By Mary Ann Rogers
With the summer exhibition here at Mary Ann Rogers Gallery underway, there is a huge sense of achievement, to see all the paintings from the first half of the year framed and up on the walls. The four new prints , always a big decision, are also framed and looking good.
One cannot underestimate the amount of work and thought which goes into the production of new prints. First and foremost, the paintings need to be created as a direct result of inspiration, mostly from the landscape and wildlife of the surrounding garden, fields and hills. The decision to publish a painting as a limited edition print is major, and involves several steps, involving highly skilled and dedicated people to scan the painting and make a true to life digital file, which then passes to the fine art printing team.
The process I use is called offset lithography, which is a tried and tested, traditional method involving computer to plate to roller. Four separate aluminium sheets carry the four colours which make up the full range – cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black), which each pass over the roller which is laden with the coloured ink – a heavy ‘paste’ which is smeared onto the roller and spread across. The blankets and rollers need to be thoroughly cleaned inbetween each colour, and the paper needs to be laid in a series of wire racks to dry before the next colour is applied. It’s a highly skilled, time consuming job, but produces prints which are identical and uses lightfast inks and acid free paper. The process is very costly upfront, as the entire edition of 200 is made in one go.
Once the printing process is complete, and the edition is complete, the artist traditionally destroys the plates, ensuring that no unauthorised prints will ever be made.
Over the (many) years since I published the very first edition of prints, I can honestly say there have been very few which have not gone on to be popular and sell well. Many editions have sold out completely, which, given that the edition size was 500 up until the last ten years, is astonishing. Nowadays, my editions are 200, this is a manageable number, and means the word ‘limited’ is exactly that.
When I decided to go down this route, I took advice from older, more experienced artists as well as evaluating things for myself. I felt that if I published my own art myself, I would remain in control as opposed to being published by a fine art publishing house, who would undertake the whole process, pay for the scanning and printing, then distribute the prints through their own avenues- galleries and frame shops up and down the country, as well as overseas. It became apparent that artists would be frequently ‘spotted’ by publishers, who would then produce and sell prints, often with contracts where artists were obliged to produce paintings on quite a punishing schedule, and turn up all over the country for personal signings and photoshoots. I noticed that once these artists were no longer in favour, or their work was not ‘fashionable’ they would be simply set adrift, but not permitted to approach certain galleries etc, and picking up the pieces of their careers without the backing of a publishing house has seen many artists forced to change career.
Deciding to ‘self-publish’ turned out to be a good move. I believe the only person with a long term interest in my career is me. It has been the harder road, but the rewards have been worth it, and I have no regrets about turning down offers from all the major fine art publishing houses over the years.
One of my career highlights was receiving the ‘best selling published artist’ award from the Fine Art Trade Guild. Never before won by a self-publishing artist. This was a huge achievement which I was very proud of.
Most years I produce 2-4 new prints. This year, I found myself obsessed with the momentum of spring- such an exciting season when bare trees, bare earth, ice cold and short days seems to burst into a rapid change, with the ground giving way to delicate daffodils which our guinea fowl and ducks wander among, and the wild hare dashes through.
Visit Mary Ann Rogers Gallery, West Woodburn, Hexham NE48 2SE
Open Tues, Thurs, Fri 10-4 – Sundays 2-5
07967 550772 – www.marogers.com
