MATERIALS & MEDIUMS: ETCHING

ON THE PRACTICE

I began incorporating etching into my practice in 2018, when I felt drawn to capture light in a new way, having previously focused on painting tree shadows. As with all the mediums I use, I am drawn to their heritage. Etching is one of the oldest and most revered forms of printmaking, with roots stretching back to the 16th century — first used in Germany and Italy, and later adopted by masters such as Rembrandt.

In my practice, I use a photographic process to capture natural forms — branches, leaves, and trees — translating their silhouettes directly into etched plates. Each print is made on archival Hahnemühle paper, a German mill renowned for its quality since 1584, ensuring every etching stands the test of time.

Each etching is hand-pulled using a traditional press. Variations in ink application, pressure, plate tone, and the subtleties of hand-wiping create slight differences in every print — giving each one its own subtle life.

WINTER SERIES - 2018

My first series focused on capturing winter. I collected winter beech and exposed their sculptural forms to create a suite of six etchings that reflect the quiet structure of the season, the bare architecture of branches, the absence of leaf, the stillness that asks you to look more carefully.

I have always been interested in the stories held within the landscape, and in understanding the heritage of the trees I work with. Beech has a particularly rich place in the British landscape, from ancient woodlands and boundary trees to the long history of beech woods being managed and worked by people. Learning something of that history becomes part of the making; each piece is not simply a study of a tree, but a way of carrying something of its place, history and presence into the work.

SUMMER SERIES - DAN & HUW

After completing the Winter Beech series — my visual expression of winter — I began a new collection of seven etchings, Dan and Huw, in response to summer. The title honours Dan Pearson and Huw Morgan, whose extraordinary garden inspired the works.

It was Huw who introduced me to the Japanese calendar of 72 micro-seasons — a framework that has shaped my practice ever since. Each lasts around five days, marking subtle shifts in nature. I continue to use this calendar in the UK, creating artworks that respond directly to what is seen and felt in the landscape at any moment.

Their garden is a rich collection of plant varieties, from rare specimens to heritage favourites. While I could have drawn from many, I chose these plants for their distinctive structural forms, which translate beautifully through etching.

These etchings are conceived as entry-point collector pieces — an accessible way to begin a meaningful collection.

Because each print is pulled entirely by hand, no two are ever quite identical. Each carries the particular pressure of that moment at the press, the weight of the ink, and the conditions of that day in the studio.

All of the etchings shown here are currently available. If something has caught your eye, or you’d like to know more about a particular piece — including dimensions, framing or pricing — I’m always happy to hear from collectors directly.

Enquiries: info@lucyauge.co.uk

Available work: View available artwork
Instagram: @lucyauge_art

All my etchings works will be included in my forthcoming exhibition:

A decade of practice, gathered

Royal Crescent, Bath
24–26 September 2026
10:00am–6:00pm

The exhibition is open to the public, and I will be there throughout all three days. Please come and say hello.

View more details here.

COPYRIGHT
I am fully committed to protecting the ability for artists to earn a living from their creative endeavours. Copyright theft threatens our very existence. Accordingly, I reserve and protect my copyright in all my creative works and I do not tolerate copying. Copying a registered design is a criminal offence, and I will take action against those who steal my work. Statement prepared in consultation with Two Birds Legal.