A Ruddington-based artist is aiming to raise ten thousand pounds for two charities – following a project in his home studio which saw him produce 1,000 hand-made linocut prints in just ONE day!
Tristram Aver‘s “1,000 Native British Trees” is a fundraiser aiming to highlight the importance of woodland conservation, but also to show how spending time with nature benefits our health and wellbeing, especially those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In 2016, the artist’s daughter, who attends James Peacock School, was diagnosed with ASD. This project was born after her dad witnessed how the soothing environment of nature – including Ruddington’s own Rushcliffe Country Park – helped her cope with sensory overload; being with nature eased her calm, and helped her communicate more freely, whereas the city is a place of stress, noise, danger and disorientation.
“Our woodlands are at risk” says Tristram. “The U.K.’s landscape now contains one of Europe’s lowest proportions of woodland: just 13 percent. England is also running out of oak, and they are not being replaced. Taking part in nature-based activities helps people who are suffering from mental ill-health, and can contribute to a reduction in levels of anxiety, stress, and depression. It is estimated that at least 1 in 4 people will experience a ‘significant’ mental health problem per year. This is significantly higher for those who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), where anxiety disorders are very common.”
Linocut is a printmaking technique in which a sheet of linoleum (sometimes mounted on a wooden block) is used for a relief surface. You can see a speeded up film of Tristram in action creating some of the prints here:
All 1,000 prints were displayed at a special pop-up exhibition at Leicester Print Workshop last month – and are now available to buy for £10 just each. So far, Tristram has raised nearly £4,000 of his £10,000 fundraising target for Autism East Midlands and The Woodland Trust – which he hopes will help to highlight Autism awareness and issues of woodland conservation that underpin the design of the prints.
“These ‘tree’ prints are in fact an image of an explosion, set upon a bark-patterned textured background” explains the artist. “The explosion represents an overload or ‘meltdown’ that people with ASD can experience when things get too much, often due to the stresses of being in their immediate, over-stimulating environment. The silhouette of the explosion also looks like an old Oak or Ash, which simultaneously makes a comment about the destructive impact of humans upon the world. With the decreasing support and funding available for the families, carers and those with ASD, and the dwindling protection of our green spaces throughout the country, this is my way of contributing to and supporting the great work these organisations do.”
There are 5 different linocut designs to collect {above L-R}, representing Ash, Birch, Elm, Poplar and Oak. Tristram emphasises that all were made with environmentally friendly metallic inks and recycled papers – and suggests they could perhaps make a unique, last-minute, thoughtful and meaningful Christmas present or stocking-filler?
He is prepared to hand deliver any prints within Ruddington to save on postage charges – or you can buy them online directly from Tristram’s website >>HERE<<.
