Set Fears to Flight represents a moment of realisation, that the strength we need isn’t found, but carried within, emerging to meet the challenges we all face in life.
Rooted in a moment of hope, this artwork remains one of the most personal, technically demanding and largest etchings I have ever created. Without question, it is my favourite work from the book Firefly.
Set Fears to Flight takes its title from words by the extraordinary Robert Macfarlane. I can't take credit for the phrase itself, it first appeared in the draft text for Firefly, a book that myself & Rob have created together.
I still remember reading those words on a crowded train home from London. At the time, our family was navigating a particularly difficult period, and I was carrying a great deal of anxiety. When I reached the words Set Fears to Flight, everything seemed to pause and tears came.
It felt less like a sentence on the page and more like a call to action.
Those words quietened something inside me. I knew then that the book would pivot around that moment and the artwork it inspired.
This piece is particularly unique, in that I actually began this etching at the very start of the book, but quickly realised I didn't yet have the technical skills to fulfil my vision. So I put the copper plate away in my plan chest, where it remained for the entire creation of the book.
Only after finishing all the other etching for Firefly did I return to it, as the final piece.
By then, months of intensive printmaking had taught me what I needed to know. I approached the plate again with fresh eyes and a healthy helping of hope. When I finally pulled the first print from the press, I felt an enormous sense of relief. Printmaking is always an act of faith, you invest countless hours into a plate without ever truly knowing what will emerge until the paper is lifted away.
I'm incredibly grateful that this one became everything I had hoped and more.
-
As part of this release, I'd also like to include something rather special.
Each of the first 10 collectors will receive a signed copy of Firefly, personally signed by both myself and Robert Macfarlane, to accompany their etching.
The book and the artwork have always belonged together. One simply wouldn't exist without the other.
A copy of every book published in the UK is preserved by the British Library for future generations. I love the thought that Firefly now forms a tiny part of that national collection.
To be able to own not only one of the original etchings from the project, but also a signed copy of the book from which it grew, feels like a fitting way to celebrate this body of work. My hope is that together they become something that you and your family will treasure for many generations to come.
-
Copper Point Etching - Edition of 30
Plate Size : 405 mm x 305 mm (16” x 12”)
Paper Size : 590 mm x 430 mm (23.2” x 16.9”)
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.
Set Fears to Flight represents a moment of realisation, that the strength we need isn’t found, but carried within, emerging to meet the challenges we all face in life.
Rooted in a moment of hope, this artwork remains one of the most personal, technically demanding and largest etchings I have ever created. Without question, it is my favourite work from the book Firefly.
Set Fears to Flight takes its title from words by the extraordinary Robert Macfarlane. I can't take credit for the phrase itself, it first appeared in the draft text for Firefly, a book that myself & Rob have created together.
I still remember reading those words on a crowded train home from London. At the time, our family was navigating a particularly difficult period, and I was carrying a great deal of anxiety. When I reached the words Set Fears to Flight, everything seemed to pause and tears came.
It felt less like a sentence on the page and more like a call to action.
Those words quietened something inside me. I knew then that the book would pivot around that moment and the artwork it inspired.
This piece is particularly unique, in that I actually began this etching at the very start of the book, but quickly realised I didn't yet have the technical skills to fulfil my vision. So I put the copper plate away in my plan chest, where it remained for the entire creation of the book.
Only after finishing all the other etching for Firefly did I return to it, as the final piece.
By then, months of intensive printmaking had taught me what I needed to know. I approached the plate again with fresh eyes and a healthy helping of hope. When I finally pulled the first print from the press, I felt an enormous sense of relief. Printmaking is always an act of faith, you invest countless hours into a plate without ever truly knowing what will emerge until the paper is lifted away.
I'm incredibly grateful that this one became everything I had hoped and more.
-
As part of this release, I'd also like to include something rather special.
Each of the first 10 collectors will receive a signed copy of Firefly, personally signed by both myself and Robert Macfarlane, to accompany their etching.
The book and the artwork have always belonged together. One simply wouldn't exist without the other.
A copy of every book published in the UK is preserved by the British Library for future generations. I love the thought that Firefly now forms a tiny part of that national collection.
To be able to own not only one of the original etchings from the project, but also a signed copy of the book from which it grew, feels like a fitting way to celebrate this body of work. My hope is that together they become something that you and your family will treasure for many generations to come.
-
Copper Point Etching - Edition of 30
Plate Size : 405 mm x 305 mm (16” x 12”)
Paper Size : 590 mm x 430 mm (23.2” x 16.9”)
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.
