Northern Print explores pigment making as a heritage craft within the context of contemporary printmaking and environmental sustainability. The Radcliffe Trust funded a one-day workshop attended by three Northern Print staff, two studio-user participants selected for the project, and two additional studio users. Participants explored the collection and processing of natural materials as pigments for printmaking, gaining hands-on experience of making pigments and inks while developing an understanding of their properties and applications. The workshop linked historical approaches to colour and materials with the needs of contemporary printmakers.
Funding also enabled the purchase of materials and equipment for Northern Print, to support pigment-making and experimentation. Equipment such as pestles, mortars and sieves, were acquired to facilitate the processing of locally sourced materials, and a plant-based acrylic binder was purchased to allow for handmade pigments in screen-printing.
We are very grateful to the Radcliffe Trust for their flexibility and support in allowing us to extend and reshape the project. We feel it has been an impactful project, strengthening knowledge of pigment making as a heritage craft while demonstrating its relevance to contemporary printmaking and sustainable studio practice. ~Northern Print
Our grant supported the sharing and development of heritage craft skills and enabled participants to question, adapt and experiment with these processes in contemporary printmaking and consider how these processes are beneficial in relation to environmental sustainability within Northern Print. The project enabled meaningful training, and knowledge-sharing.
The hands-on nature of the project was integral to developing participants’ practical skills and understanding, providing learning opportunities that could not be replicated through theory alone.
Studio-user Gail Bryson commented on the accessibility of these heritage processes: “I’ve learnt they can be found all around us. I’ve also learnt how to extract the pigment and make inks for screen printing. I’ve experimented with making a natural screen-printing ink with no plastic.” She also said she would be “more conscious of what inks I’m using and their impact on the environment.”
The project will strengthen Northern Print’s position as a leading printmaking organisation, ensuring it continues to contribute actively to the development of the sector. Investment in the skills and expertise of technical staff, freelance tutors, studio users and artists will enhance Northern Print’s capacity to foster a vibrant culture of creativity, experimentation and lifelong learning.
