'Walden in Winter' celebrates our beautiful town of Saffron Walden and its surrounding area through the eyes of some of our fantastic local printmakers who call this place home.

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Historically, this area has been a creative hub for artists. The Bardfield artists being a prime example and printmaking in particular was often a focus for many - Edward Bawden, Michael Rothenstein, Sheila Robinson, Chloe Cheese to name a few.

That rich history has become a source of inspiration for artists today, which is undoubtedly a reason why so many artists continue to be drawn to this area. We are also lucky enough to have the Curwen Print Study Centre nearby, providing a space to learn from some established and renowned artists and  where many of the artists in this exhibition have discovered and refined their printmaking skills.

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This exhibition not only pays tribute to our town but also the current generation of artists who reside here and the wonderfully versatile and experimental medium of printmaking.

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David Hardwidge

David lives and works in Saffron Walden, working mainly in Linocuts, his passion for wildlife and landscape is reflected in the pared back graphic nature of his work.

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Dawn Adams

Dawn completed an apprenticeship in printing in the 1980’s in letterpress and offset lithography, and after a long break from the industry, returned to printmaking via the Curwen Print Study Centre Certificate course. Before retiring Dawn enjoyed many years as a school art technician, the highlight of which was helping students discover the joys of creating their own original prints.​

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Jessica Pearce

In 2022 Jessica joined the Curwen Print Study Centre in Thurlow as a member, reviving her passion for printmaking. She prefers to mix printmaking techniques like embossing, lino printing and mono printing, creating small variable editions. Jessica likes to recycle materials from her kitchen like salmon foil cards and Tetra Paks to create intaglio prints.

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​John Colliety

John studied paper conservation at Camberwell School of Art in the 1980s and as part of his course he tried various styles of printmaking. 20 years ago he returned to making linocuts  and works at St Barnabas Press studios in Cambridge, inspired by the linocuts of the mid 20th century. Now retired, John's is dedicating more of his time to printmaking. He previously worked as a postman, where he often found inspiration in the nature he saw in rural Essex on his rounds and as a nod to his day job he frequently titled his work with a postcode.

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Liz Hartley

Liz grew up in the Fens and her prints often have the wide open skies typical of East Anglia or watery reflections of its many dykes and waterways.  After a number of short courses in linocut she pursued her passion for printmaking by undertaking a year-long course at the Curwen Print Study Centre. She was awarded an Advanced Certificate in Printmaking in 2022, and set up her studio shortly afterwards. She has exhibited widely in East Anglia and London.

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Roz Howling

Roz's work embodies two streams, both interconnected. The first being landscapes and nature and the second is an emotional response to the threat nature faces from climate change and government policy. These come together in her printmaking, combining layers with colour and mark making. As a child Roz carried the Dawling Kinsley book of trees around everywhere and was fascinated to the point of obsessed. As an adult, she carries a sketchbook and camera around capturing trees everywhere, still fascinated and still obsessed.

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Sue Jones

Sue Jones is an Artist, Painter, Printmaker, Tutor, Consultant, and founder organiser of the Cambridge Original Printmakers Biennale. Sue harnesses many printmaking techniques to create multi-layered monotypes, striving to capture the fragility, strength, emotion and drama of the landscape, infusing mystery, vitality, colour and space. Sue is always observing landscape, environment, and weather. Sketching, photographing and soaking up the colours, atmosphere and presence of place to imbue in her work.​​