Walking Moss and Cass at Allen Banks in June this year I noticed a large yew Tree trunk lying near the gate of the field. It had fallen across the river Allen, and was then dragged across river, dismembered and left ready for collection. The National Trust ranger, Mike who had cut the 190 Year Old oak for me last year, thought he would be able to get me a round of this Yew. A couple of days later I went to Haltwhistle to collect the most exciting round of yew- its huge!
It took a lot of sanding to prepare a surface which may be printable.
Lots of sanding later..
Ready for burning with my blow torch and then wire brushing all the ash and soot away.
It's such a large piece, I print it by putting it onto my wheelbarrow and then I can wheel myself around the Yew as I go. It's hard work and it's easy to end up with back pain if I have to lean too far over.
The paper is weighed down with weights so it doesn't move and then I am ready to hand burnish every millimetre of it.
I recently returned to see what was left of the tree stump and found a piece of stone. Talking to the ranger he told me that it is actually a stone grass roller which would have bene used up the bank from the tree to smooth the lawns of Ridley Hall. I wonder what the story is?
