Laura Boswell ARE – Printmaker

The Great Escape

I have a confession to make. I am bypassing Christmas this year. I just haven’t got the time and in our house, if I don’t do it, it doesn’t happen. That’s not to say that it couldn’t happen. The men are more than capable of making a Christmas dinner (but not as we know it: it would be a one pot meal which would strangely involve every utensil and container in the house). They could brave our sleeping swarm of cluster flies in the attic, find the decorations and even put them up. Wrap presents, listen to carols, panic buy cranberries. However, they won’t and that’s fine: I have spent the last thirty odd years conditioning them into believing that I’m the only one capable of the mystery of Christmas. I am at heart the suffering woman from the ads on telly…

Back in the day I’ve boned out and stuffed geese with freshly chopped fruit stuffing, given thoughtfully hand tailored gifts in home printed wrapping paper, arranged bespoke table decorations and generally done everything that Kirstie Allsopp claims she does, but I suspect is actually done by a crack team of craftspeople. Enough, been there, done that: this year I’ll be in the studio working on my prints.

I have discussed this with the family who tell me that a) they love all that Christmas stuff but b) only when I do it and c) not to worry because my mother-in-law is saving the day and is feeding us all in spite of already having visitors from America. She’s ace in a crisis, even if it is one generated by her daughter-in-law’s need to focus entirely on cutting woodblocks for the next month.

It’s all actually been very liberating even if it’s only me that I have liberated myself from in reality. That’s not to say that next Christmas I won’t be back to gilding fondant stuffed sprouts with edible nativity scenes. Depends on the work load…

Author: Laura

Laura Boswell is a printmaker working exclusively with linocut and traditional Japanese woodblock printing. She has a degree in Art History/Visual Art from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and has been elected to the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers.

7 thoughts on “The Great Escape”

  1. …we do make it hard for ourselves don’t we, us girls – interesting experiment made somewhat easier by your great MIL – just focus and let us see the great work in 2013 – x

  2. Christmas can be a hell on earth or it can be a friendly and happy occasion. I’m glad you think I can cope in a crisis but I will be honest with you. I ALWAYS panic when it comes to Yorkshire Pudding. I don’t enjoy the weeks before Christmas when everything is a frenzy of buying but I do enjoy the day itself whether I have family around or not.

    I admire you for realising that cutting wood is paramount but please don’t forget the pudding!

  3. I also salute you Laura. I think it is liberating to say you have other priorities, especially creative ones. Enjoy the buzz of doing your own thing. Looking forward to seeing those prints in 2013.

  4. I so wish I could defend myself, but it’s all true. However I will be up in the attic gathering a few choice decorations at some point before Christmas and I will be cooking whenever necessary so that Laura can carry on working for a bit longer. What’s more, when I make a one pot meal and have used every pot and utensil in the kitchen I will also, probably clear up after myself because Laura will be shattered.
    Christmas won’t be the same this year, but the excitements won’t be over whether the dinner will be cooked* they’ll be over the fantastic work that Laura is producing at the moment.
    (*except maybe from my mum who, as Laura has said, has restored Christmas dinner to our calendar!)

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