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"Greenwich Park" - the evolution of a linocut

Kit Boyd talks about how his linocut of London's famous Greenwich Park developed into a variety of versions, each bringing a different atmosphere to the scene. His skill with colour and adding or changing details show how much print ideas can evolve and create different effects while still using some of the same carved lino blocks.


In 2019 I made "Greenwich Park" for the 40th anniversary of Greenwich Printmakers. It was the first print I made of a London landscape. Before then my work had always been from my imagination or the most rural places of solitude, and I wanted to bring that feeling to the print.


A stylised view of Greenwich Park, looking from under a tree towards the observatory on a distant skyline. The light is warm and the orange sun is either rising or setting on the right hand side.
"Greenwich Park", linocut by Kit Boyd, the first time it was shown. This was at the Barbican in December 2019, with an orange tone across the middle.

We all made prints to fit into a 40cm x 40cm frame for the Barbican exhibition and I've continued this format with my linocuts "The Thames Barrier" and "Battersea Park".


With all the disruption caused by Covid in 2020-21, the next time this was exhibited was in 2022 at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in a room curated by Grayson Perry, where this edition of 75 sold out. By this time I'd decided to make the sun red and the sky on the horizon yellow.


Artist Kit Boyd stands next to his framed Greenwich Park linocut which is hung on a bright yellow wall, surrounded by other pictures. There are red and orange dots on the frame, signifying sales.
Kit Boyd with his linocut "Greenwich Park" at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition in 2022

The next version I made in 2022 was an olive version for Watts Gallery in Surrey for a show about colour titled 'Kaleidoscope'. It was a small edition of 10 and also sold out.


A stylised view of Greenwich Park, looking from under a tree towards the observatory on a distant skyline. This is in tones of olive green, with a red sun hanging in the sky on the left hand side.
"Greenwich Park" in olive, for the Watts Gallery, in 2022

In the summer of 2023, I added the moon and made the Equinox edition. The moon was added by cutting a circle in the plate for the light blue, cutting and carving a circular stamp, and printing this before the key plate was printed.


A stylised view of Greenwich Park, looking from under a tree towards the observatory on a distant skyline. The sky is blue with a yellow streak at the bottom. There is a yellow moon on the left hand side and a setting red/orange sun on the right hand side.
"Greenwich Park, Equinox", by Kit Boyd, 2023

This was an edition of 40 that also sold out, mostly through Greenwich Printmakers. It featured on the cover of Breathe Magazine in 2025 and has also been used by British Airways for their business class amenity bags, which are now flying around the world in a collaboration with Rise Art.


Kit Boyd's Greenwich Park linocut image is printed on a canvas texture small bag, with a black zip at the top and a clip and strap in the middle.
Kit Boyd's "Greenwich Park" on an amenity bag for British Airways

This year, I made the current version called "Greenwich Park - Magic Hour". This one is four sheets of lino and has a very gentle spring-like feel with the warm rays of the sun spreading across the landscape. I wanted it to have a very different feel from the previous versions.


A stylised view of Greenwich Park, looking from under a tree towards the observatory on a distant skyline. The sky is bright blue and the orange sun low in the sky on the right hand side radiates orange rays across the leaves and bushes.
"Greenwich Park, Magic Hour", by Kit Boyd

It’s the one used on the publicity for my feature artist show, which is now on at the gallery. It’s also on show at Bankside Gallery at the same time in a show all about the city titled 'London Calling'. My other London linocuts, "The Thames Barrier" and "Battersea Park", are also in the shows, alongside my reduction linocut "Night in the City", which is based on a drawing I made of Postman’s Park near St Paul’s back in the 1990s. These are also available from Greenwich Printmakers.


A man sits on a bench in a London city park, with a statue in front of him and trees, leaves and blackbird in the foreground. A skyline of buildings and skyscrapers is in the background, along with a crescent moon.
"Night in the City", reduction linocut by Kit Boyd

In April this year I made a small edition reduction linocut titled "Greenwich Observatory Sunset", which is the view in the same direction but a bit further back towards Maze Hill and with a couple watching the sun go down. It’s hanging in the gallery at the moment in the current exhibition The Great Outdoors.


Two small figures sit under a tree facing each other on the right side of the scene under some large trees. The orange sun looms large in the yellow, red and orange sky. Greenwich Observatory is on the skyline.
"Greenwich Observatory Sunset", reduction linocut by Kit Boyd

And finally I’ve just hand-painted five older linocuts titled "A Day Out in London", featuring one of the iconic dragons that guard the City of London.


A flock of birds flies over a statue of a silver and red dragon in a pink sky. Famous London buildings are in blue on the horizon, and small figures of tourists look up to the statue.
"A Day Out in London", linocut by Kit Boyd
A small figure walks with a stick towards some stairs in a park while a woman walks her dog on the path. The river is blue behind them and the Thames Barrier dominates the horizon.
"The Thames Barrier", linocut by Kit Boyd
A pink, yellow, green and orange stylised image of fountains, with large white swans, a stork, people visiting with dogs, children and prams, and a plane in the sky. The four towers of Battersea are visible behind the trees.
"Battersea Park", linocut by Kit Boyd

Kit is our featured artist in the Greenwich Printmakers gallery until June 21, and you can also see his work as part of "London Calling" at Bankside Gallery (June 5-21). Kit's wonderfully atmospheric linocuts and etchings are available from our online shop and in our gallery all year round. For more information, see his artist's page, his website and on Instagram @kitboyd.



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