Welcome

Based in Shrewsbury, Mike is a printmaker, graphic designer and illustrator whose work bridges nature, community and imagination. With a background in wildlife and architectural illustration, his current passion lies in printing, particularly linocuts and etching, always exploring fresh ways to blend bold shapes, colour and narrative.

Featured Artwork

FLIRTING WITH FUNGI!

I've been busy with a couple of fungi prints. My aim was to draw you in, as if you're exploring the forest floor.

There are so many shapes and sizes of these magnificent, mysterious mycelium and I hope I've captured some of their essence. You might recognise some of the species but for the most part, they are inspired by nature, rather than illustrative.

I've used a multiblock technique for these which means there are three pieces of lino for each print: a lighter base colour, selectively coloured mid layer and black keyline to finish off. They are hand-printed on to 51gsm Awagami Select paper which has a natural warm tone and takes the ink really well.

Each design took about 90 hours from sketch to finished piece.

Medium: Multiblock linocut print
Edition: 12 of each
Dimensions: 30x30cm

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About MA Creative

Mike is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Shrewsbury since 1993. Creative from a very early age, he studied illustration at Portsmouth College of Art & Design. Mike turned his attention to linocut printing a few years ago and has since tried a wider range of printmaking techniques.

Linocut printing lends itself very comfortably with Mike’s approach to imagery. He uses strong colour and shape to create his quirky, individual style. A strong compositional awareness creates a journey through the picture, inspired by, rather than depicting a specific scene. Much of his imagery is based on nature and landscape, developed from a long interest in the natural environment. He regularly adds a human element to the picture, enabling engagement with the viewer and contrasting with the countryside scenes.

When Mike is not printing he runs a successful graphic design business – MA Creative. He specialises in projects for environmental organisations, arts projects and community groups.

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