Prints on Wood
In 2017 I began screen printing on wood. This came shortly after moving the studio south of the river and starting to print at Thames-side Print Studio. At the time, I was increasingly frustrated by the cost and inevitability of framing paper prints. I was also envious of painters — the immediacy of their work, the fact that it could go straight on the wall. I wanted a different presentation for my own work, something that didn’t rely on a frame to feel finished.
Wood felt like a natural step. Plywood was the most straightforward way in: flat, stable, and well suited to water-based screen printing. At the same time, each sheet carried its own grain and structure, giving every print in an edition a distinct character. The image remained consistent, but the material ensured that no two works were identical.
As the series developed, I began experimenting with surface finishes. I moved through varnishes before eventually settling on epoxy resin. The resin sealed the surface and gave the prints a deep, glossy finish, enhancing both the printed image and the natural patterns in the wood grain. The result was something closer to an object than a traditional print — heavier, more physical, and complete without framing.
Below is a likely incomplete record of the works I produced on wood during this period. If I’ve missed something, let me know.
In typical fashion I started with a big one. I spray painted the wood black, with a yellow edge first and then screen printed the image on, there is no varnish or extra finish on these.
Kyoto Silhouettes. Screen print on 15mm hardwood ply. 60 x 90 cm. Edition of 9. 2017.
Next up was this version of my popular Berlin print, a simple two colour screen print finished with a screen printed varnish on top. I painted the edges on these black.
Berlin. Screen print on 15mm hardwood ply. 60 x 90 cm. Edition of 4. 2017.
Next came this varied edition based on my Eastbound Again print on paper. I had experimented with varied editions with my iPhone prints but this was the first time on wood. Most of these were finished with a varnish but later at least a couple of them had an epoxy resin finish.
Eastbound Again. Screen print on 15mm hardwood ply. 60 x 90 cm. Varied edition of 6. 2018.
Next up this big print of Circus Liquor that would become the first print from series featuring mid century diners and neon signs in Los Angeles. Again some of these went out with a varnish finish and the later ones received the epoxy resin treatment.
Circus Liquor. Screen print on 15mm hardwood ply. 60 x 90 cm. Edition of 4. 2018.
This version of the Berlin illustration was the first at 40 x 60 cm which became a standard size I used for a lot of the wooden prints going forward. Pictured here at Roy's Art Fair in the Barge House April 2018.
Berlin Sketch. Screen print on 6mm birch ply. 40 x 60 cm. Varied edition of 10. 2018.
Norm's was the next LA print off the press and the first print on wood that I made with the intention of finishing with resin. Inspired by Ed Ruscha's painting of the same diner this is one of my favourites.
Norms. Screen print on 12mm birch ply. 45 x 45 cm. Edition of 5. 2018.
Now I had the formula down I started to make lots of these resined prints on wood. This is my display at The Other Art Fair Brooklyn in November of 2018. I can't remember the exact order they were made.
Trellick Top. Screen print on 12mm birch ply with epoxy resin finish. 45 x 45 cm. Edition of 12. 2018.
Chrysler Top. Screen print on 12mm birch ply with epoxy resin finish. 45 x 45 cm. Edition of 12. 2018.
Brooklyn Water Tower. Screen print on 12mm birch ply with epoxy resin finish. 45 x 45 cm. Edition of 12. 2018.
Downtown Light. Screen print on 12mm birch ply with epoxy resin finish. 40 x 60 cm. Edition of 12. 2018.
Circus Liquor. Screen print on 12mm birch ply with epoxy resin finish. 40 x 60 cm. Edition of 12. 2018.
Eastbound Again. Screen print on 12mm birch ply with epoxy resin finish. 40 x 60 cm. Edition of 12. 2018.
Berlin Sketch. Screen print on 12mm birch ply with epoxy resin finish. 40 x 60 cm. Edition of 12. 2018.
Wall St. Screen print on 12mm birch ply with epoxy resin finish. 40 x 60 cm. Edition of 12. 2018.
Also made as at 60 x 90cm in an edition of 5. 2018.
Onto 2019 and 'On The Waterfront' which is my favourite of the prints on wood and in my opinion one of the best editions I've ever produced. Taken from a series of pictures I took in Brooklyn when showing at The Other Art Fair this piece captures the life on the river with the Manhattan skyline in the background.
Produced in two sizes the larger one pictured above and the smaller below.
On The Waterfront. Screen print on 12mm hardwood ply with epoxy resin finish. 150 x 60 cm. Edition of 5. 2019. Above
On the Waterfront. Screen print on 12mm hardwood ply with epoxy resin finish. 100 x 45 cm. Edition of 5. 2019. Below picture at The Other Art Fair Brooklyn Nov 2019.
Pann's. Screen print and Epoxy resin on 12mm birch ply. 45 x 45 cm. Edition of 10. 2019.
Bob's. Screen print and epoxy resin on birch plywood. 40 x 60 cm. Edition of 12. 2019.
Circus Liquor. Screen print and epoxy resin on hardwood ply. 100 x 60 cm. Edition of 5. 2019.
2020 and COVID is here, the art fair world stops turning, I'm lucky enough to have a private commission to document the planes on the runway at Heathrow. I spent a lot of time on these, these were screen printed on large sheets of OSB and CNC cut to size before having the laminate edging applied. Another collection of work I'm very proud of.
On The Runway #1-#4. Screen print and epoxy resin on OSB. 120 x 40 cm. Editions of 3. 2020.
A small study of a street scene in Kyoto from 2021.
Kyoto street scene. Screen print on 12mm hardwood ply. 20 x 40 cm. Edition of 5. 2021.
Lastly we have this interior view of the pool table at the Birds Nest in Deptford.
Dive Bar Pool. Screen print on 12mm birch plywood. 100 x 80 cm. Edition of 3. 2023.