Rain Dancer
Rain Dancing is a universal ceremony, practised through the ages across cultures.
I can’t dance… so my call to the rain is the artwork itself.
Rain Dancer has required all my experience as a printmaker to date. I am extremely proud of it. Pulling back the paper after investing so much effort is always an exciting and, frankly, nerve-racking experience. To see how my vision meets reality through the alchemy of printmaking. It’s a feeling I love, and when I first revealed Rain Dancer, I at once smiled and let out a huge sigh of relief.
This summer, it's impossible to ignore the images of forests burning and landscapes scorched. Fire has always been part of nature's rhythm, but its increasing intensity and frequency feel like something altogether different.
Rain has always fascinated me. Perhaps because, in Britain especially, it carries such a peculiar reputation. If someone asks how the weather is, we answer with a feeling.
"It's miserable." It must be raining.
"It's glorious." The sun must be shining.
As a Pluviophile, someone who genuinely loves the rain, I’ve always found this association somewhat unfair. Rain has been cast as the villain, when in truth it is every bit as essential as sunshine. Both are fundamental to life on Earth.
Yes, rain can be inconvenient. But no more so, perhaps, than an unforgiving summer's day.
I wonder whether, as our world continues to warm, our relationship with rain will begin to change. Whether we'll come to greet it not as an interruption, but as a gift.
Cultures across the world have been calling for rain for thousands of years. While researching this piece, I was particularly drawn to an old Slavic tradition.
A rain dancer would be chosen by the village and adorned with branches and fresh leaves, often from oak, beech, birch and hazel trees. They would then be soaked with precious water before dancing through the village, singing songs that called upon the skies to bring rain.
There's something profoundly hopeful about that. A community gathering in an act of hope.
Rain Dancer was born from that feeling.
It's a tribute to those who stand against the flames, but equally to those who continue to hope and to call for the rain. To the people who understand that water is not simply weather; it is life itself.
Etching - Edition of 30
Plate Size : 150mm x 210mm (5.9” x 4.7”)
Paper Size : 210mm x 300mm (8” x 12”)
Paper : Velin D’Arches 400 gsm
Each etching is hand-printed from the copper plate, signed, titled, and numbered, accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
-
Rain Dancer
Rain Dancing is a universal ceremony, practised through the ages across cultures.
I can’t dance… so my call to the rain is the artwork itself.
Rain Dancer has required all my experience as a printmaker to date. I am extremely proud of it. Pulling back the paper after investing so much effort is always an exciting and, frankly, nerve-racking experience. To see how my vision meets reality through the alchemy of printmaking. It’s a feeling I love, and when I first revealed Rain Dancer, I at once smiled and let out a huge sigh of relief.
This summer, it's impossible to ignore the images of forests burning and landscapes scorched. Fire has always been part of nature's rhythm, but its increasing intensity and frequency feel like something altogether different.
Rain has always fascinated me. Perhaps because, in Britain especially, it carries such a peculiar reputation. If someone asks how the weather is, we answer with a feeling.
"It's miserable." It must be raining.
"It's glorious." The sun must be shining.
As a Pluviophile, someone who genuinely loves the rain, I’ve always found this association somewhat unfair. Rain has been cast as the villain, when in truth it is every bit as essential as sunshine. Both are fundamental to life on Earth.
Yes, rain can be inconvenient. But no more so, perhaps, than an unforgiving summer's day.
I wonder whether, as our world continues to warm, our relationship with rain will begin to change. Whether we'll come to greet it not as an interruption, but as a gift.
Cultures across the world have been calling for rain for thousands of years. While researching this piece, I was particularly drawn to an old Slavic tradition.
A rain dancer would be chosen by the village and adorned with branches and fresh leaves, often from oak, beech, birch and hazel trees. They would then be soaked with precious water before dancing through the village, singing songs that called upon the skies to bring rain.
There's something profoundly hopeful about that. A community gathering in an act of hope.
Rain Dancer was born from that feeling.
It's a tribute to those who stand against the flames, but equally to those who continue to hope and to call for the rain. To the people who understand that water is not simply weather; it is life itself.
Etching - Edition of 30
Plate Size : 150mm x 210mm (5.9” x 4.7”)
Paper Size : 210mm x 300mm (8” x 12”)
Paper : Velin D’Arches 400 gsm
Each etching is hand-printed from the copper plate, signed, titled, and numbered, accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
-
