One Ash: Shona Branigan
Welcome back to our regular One Ash blog featuring all the artists, crafters and woodworkers engaged with the project. Here we introduce you to wood engraver and tree printer, Shona Branigan. Shona lives and works in Grizedale Forest where she’s most in touch with her life-long love and fascination of trees.
What have you been up to with your piece of the one ash since the felling day and could you tell me a little about your process from tree to print?
I am delighted to be part of this project and have been given 3 rounds from the ash tree. The large round is from near the base and I am looking forward to taming and printing this piece of wood. Also 2 smaller but perfectly formed rounds both of which I have now worked on and printed.
Wood printing is a relief printing process which is exactly the same in principle as printing your fingerprint. Ink is rolled onto the surface and any lower areas don’t contain ink and therefore appear white in the image (on white paper).
It is the process of sanding, burning, wire brushing, and shellacking the surface of the wood which makes it into a relief printable surface.
After I have sanded out all the saw cut marks I use a hand held blow torch which lightly burns the surface of the wood burning away softer wood and creating a raised surface.
The next step is to progressively wire brush all of the burned wood away so none of the precious detail is obscured.
Once it is as clean as possible I seal the surface with shellac. I use traditional linseed oil printing inks and clean off from the wood with turps so a sealed surface is a good plan.
Now the wood is ready to ink which is applied with a quality roller. The ink is rolled out into a thin layer on flat glass so its smooth and it is then rolled across the surface of the wood in a few thin layers.
I use heritage rag paper and apply pressure with a bone folder which is a hand held bookbinders tool. With a small tool and great paper I can apply enough pressure to create a finely detailed print. The large Ash round took me about 2 hours to hand print, the smaller rounds took about 45 minutes so its a slow methodical process.
How did you get started with your art?
I have always enjoyed art but had to give it up at school when I was 14 years old as it wasn’t on the curriculum. I ended up doing my degree in Sociology as I was interested in people and then had a 17 year career in Careers Guidance with schools and colleges. I then spent 20 years as a professional photographer before finally being able to pursue my love of printmaking full-time in 2018.
I found my way into wood engraving and then wood printing by my association with Cherryburn, the National trust Birthplace museum to Thomas Bewick. In 2013 I began volunteering in the press room at the museum where I could introduce visitors to the craft of wood engraving and printing. It also gave me the opportunity to learn from a traditional master printmaker, Paul Goldsmith as we worked together. We were even featured on Flog it, and Further Tales from Northumberland when Robson Green had his first go at wood engraving on camera. I had a one day workshop in wood engraving from Chris Daunt which introduced me to the craft and found that I loved it.
Since then I have been selected to exhibit with the society of wood engravers annual exhibitions three years running. During this time I heard about ‘tree printing’ and saw Bryan Nash Gill’s book. I knew I had to try it for myself. So in 2017 I was given a large round from a 190 year old fallen Oak from the National Trust ranger at Cherryburn. That was the beginning of my tree printing.
According to his website, Bryan Nash Gill grew up in the woods and trees left their mark on him. Can you tell me a little bit about your love for trees? How important it is for you to have your workspace in Grizedale Forest?
I grew up in a terraced house in Gateshead with few trees but there was a tree in front of my bedroom window. A sycamore. I always wanted to be in the countryside so as an adult I chose to live among trees and near rivers. Wherever I live I find particular trees which I spend time with, usually leaning against them, I like back support rather than hugging them!
Before printmaking I wrote stories about a small boy who lived in a Birch tree, I have photographed trees, drawn them, made etchings and engravings of them, and now actually print them. Printing the tree feels very special to me as I know it is the tree itself that I am revealing, so I feel very close to it.
Living and working in Grizedale forest is a real blessing not just because I am surrounded by trees but more so because my studio is in the visitors centre here. This means that my door is open and people can look in, pop in, chat, observe, enthuse and learn about the process. They can also buy direct from me too. I also have an arrangement that anyone who gives me a round which is printable I give the first print of the edition in exchange. This means that wood which is special to other people finds its way to me as I know the feeling of losing a much loved tree. A round from a 120 year old Damson came to me from Cambridgeshire recently.
What is your favourite tree to work with?
Each tree is an individual so I find them all fascinating but generally Yew trees are my favourite so far as I haven’t printed every species yet. Yew grows in a very interesting way and so the growth rings look very three dimensional in their shapes. The outlines of rounds are also lovely and wavy. My favourite print is the 198 year Old Yew I have printed and what I love too is that I know exactly where the tree grew. I have the GPS available for anyone who wants to visit.
What would you say to anyone wishing to get started in wood engraving and wood printing?
If you are curious about wood engraving, just have a go and see how it feels. This is how I started. I had zero experience of working with wood or using sharp tools. But the tiny tools fit comfortably into the palm of your hand, and using a wood block made ready for engraving (we all buy these usually from Chris Daunt) it is easy to start cutting grooves into the block as its so smooth. For designs, you can trace an outline onto the block for you to follow. There is a book called Wood Engraving: How to do it by Simon Brett and Chris Daunt teaches too. I can’t recommend him enough. You can also print a wood engraving without a press so you need minimal tools. It's the same with wood printing, if you find it interesting just have a go.
If you would like to find out more about Shona’s work with the One Ash project follow her journal.
You can read about all the crafters, artists and wood-workers on the One Ash project page.
An exhibition of the One Ash project, including Shona’s work, is planned for 2022 and will form part of the 10-year celebration of all that Andover Trees United has achieved, including the completion of planting in Harmony Woods.