Tom Davidson (Printmaking)

Tom Davidson is a local artist who studied graphic design before setting his sights on printmaking.  Most all of his work uses lino cutting.  Unlike most lino cuts I have seen before, Davidson's prints are wonderfully vibrant and yet realistic.  This is honestly not something I expected to see from Lino printing, Davidson greatly expanding my understanding of what the medium is cable of.

Light, Ripples and Reflections is a landscape of a rural area.  The greens and blues used really pop and look vibrant, drawing the eye.  From afar, this image looks like a photographic.  It's only up close that you can see the very graphic nature of this, synonymous with lino cutting.  His use of colour is what amazes me the most.  The colours used are relatively simple, and they they work so well with the shape of the print itself.

Sunlit Winter River is another brilliant use of colour.  This time using complementary colours, with oranges and blues, this image shows a cool winter morning over a river.  How Davidson manages to capture water so well in his work amazes me.  And again, I feel you'd need to be very close to this work to actually understand how he's achieved such a look with printing.  If not for the white markings on the rapid water, this to me looks almost photo realistic.

Davidson's work really has left me in awe.  I never believed accuracy like this could be achieved through lino printing alone.  The colours put life into his work, adding a new vibrant dimension.  It's evident Davidson has become a master of his craft.