Michael Gage

I have been trying to explore the themes of my recent paintings (combining landscape and abstraction) in some linocuts. I've already done one linocut using elements of the landscape.

Now I've taken this a bit further. This print extracts basic elements such as a horizon, hills, paths, sun (moon?), grass, and field patterns, and then recombines them. The aim is to create an image that is recognisably a landscape, but not a specific place.



Two stage reduction linocut, 10 x 10cm approx.

I think I like the way this has turned out. As mentioned in some earlier posts, I'm slowly learning to use the white of the paper as an important part of the design.

Here's another recent painting, based on the patterns to be found in the landscape.



Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 50cm.

The inspiration for this is the Iron Age fort on the summit of Mount Caburn near Lewes. At the top right of the picture is the outline of the fortifications is at the top right; then paths and groups of trees follow down the hill to the A27 and fields at the bottom. I like the combination of a feature that has been in the landscape for thousands of years with the new road, which has been recently remade.

Have you ever looked at potatoes? Looked at them properly?



Acrylic on canvas, 15 x 15 cm.

After trying to simplify the elements of the landscape in my paintings, and producing some quite abstract images, I wanted to see if I could put that idea of simplicity into a realistic image.

So I chose to paint the most humble thing I could find: a potato.



Acrylic on canvas, 15 x 15 cm.

Another painting in the series of simplifying the landscape.



"Farm". Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 50 cm.

This one is loosely based on the fields round a farm near Lewes, and the road leading to it. Not that that matters: the idea here is to create an image on the balancing point between representational and abstract. I've tipped up the landscape, so that the horizon (and the sky) has disappeared, to show the patterns of the natural elements of fields and trees and earth, integrated with the manmade elements of building and hedges and roads.

On the one hand, this is a fairly realistic representation of the fields around this farm; at the same time, they create an abstract pattern: one which you probably couldn't produce if you just sourced it from your imagination.

Here's the first of the paintings that will be in my exhibition at the Hop Gallery, Lewes 13 - 25 March.



Harbour. Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 50 cm.

Still working towards simplifying the landscape. As you might notice, the picture has changed dramatically from the early stages. Actually, it's changed so much, I can't remember which of those three paintings is underneath this final version.

Managed to do a print using only two colours*. It's hard work trying to recognise that you don't need to capture every nuance of shade and light, or every detail of what you're drawing. Sometimes, the image is stronger for what you leave out.

*Arguably, it's three colours, because the white of the paper is an important part of the design.



Two stage reduction linocut, 10 x 10cm. With apologies for the punning title.