2017 SHIPPING FORECAST
about 10 copies still available (out of 200). See details below on this page.
2011 COLOURS OF MILL ROAD
Sold out - some of original drawings still for sale. See details below on this page
2008 MILL ROAD STORIES WITHOUT WORDS
Sold out - some original linocuts still for sale. See details below on this page.
about 10 copies still available (out of 200). See details below on this page.
2011 COLOURS OF MILL ROAD
Sold out - some of original drawings still for sale. See details below on this page
2008 MILL ROAD STORIES WITHOUT WORDS
Sold out - some original linocuts still for sale. See details below on this page.
SHIPPING FORECAST - A Book of Linocuts
£7 direct from Sam Motherwell.
[email protected]
Size 10.5 x 10.5 cm, 64 pages.
All pages are listed below.
"Issued at 05:05 ..." Most of us hear the Met Office Shipping Forecast safely in bed, and half-asleep. This British institution is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 before close-down at 00:48 and start-up at 05:20. Although modern electronic data communications are used by all current shipping, suggestions that this service be withdrawn caused outcry; and some seafarers say that as a fall-back in an emergency all you need is a working transistor radio. The weather forecast we take for granted is now 150 years old, due to the pioneering of Admiral Robert FitzRoy who campaigned to save lives at sea.
We dream in and out of the familiar stream of words, delivered with reassuring calm voice. Everyone has their favourite words , Dogger, South Utsire, Ronaldsway, Malin, Valentia, Machrihanish, ..., places once visited or left to the imagination (Rockall, Cape Wrath). Many people have written, sung, parodied, and broadcast about the strange poetry of the words, 'a secular litany'. This little book does not offer any inclusive or historical account (see Wikipedia for a good summary). Rather, this set of linocut images, deliberately minimal by their nature, is concentrated on the essence, the poetic moment, of people far and wide listening on sea and land. The 'found poetry' of exotic names, terse delivery, and the repeated phrases act like a refrain in a ballad.
The images arose spontaneously from the words. They show places, remote and also the everyday familiar. I have been fortunate to have seen many places around our coasts, some illustrated here, Pittenweem (12 ), Portree (48), St Monans ( 11), Muckle Flugga
(55) & Noss (9) in Shetland, Skellig Michael (52) off Southern Ireland, Montrose (46), Aldeburgh (50), Sound of Mull (53), Luskentyre (51). All sorts of listeners are imagined, fishermen setting out in storm and fair weather. The oil rigs are not forgotten, and the sea-based wind farms. Boat trips for pleasure are celebrated , Bass Rock (49), Summer Isles (54), Raasay (47), Forth Bridge(42). Boats large and small from cruise-ship monsters, cargo-boats, to yachts, lone rowers and a kayak. The RNLI is honoured for their dauntless efforts(18).
The radio waves pass unheeded through the wild fish and fowl, through storm, snow, rain and fog. The imagination travels to the waves and rocky cliffs. I hope you enjoy this book.
Suggested reading
1. Rain later, good: Peter Colyer. (Paintings from every sea-area.)
2. Shipping Forecast, a miscellany: Nic Compton.
3. Fitzroy: John Gribbin, Mary Gribbin. (Biography & History.)
4. Glanmore Sonnets VII: Seamus Heaney.
5. BBC Radio 4 website (Google 'Shipping Forecast')
6. Wikipedia 'Shipping Forecast'. A good comprehensive article.
We dream in and out of the familiar stream of words, delivered with reassuring calm voice. Everyone has their favourite words , Dogger, South Utsire, Ronaldsway, Malin, Valentia, Machrihanish, ..., places once visited or left to the imagination (Rockall, Cape Wrath). Many people have written, sung, parodied, and broadcast about the strange poetry of the words, 'a secular litany'. This little book does not offer any inclusive or historical account (see Wikipedia for a good summary). Rather, this set of linocut images, deliberately minimal by their nature, is concentrated on the essence, the poetic moment, of people far and wide listening on sea and land. The 'found poetry' of exotic names, terse delivery, and the repeated phrases act like a refrain in a ballad.
The images arose spontaneously from the words. They show places, remote and also the everyday familiar. I have been fortunate to have seen many places around our coasts, some illustrated here, Pittenweem (12 ), Portree (48), St Monans ( 11), Muckle Flugga
(55) & Noss (9) in Shetland, Skellig Michael (52) off Southern Ireland, Montrose (46), Aldeburgh (50), Sound of Mull (53), Luskentyre (51). All sorts of listeners are imagined, fishermen setting out in storm and fair weather. The oil rigs are not forgotten, and the sea-based wind farms. Boat trips for pleasure are celebrated , Bass Rock (49), Summer Isles (54), Raasay (47), Forth Bridge(42). Boats large and small from cruise-ship monsters, cargo-boats, to yachts, lone rowers and a kayak. The RNLI is honoured for their dauntless efforts(18).
The radio waves pass unheeded through the wild fish and fowl, through storm, snow, rain and fog. The imagination travels to the waves and rocky cliffs. I hope you enjoy this book.
Suggested reading
1. Rain later, good: Peter Colyer. (Paintings from every sea-area.)
2. Shipping Forecast, a miscellany: Nic Compton.
3. Fitzroy: John Gribbin, Mary Gribbin. (Biography & History.)
4. Glanmore Sonnets VII: Seamus Heaney.
5. BBC Radio 4 website (Google 'Shipping Forecast')
6. Wikipedia 'Shipping Forecast'. A good comprehensive article.