SHONA BRANIGAN ARTIST PRINTMAKER

I am an artist printmaker, creating Tree prints, wood engravings, woodcuts and Drypoint.

I have an open studio in Grizedale Forest where you can watch me at work, buy original prints, and have-a-go yourself. I also offer tree printing workshops in Schools, Festivals, and Heritage locations around the UK

Printing Sycamore Gap: The Heartwood Exhibition

"I felt privileged to be commissioned by the National Trust to print Sycamore Gap, and I also felt a responsibility to do my best so that I could honour not only the tree itself but all the people who loved the tree too. As a north easterner I have known Sycamore Gap all my life and visited regularly, the tree was such a haven in the wild landscape. Now that the series of prints are complete, I am pleased and proud of my work. It's a testament to the tree, to the life of that tree and the lives of other trees to see, to work with it, to see its life, to appreciate it."

There are 5 prints in 4 locations along Hadrians Wall. Newcastle City Library, Hexham Abbey – which will host two prints - Housesteads visitor centre on Hadrian’s Wall and Carlisle Tourist Information Centre. All venues are publicly accessible and free to enter.
From 6th September they are all together in The Queens Hall in Hexham.

The making of the Sycamore Gap Print

Tree printing-connecting to trees

The first step is to create a printable surface from the rough wood. A light burn, brushed away to reveal a raised surface. I apply traditional inks- linseed oil and pigment the way they have been made for 100’s of years. The paper is laid on top of the inked surface and I begin the slow process of printing by hand. A bone folder tool so that I can reach every nuance of the surface. The paper becomes embossed with the 3D shape of the wood as well as the patterns of the different cells. Now you will be able to see -and feel with your fingers-the life of the tree.

New Giclee Prints

Printed onto Hahnemühle Photo Rag® which is one of the world’s most popular papers and the valued all-rounder for high-quality FineArt inkjet printing. Playing with colour and adding different backgrounds and the trees sing a new song.

Tree prints

All original hand burnished relief prints, some I then paint with watercolours.

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  • Review

    "Really love this print that was bought as a Xmas present for my husband which I also get to enjoy. It also feels special because I have seen Shona at work and I am aware of her skill and passion. I hope the story of this Yew will continue for hundreds of years to come." Michelle P

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Blog posts

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  • The Sycamore Gap Tree prints: Heartwood Exhibition

    The Sycamore Gap Tree prints: Heartwood Exhibition

    When I heard on the news that the tree had been felled, I felt so shocked and saddened. I didn't think about printing the tree until much later. I was...

    1 comment

    The Sycamore Gap Tree prints: Heartwood Exhibition

    When I heard on the news that the tree had been felled, I felt so shocked and saddened. I didn't think about printing the tree until much later. I was...

    1 comment
  • The Village Oak project

    The Village Oak project

    I was visiting a fellow tree enthusiast near Rockcliffe village just outside Carlisle, in 2023 when I found a mesmerising trunk of oak from a tree. Michael agreed to cut...

    The Village Oak project

    I was visiting a fellow tree enthusiast near Rockcliffe village just outside Carlisle, in 2023 when I found a mesmerising trunk of oak from a tree. Michael agreed to cut...

  • One Ash project

    One Ash project

    One Ash tree printed

    One Ash project

    One Ash tree printed

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Forestry England podcast

Bex heads to Grizedale Forest in Cumbria to meet Hazel Stone and Shona Branigan about art in the nation's forests. Hear how Grizedale became the country's first forest for sculpture, what inspires artists to work in forests, and listen to the digitally manipulated sound of tree rings.

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Drypoint prints

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Woodcut Prints

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