Inspired by the Spine Race
I was proud to be commissioned to produce a linocut print to be presented to ultra runner Shelli Gordon. She has made a film called “Through the pain” about her completion of the epic 368 mile Spine Race last year to raise money for the charity CALM (The Campaign Against Living Miserably) . She raised £34,000 and continues to raise awareness about male suicide, having tragically lost her partner and a number of male friends to it. The figures are pretty sobering and her work is opening people’s eyes all over the UK.
The grid shows some of the steps from sketch to lino block. I can actually see the sun rise over the Cheviots from my village, and that was the starting point. I watched videos of the Spine Race and tried to create something which conveyed a feeling of hope while using parts of the route. The dove and the stars represent hope and peace which are both the end of the race and the mental strength it took to complete.