In 2016 Rob attended a 2-day Introduction to Solar-plate course at the Curwen Print Study Centre in Cambridgeshire, led by Susie Turner MA. At the time he had little more purpose than re-introducing a hands-on element to his photography, having left the darkroom behind and gone over to digital. However, with encouragement from the Curwen’s excellent tutor and technician Anne Marike Pit, he became more experimental with his solar plates, discovering a whole new world of creativity.

As Rob’s work developed he expanded his knowledge of different printmaking techniques and in 2023 embarked on the Curwen’s Certificate Course in Fine Art Printmaking giving him the opportunity to study a variety of methods, such as monoprint, woodcut, screen printing, drypoint and collagraph to express his ideas.

While his initial inspiration drew on a love of the surrounding countryside, Rob’s work often deals with themes based around his fascination with the imperfect – whether that be the soulful beauty of an object weathered and worn by time, the bittersweet imperfection of human relationships or the ravages of the ageing process.