed in seven colours in an edition of ten on on 300gsm Madrid Litho White. Image size 150mm x 150mm. £75.00.

Notebook record for planning, ink and colour references.