NEW BOOK almost sold out!
SHIPPING FORECAST - A Book of Linocuts
£7 direct from Sam Motherwell.
sammotherwell@hotmail.com
Size 10.5 x 10.5 cm, 64 pages.
All pages are listed below...
INTRODUCTION
"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 Although modern electronic data communications are used by all current shipping, suggestions that this service be withdrawn caused outcry; and some seafarers say that as a fall-back in an emergency all you need is a working transistor radio.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.
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BIOGRAPHICAL
Sam Motherwell is a figurative artist living in Cambridge, UK, specialising in Cambridge subjects in a graphic style.
A long-term member of the Cambridge Drawing Society (CDS), he exhibits with CDS in April and October each year. He has periodically exhibited in Cambridge at some commercial venues, notably Hot Numbers, Gwydir St. He has published two books of linocuts, a book of collage drawings, postcards of Cambridge. He has done Logo design work for several charitable societies.
PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS
CAMBRIDGE DRAWING SOCIETY 22 - 29 OCT 2016
Pen/ink collage - done on the spot Ferryden, Montrose, Scotland.
Pen/ink collage - done on the spot Ferryden, Montrose, Scotland.
Previous exhibition: U3A 3 - 20 May 2016
Linocuts: Jazz and Rowing
Linocuts: Jazz and Rowing
PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS
For a selection of Jazz linocuts click http://1drv.ms/1jnmgSu
Cambridge Drawing Society, Guildhall, Cambridge 11-18 April 2015
CARD PRINTS Exhibited at University of the Third Age (U3AC) Cambridge 12 Jan 2015
RECENT PROJECTS
2014 Project on Bird-Stones in Mill Rd Cemetery, drawings and in situ sound recordings
2014 Card prints and linocuts based on St Peter's church, Castle Hill, Cambridge.
Exhibited at U3AC, Cambridge.
2013 Umbrella project (see above)
2012 in St John's College, Cambridge, an exhibition showing everyday aspects of college life. For all pictures see heading ST JOHN'S above.
Another ongoing 'Project' is a long series of ink/collage drawings of the riverside in Cambridge. The ink drawing and some collage is done on the spot. Look under Collages 2012.
There was a book, 'Colours of Mill Road' in 2011 (sorry sold out), see under Book.
Have a look at an interview about the book.
Also a book of Linocuts of Mill Rd was done in 2008 - see under Linocuts.
2014 Project on Bird-Stones in Mill Rd Cemetery, drawings and in situ sound recordings
2014 Card prints and linocuts based on St Peter's church, Castle Hill, Cambridge.
Exhibited at U3AC, Cambridge.
2013 Umbrella project (see above)
2012 in St John's College, Cambridge, an exhibition showing everyday aspects of college life. For all pictures see heading ST JOHN'S above.
Another ongoing 'Project' is a long series of ink/collage drawings of the riverside in Cambridge. The ink drawing and some collage is done on the spot. Look under Collages 2012.
There was a book, 'Colours of Mill Road' in 2011 (sorry sold out), see under Book.
Have a look at an interview about the book.
Also a book of Linocuts of Mill Rd was done in 2008 - see under Linocuts.
Sam Motherwell is a figurative artist living in Cambridge, England. His preferred media are charcoal, pen-and-ink, collage and linocut. Most works are for sale. Contact: email sammotherwell@hotmail.com