Meet the Maker: Courtney Arnold

Hello! I’m Courtney, a printmaker specialising in linocut. I live in a little town on the edge of Dartmoor, nestled between moorland, farmland and the exquisite River Dart.

The wonderful flora and fauna of these rugged and beautiful surroundings is my main inspiration. However, the odd print of my children by their request, materialises from time to time. 

 Where do you work?

 My studio is currently my kitchen. And some of my essential printmaking tools can be found there; from the glass shelves of my old fridge I use to roll ink on, to the large salad spoon I use to press my prints. I own a little make-do press, but there is nothing like a metal spoon to pick up the finer details of a linocut. 

What is your favourite printmaking product?

One essential product that doesn’t come from my kitchen that I would advise anyone interested in printmaking to use, are Cranfield Caligo Safe Wash Inks, they print smoothly, wash easily and once printed on good paper, last forever!

How long have you been printmaking and where did you learn?

I have been printing on and off for four-and-a-half years now, and I first learnt at the wonderful Dartington Printmakers as it was known then.

While having coffee one day with my mum in Dartington, ‘Off the Peg’ was taking place. It was a wonderful event where printmakers would hang their beautiful work from strings and pegs around the studio. I fell in love with the hand-carved detail of each print; and the vibrant, smooth colours - and I thought: "I’m doing this next year!’" And I did! Later I went on to attend workshops at the lovely Art House in South Brent. Still running today! 

'Skylark on Dartmoor'

What have you made that you are most proud of?

This would have to be my 'Skylark on Dartmoor' print. I started this when my youngest was a tiny baby, surviving on very little sleep. I needed to do something that made me, 'me' - not just a tired mum in a dressing gown. It took a long time but was so worth it to feel a sense of completion among the ongoing feeding and battle with laundry mountains created by a family of five.

Describe a typical day in your studio

 Well, the studio as mentioned before is my kitchen, the hub of the house! No day is really the same. Some days I am sat at my laptop organising upcoming workshops, events and newsletters. Other days I am carving a new print on lino or up to my eyes in ink and singeing my fingers from spoon pressing. (The spoon gets super-hot from all the rubbing). The inky days are the ones I love the best.

When I do settle down to work, I listen to the radio, have a hot cup of coffee and enjoy squeezing in as much work as is possible while the little one is napping or between pickups, drop offs and dog walks. This fragmented way of working often means I am working well into the night as so many others do when their children are little, but I still consider myself extremely lucky to be practising a craft I love.

Sometimes I envy the printmakers who can churn out prints in record time, but I must remind myself that my little interruptions to my printmaking won’t be so little soon, and so I try to have the best balance I can between family life and work. Hopefully, when they become bigger interruptions they will still need me from time to time too!

Where can we see your work? What do you sell?

 My prints and linocut workshops can be found in my online shop. Many updates and printmaking processes can the found on my Instagram @courtney_prints. 

During the Christmas season you can see my work at the brand new Brightedges Makers Market in Dartington Village, Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th November. You can also see my work in a beautiful pop-up shop run by @Ashburton.Artisans in Ashburton, Devon from 1st November to 28th December.

My framed prints can be found all year round at Sexton’s Gallery in the heart of Widecombe in the Moor.

What will we be seeing from you next?

I am currently working on a variety of gift cards to sell both wholesale and in my online shop. It will be strange not making each card by hand as I have done in the past, but it is impossible for me to make enough cards to go round now with just me printing them.

 What advice would you give other printmakers and creatives?

Have a go! I feel very passionate in letting people know that everyone can print, even if they have tried before and it was a total disaster. There are tips and tricks that help everyone to become a half decent printmaker, and it doesn’t have to cost the earth! And if you make a mistake, well it is all part of the process. I cannot begin to list the number of balls ups I have made while printmaking - but each one has made me a better printmaker.

Making with your bare hands and leaving behind the screens and computers, is so important to do. We encourage our kids to get creative, get messy and allow themselves to make mistakes and we forget to make time to do it ourselves.

So, even if it is once or twice a month, take some time to have a go at either printmaking or being creative in some way!

Follow Courtney on Instagram or head to her website to find out more about her work.