A wood engraving on Lemonwood, hand printed on an antique Albion press on 150 gsm Zerkall ENE V paper with Hawthorns Dense Black Ink.
Edition size: 100 (plus 10 no. artist’s proof)
Image size: 120 x 120 mm approx.
Paper size: 172 x 186 mm
Price: £100 (sold unmounted)
Selected for the Society of Wood Engravers 88th Annual Exhibition 2026 (see my News page for more details).
My largest wood engraving so far has been a long time in the making, having started engraving in February 2024 and at last I began editioning in May! It’s a very intricate and detailed engraving requiring a lot of concentration to engrave without making a mistake! And hence the length of time it’s taken is not really that surprising.
The Needles Lighthouse was built in 1859 and automated in 1994 and marks the western end of the Isle of Wight and the entrance to the Solent. The lighthouse has special significance for me as it also marks the start of many exciting sailing adventures. I have long been fascinated by the pattern of formations that diagonally cross the three chalk stacks of the Needles and the cliffs behind and thought that they and the lighthouse would make a interesting and challenging subject for a wood engraving!
The lighthouse is not really that tall, being only 24m above sea level and it is the chalk cliffs that you see first when sailing across the Channel. But it is the dramatic setting, enhanced by the contrast of the shimmering white chalk ‘needles’ with the lighthouse’s red painted bands and light structure (topped with a helipad) that makes the lighthouse so distinctive.
Update September 2025 – I have now updated the image with a much better scan!
Kay A Brown 