Grace Owens

The wind struck me immediately as I started the walk along my section of Hadrian’s Wall, I felt as if my dog and I would blow away. As I wandered along, I could not help but think that the wind provided a connection with those people who built and used the wall all those years ago. The wall stood as a barrier against the oncoming gusts and we hid on the other side of the stones, as they must have.

I made sketches and took photos, but I knew my print would need to reflect this connection. I wanted the wind to dominate my image, so I used the features of the landscape, the image of my dog and the medium of linocut to provide the marks and lines which would convey this. I carved out the lino, relying on the accidental marks which lino always brings to create the suggestion of movement, of wind.