WHAT THIS ARTIST DOES ALL DAY...

Michael Atkin

Summer is in fill swing and with it comes a new exhibition here at Masham Gallery. A Particular Place runs from now until 8th September and celebrates Mashamshire. The Exhibition brings together ten artists, including Michael Atkin, whom over the past year have walked the streets, wandered the woodlands - sketchbooks in hand to capture this place we call home.

​Michael's work depicts quiet corners of Mashamshire  - and the famous Druid's Temple folly. He has created a wood engraving and 2 etchings with aquatint for this show. We thought we'd shine the spotlight on Michael this month in our (fairly!) regular What this artist does all day feature. 

Michael's Albion platen press, with another Columbian press in the background, just two of his five printing presses that he owns.

MG: When does your working day start and end?
MA: I’m an early riser, so my day starts anytime from 5.30 a.m. depending on what I’m intending to do. As I work in three different print mediums, etching, lino prints and wood engravings, I often have several images on the go at any one time. Yesterday, I had printed the first background colour for a lino print, which thankfully had dried, so today a second layer of ink will be overplayed, and will take longer to dry. So first job of the day being to print the second colour, usually 35 copies which are hung up for drying.
I'll then go to my etching workshop, where I'll immerse the etching plate I'm working on into the solution for 10 seconds, on third bite into the aquatint, wash and dry the plate and paint out the section I want to remain this tone. Next I'll cut the next block for the Lino print.

MG: How about the end of your day?
MA: Evenings are spent in the house where I have a table for cutting wood engravings, which are small (in comparison to other mediums) and take far longer to cut. I often have three or four different wood engravings ion the go at the same time. When I’m not working on my own images I print for other artists/institutions who require editions to be printed, either wood-cuts or etchings or engravings.

Druids Temple, Etching and aquatint Limited edition

'Towards Healey' Limited Edition wood engraving

MG: When/how do you take breaks?
MA: Decaff coffee is the staple drink, as and when I need them, breaks occur between processes. Whilst waiting for stop out varnish to dry, or cooling the plate after laying an aquatint. Ink to dry, there are many times I take a break, including when I need to walk Bob our dog.

MG: What is your favourite kind of day as an artist?
MA: Working on three or four images at the same time, often three etchings and two Lino prints along with four or more wood engravings.

MG: What marks a successful day?
MA: When the bite on the plate is good, or the ink layer for a Lino cut prints well, or even a trail proof from a wood engraving shows promise.

MG: Where do you find inspiration?
MA: Just about everywhere, many of my images are sourced from expeditions into the surrounding countryside. For example, I've been inspired by our village and am embarking on a project to produce a book about interesting houses within the village, hopefully with a comprehensive historical history of the houses concerned. Another book about ‘A treasure hunt’, especially for my grandchildren, all four of them. Another long time project being an Alphabet of dogs.

I'm also inspired by other artists including Eric Ravilious, Stanley Spencer, Paul Nash, Gertrude Hermes, Tirzah Garwood.

Towards Healey, Wood Engraving, limited edition of 50 by Michael Atkin.

MG: When is your favourite time of day to create?
MA: There isn’t a particular time of day as I’m involved with image making every day, I often have ideas whilst woking on an image of another, then the difficult bit, finding a location that fits the narrative I want to portray.

MG: What couldn’t you live without in your studio?
MA: The four antique printing presses from the 19th century that I own, and my Rochat etching press [seen below], which I had made for me in 1976.

Michael with his Harry Rochat etching press in his second studio which is used for etching only.

Limekiln Lane Etching and aquatint limited edition

MG: Thank you so much for sharing your daily work life with us Michael.

​Do check out Michael's work in our latest A Particular Place exhibition.

Michael Atkin's works for sale