Quietly, She Watched the Moor
106 x 89 cm framed original botanical ink specimen with letterpress printing
About
There's something watching from this landscape, a presence felt rather than seen. Some viewers immediately spot the cat stretched across the skyline, tors marking the contours of her form as she surveys her domain. Others see a face emerging from the horizon - eyes, hair, nose - as if the moor itself has taken on human awareness.
Both interpretations speak to the same truth: Dartmoor has always been animate, alive with presences that pre-date our naming of them.
The abstract forms emerge through ink made from oak galls collected on Dartmoor itself - those marble-like growths formed when wasps lay eggs in oak branches. What begins as the tree's defence becomes our medium, transformed through iron and chemistry into the watchful greys and granite-lights you see here, punctuated by rust-oranges that speak to both the moor's iron-rich soils and the ancient alchemy of ink-making.
The letterpress text explores oak's deep relationship with Dartmoor - from the Celtic duir that gave the River Dart its name, to the pollen records showing oak's arrival 9,500 years ago. Each letter is hand-set in metal type and printed on heritage presses, connecting you to centuries of craftspeople who worked with these same materials and techniques.
At 106x89cm, this piece commands presence. The original botanical ink painting is professionally framed with conservation-grade mounting and UV-protective glass. Like the landscape it depicts, this work will evolve and change over time. This is part of botanical ink's living character.
The oak galls for the botanical ink were all collected on Dartmoor. The printing was completed in our Princetown studio on our Soldans cylinder proofing press -- the largest known hand-powered proofing press of its kind remaining in the UK. The text is entirely handset from wood and metal type.
This is the second collection in our Wild Colour series, and the first collection to feature large works.
One of fourteen original works in this collection.
106 x 89 cm framed original botanical ink specimen with letterpress printing
About
There's something watching from this landscape, a presence felt rather than seen. Some viewers immediately spot the cat stretched across the skyline, tors marking the contours of her form as she surveys her domain. Others see a face emerging from the horizon - eyes, hair, nose - as if the moor itself has taken on human awareness.
Both interpretations speak to the same truth: Dartmoor has always been animate, alive with presences that pre-date our naming of them.
The abstract forms emerge through ink made from oak galls collected on Dartmoor itself - those marble-like growths formed when wasps lay eggs in oak branches. What begins as the tree's defence becomes our medium, transformed through iron and chemistry into the watchful greys and granite-lights you see here, punctuated by rust-oranges that speak to both the moor's iron-rich soils and the ancient alchemy of ink-making.
The letterpress text explores oak's deep relationship with Dartmoor - from the Celtic duir that gave the River Dart its name, to the pollen records showing oak's arrival 9,500 years ago. Each letter is hand-set in metal type and printed on heritage presses, connecting you to centuries of craftspeople who worked with these same materials and techniques.
At 106x89cm, this piece commands presence. The original botanical ink painting is professionally framed with conservation-grade mounting and UV-protective glass. Like the landscape it depicts, this work will evolve and change over time. This is part of botanical ink's living character.
The oak galls for the botanical ink were all collected on Dartmoor. The printing was completed in our Princetown studio on our Soldans cylinder proofing press -- the largest known hand-powered proofing press of its kind remaining in the UK. The text is entirely handset from wood and metal type.
This is the second collection in our Wild Colour series, and the first collection to feature large works.
One of fourteen original works in this collection.
- Original botanical ink painting with hand-printed letterpress text
- Handmade watercolour paper by Barcham Green (watermarked 1981)
- Paper treated with stabilising mordant to extend botanical ink permanence
- Artwork dimensions: 55.9 x 81.3 cm (large imperial paper)
- Frame dimensions: 106 x 89 cm
- Float mount with triple matting, UV-protective glass
- Framed by Art Trade Guild G.C.F Qualified conservation framers
£2,100 including professional conservation framing.
- Original botanical ink painting with hand-printed letterpress text
- Handmade watercolour paper by Barcham Green (watermarked 1981)
- Paper treated with stabilising mordant to extend botanical ink permanence
- Artwork dimensions: 55.9 x 81.3 cm (large imperial paper)
- Frame dimensions: 106 x 89 cm
- Float mount with triple matting, UV-protective glass
- Framed by Art Trade Guild G.C.F Qualified conservation framers
£2,100 including professional conservation framing.
Price includes professional packing and shipping within the UK. International shipping will be priced and invoiced separately. Free local delivery within 2 hours of Princetown. Please allow 3 weeks for delivery. If the piece arrives damaged, please notify us immediately by email (information will be in the package) and we will discuss next steps (reframe, or full refund).
Price includes professional packing and shipping within the UK. International shipping will be priced and invoiced separately. Free local delivery within 2 hours of Princetown. Please allow 3 weeks for delivery. If the piece arrives damaged, please notify us immediately by email (information will be in the package) and we will discuss next steps (reframe, or full refund).
If, for any reason, you decide this work isn't for you on receiving it, you may return the work for a full refund within 14 days. This is your right by law (link opens in a new window). In the case of returns: we will arrange an art courier to collect from you. The cost of this return shipment will be deducted from your refund.
If, for any reason, you decide this work isn't for you on receiving it, you may return the work for a full refund within 14 days. This is your right by law (link opens in a new window). In the case of returns: we will arrange an art courier to collect from you. The cost of this return shipment will be deducted from your refund.
If you need help installing this piece, we are able to quote separately for this work. Please get in touch (studio@princetownpress.co.uk)!
If you need help installing this piece, we are able to quote separately for this work. Please get in touch (studio@princetownpress.co.uk)!
Care for this piece is the same as all other art: hang out of direct light and away from a direct source of heat.
Care for this piece is the same as all other art: hang out of direct light and away from a direct source of heat.
Oak gall ink has been used as official record keeping ink for hundreds of years due to its permanence. We anticipate the botanical ink will change over time. Every precaution has been taken to slow this inevitable change, including pretreating the paper, and using UV-protective art glass for the framing. Still, we encourage you to take a photo of the work every year on its anniversary so that you can record its progression over time. The letterpress ink is a custom blend from British ink makers, Hawthorn, and rated above 5 on the Blue Wool Scale and rated at the level needed for artists.
Oak gall ink has been used as official record keeping ink for hundreds of years due to its permanence. We anticipate the botanical ink will change over time. Every precaution has been taken to slow this inevitable change, including pretreating the paper, and using UV-protective art glass for the framing. Still, we encourage you to take a photo of the work every year on its anniversary so that you can record its progression over time. The letterpress ink is a custom blend from British ink makers, Hawthorn, and rated above 5 on the Blue Wool Scale and rated at the level needed for artists.