how the TREE prints are made

To produce a good print from a piece of log can take from several days to months – mainly dependent on how much curing or seasoning it needs.

I firstly season the log section to ensure it is stable and dry. During this process cracks may well appear as the wood dries out, although I try to minimise these by using a long curing process, often many months.

After choosing the most interesting part of the log to print, there then follows 6 other processes to get to a smooth, flat and stable block to print from.

Some wood species are more challenging to print than others dependent on the grain structure, degree of curing and where the cross section cut was taken on the tree. You get to know what will look good through experience of working the wood; the type and amount of inking; types of paper and the amount of pressure exerted on the print.

All in all it is a very satisfying process since you are physically working the materials until the final moment of reveal when you pull back the paper to see how it has turned out.

I then take digital photos of the handmade prints so that those images can be used on other items such as the T-shirts, cards and homewares.