Diana Croft has been working on a series of reduction linocut prints inspired by allotments, drawn by the blend of order, nature, and the importance of outdoor spaces during the pandemic lockdown.
Why did you decide to make a series of prints about allotments?
I’ve been meaning to do a print on this theme for a while, as I’ve always found allotments interesting places. They contain a blend of order and chaos, with nature being tamed and bent to our will. With the onset of the lockdown, it seemed the perfect time to explore the subject matter. During this strange time, when we so value our outdoor spaces and so many people have started growing their own vegetables, it seemed an appropriate topic.
How did you make the prints in this series?
"Allotment Landscape" is a six-colour linocut. It was quite complicated to make as I use the reduction method, so each layer of colour was printed from the same lino block, requiring the previous colour to be cut away. The registration has to be spot on so everything lines up correctly. "Allotment Life" is a reduction linocut in three colours - the video above shows me peeling the paper from the lino block of "Allotment Life" after printing the final colour.
Is this based on your own allotment?
No, I don’t have an allotment of my own. This is based on a friend's one not far from where I live. We do have a small vegetable patch in the garden, though, and I’m trying to grow as much as we can. Gardening seems to be a very important activity at the moment, and it’s good to feel in touch with nature.
Will you make more allotment-inspired prints, or do you see this series going in a different direction?
I've progressed from allotments to a garden scene I’ve called "Garden Sanctuary", because that’s how they feel at the moment. I'm now working on a linocut of a park with a few people in it and a duck pond, so it's a gradual progression of movement away from the house and the immediate environment.
I’ve also noticed that the work has become more detailed, and I’ve enjoyed becoming totally engrossed in the process.
Prints by Diana Croft are available from Greenwich Printmakers. Contact us here to ask about buying work by Diana, or any of our other printmakers. Your enquiry will be passed on to the artist, who can arrange payment and post the print to your home.