Jenny Portlock
I am a wood engraver and linocut artist. I use box for my engravings as it is the hardest wood, and its exceptionally close grain enables me to carve very fine lines and detail.
I began using lino and then progressed to wood which is now my preferred medium. I print my engravings on a specially adapted etching press and lock up my blocks in a chase.
My inspiration is drawn from my own imagination and the subject matter is very eclectic. My design experience has helped me develop my ideas, and has given my engravings and linocuts a strong graphic quality. I greatly admire the ‘Ukiyoe’ (floating world) ideology of Japanese artists, with whom I’m regularly in touch. My images are often dreamlike and with a hidden meaning. I love rhythmical shapes and intricate detail. All my prints are editioned and are embossed with my own designed logo/imprint.
