Woodcut Paintings

Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination. In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams Drawing Award at the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. Known as the UK’s most prestigious annual open exhibition for drawing; part of the prize is a solo show at Hastings Contemporary, scheduled for 2024. Whilst Isabel always has a tale to tell for each of her images, you may or may not choose to go on the journey with her or you may indeed have a different story, one of your own that jumps off the page at you, that that you decide to follow. Artwork Details: Porthole to Another Dimension, 168x153cm, woodblock print, acrylic ink, acrylic paint, 2020 * Please note this artwork is on two separate pieces of paper that have been joined together. The join is not obvious when looking at the work. At the time Isabel was desperate to make the piece but did not have a large enough piece of paper in the studio, so she joined two together. Artwork Provenance: from the Artist Studio photo credits, Isabel working, black and white shots, James Brown In Isabels own words: Porthole to Another Dimension The legend said, that down by the river, beneath the purple hills, where the black iris...

Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination. In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams Drawing Award at the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. Known as the UK’s most prestigious annual open exhibition for drawing; part of the prize is a solo show at Hastings Contemporary, scheduled for 2024. Whilst Isabel always has a tale to tell for each of her images, you may or may not choose to go on the journey with her or you may indeed have a different story, one of your own that jumps off the page at you, that that you decide to follow. Artwork Details: Isabel Rock , 'Maud' 200 x 107cm, collaged woodblock print and acrylic ink on 410gsm Somerset Satin paper. *Please note we are happy to ship this work rolled in an art tube. Whilst the work is on heavy duty art paper and mixed media, the artist is happy that the painting will be fine rolled in a tube. This is a more cost effective and environmentally sound method of shipping. Shipping via this method is free In Rock's own words, Maud 'Maud was a legend in the city. A legend that walked the streets and lived and breathed in the minds of the townsfolk so strongly that no one was sure any more if she was real or not.  The tap...

Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative take...

Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination. In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams Drawing Award at the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. Known as the UK’s most prestigious annual open exhibition for drawing; part of the prize is a solo show at Hastings Contemporary, scheduled for 2024. Whilst Isabel always has a tale to tell for each of her images, you may or may not choose to go on the journey with her or you may indeed have a different story, one of your own that jumps off the page at you, that that you decide to follow. Artwork Details: Isabel Rock , 'Staring at the Sun' 99.7 x 70.2cm, collaged woodblock print and acrylic ink on 410gsm Somerset Satin paper, 2011 In Isabels own words; 'Staring at the Sun' The man stood on the mountain and stared at the golden sun. The sun stared back at him, its heat blazed and burnt his eyes, the birds sang a maddening tune like they were pecking at his eardrums. The man pointed his finger and shouted, ' you lied to me' at the sun. The sun laughed and said 'you wanted to believe me. I told you what you had already decided in your head to be the most convenient thing for you.' The man raged and hopped in what looked to the birds like a beautiful dance. 'Trickery, skulduggery!' he shouted. 'villain, thief, abomination!' The sun blinked and smiled calmly. It had seen a lot from humans, there was nothing that could surprise it now. *Please note we are happy to ship this work rolled in an art tube. Whilst the work is on heavy duty art paper and mixed media, the artist is happy that the painting will be fine rolled in a tube. This is a more cost effective and environmentally sound method of shipping. Artwork Provenance: from the Artist Studio photo credits, Isabel working, black and white shots, James Brown About Isabel Rock and her work: Taking inspiration from Japanese woodblock prints and Indian miniature painting Rock has developed a unique collage technique that combines bold structures with large-scale woodblock prints and intricate detailing. The subject is a grand mixture of humour, drama, hidden morals, fanciful characters, modern culture, mythical beings and fantastical situations. Rock creates a world that pulls you in and demands your attention. Quality of line is paramount, the drawings are created using a dipping pen and acrylic ink. An essential tool is a squirrel’s hair brush that gives incredible fine lines and was purchased on her travels in India. Born in Hammersmith, London in 1981, Rock knew her destiny was to be an artist. Studying Fine Art Printmaking at The University of Brighton and graduating with First Class Honours in 2004 she went on to do a Masters Degree at The Royal College of Art in London, continuing her studies in printmaking and drawing, graduating in 2008. Her first solo show at Bearspace Gallery in Deptford, London in April 2009 sold out and was the beginning of a career that continues to rise. Rock participated in the first ever India Art Fair represented by Art 1821...

Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination. In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams Drawing Award at the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. Known as the UK’s most prestigious annual open exhibition for drawing; part of the prize is a solo show at Hastings Contemporary, scheduled for 2024. Whilst Isabel always has a tale to tell for each of her images, you may or may not choose to go on the journey with her or you may indeed have a different story, one of your own that jumps off the page at you, that that you decide to follow. Artwork Details: The Storm, 140x140cm, collaged woodblock print, acrylic ink, acrylic paint, 2020 * Please note this artwork is on two separate pieces of paper that have been joined together. The join is not obvious when looking at the work. At the time Isabel was desperate to make the piece but did not have a large enough piece of paper in the studio, so she joined two together. Artwork Provenance: from the Artist Studio photo credits, Isabel working, black and white shots, James Brown In Isabels own words: The Storm It started with a butterfly flapping its wings, which caused an ant to drop a leaf it was carrying, the leaf fluttered and spun, it tickled the nose of a fox returning to its den, the fox sneezed which awoke a sleeping dog, the dog barked and the fox screamed, a baby in a house began to cry. The storm clouds gathered, threatening, grey, black, blue, like swollen bruises from the blows of life. Round and round they whirled, the butterfly flapping and flipping with them. People looked out of their windows and knew that the sky was falling on their heads. The swirling vortex opened and all life was sucked away, never to be seen again. All that was left was the tiny butterfly who shrugged its tiny shoulders and flapped its wings. *Please note we are happy to ship this work rolled in an art tube. Whilst the work is on heavy duty art paper and mixed media, the artist is happy that the painting will be fine rolled in a tube. This is a more cost effective and environmentally sound method of shipping. Shipping via this method is free. Artwork Provenance: from the Artist Studio A certificate of authentication comes from Gallery Art 1821...