A Shetland Notebook: Norman Ackroyd

One of Britain’s foremost printmakers, Norman Ackroyd has spent a lifetime recording the coastal landscapes of the British Isles. Gorgeously printed,A Shetland Notebook contains 39 of his vivid landscape sketches in watercolor. Made in the open air, often aboard a pitching and tossing fishing boat, these lively, spontaneous works capture the unique atmosphere of these remote and beautiful islands. The notebook’s unusual format is due entirely to the artist, who uses sheets of various types of paper torn to fit into a loose-leaf binder made from two pieces of wooden picture-backing; this he tucks into his coat pocket, ready for use whenever the need arises. His engaging commentaries place each sketch in its context and describe the techniques employed to make it—as well as the day’s prevailing weather conditions.