{"product_id":"paperblanks-solitary-oryx-midi-hardback-journal-lined-144-pages-pb3182-6","title":"Paperblanks Solitary Oryx Midi Hardback Journal – Lined, 144 Pages","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCapture your ideas, plans and memories in this Solitary Oryx midi hardback journal from Paperblanks, with 144 lined pages of 120 gsm acid-free paper.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCanadian artist Alistair Bell is known for his expressionist renderings of the natural world, especially those depicting life in Western Canada. However, he also travelled the globe searching for unique animals and scenes to depict, such as the 1959 \u003cem\u003eOryx\u003c\/em\u003e print reproduced here.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe Story Behind the Design\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1959, when this piece was originally created, Alistair Bell had yet to fully turn his attention and career toward art, and still his expressionist style was already so clearly defined. Using an aquatint intaglio printmaking technique, Bell’s “Oryx” suggests a powerful feeling of both the exotic and the melancholy. For our journal reproduction of this piece, we have added “Solitary” to our title to pay tribute to that sad ennui informing the work; unlike with many of Bell’s animal and bird prints, this oryx was sketched in a zoo rather than out in the freedom of the wild.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlistair Macready Bell was born in Darlington, England, in 1913 and emigrated to Canada in the early 1920s. It was here that he developed his personal style and rose to prominence as one of the country’s finest printmakers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe at Paperblanks are proud to celebrate the life and work of Alistair Bell as our first series in our new collection honouring Canadian artists and thinkers. Making the connection even stronger for us is the fact that Bell studied in our own hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia. Bell arrived in our city in 1929 and enrolled at the Vancouver School of Art in 1935. It was here that he gained access to an artist’s press and produced his first print.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis was a true turning point for Bell, who had also attended art school in London, England, and was strongly influenced by German expressionism. He supported his family by working as a draftsman in a structural steel plant, and it is the combination of all these influences that can be seen in the art he created in his small, basement studio.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBell eventually mastered the techniques of drypoint, etching, lithography engraving and woodcutting and by 1967 was successful enough to leave the steel trade and become a full-time artist, establishing himself internationally for his talent in graphic media. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs one of a number of mid-century artists who developed a distinctly West Coast artistic sensibility, Bell received two Senior Art Fellowships from the Canada Council which allowed him to travel extensively, seeking out wild places and creatures around the world. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor nearly eighty years, Bell’s work has been exhibited internationally and is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in England and the National Gallery in Ottawa. A complete collection of his prints can also be found at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria in British Columbia. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThough Bell passed away in 1997 his work and legacy lives on through his brilliant works, and we are honoured to bring four of his prints to our Paperblanks collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOriginal artwork:\u003c\/strong\u003e Alistair Bell’s Oryx aquatint print\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEra:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1959\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRegion:\u003c\/strong\u003e Canada\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eProduct Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e Midi – 130 × 180 × 20 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInterior:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lined\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 144 (72 sheets)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePaper:\u003c\/strong\u003e 120 gsm acid-free cream laid paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCover:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClosure:\u003c\/strong\u003e Elastic band\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBinding:\u003c\/strong\u003e Smyth sewn – lies flat and stays durable\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCorners:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rounded\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePouch:\u003c\/strong\u003e Memento pouch\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesign:\u003c\/strong\u003e Solitary Oryx\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeries:\u003c\/strong\u003e Alistair Bell Collection\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSatin ribbon marker\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e100% recycled binder boards\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDecorative printed cover paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEndpaper with credit and copyright information as well as historical background for the original artwork\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThreaded stitching and glue, as needed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAcid-free paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMemento pouch\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 287 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProduct code:\u003c\/strong\u003e PB3182-6 | \u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9781439731826\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAbout Paperblanks\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePaperblanks works with museums, libraries, galleries and artists around the world to faithfully reproduce remarkable artwork, historic bindings and treasured manuscripts. Every book is made to last, with binder boards crafted from 100% recycled materials, and the back endpaper tells the fascinating story behind the cover design and credits its creators.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Paperblanks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54386181472584,"sku":"PB3182-6","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0920\/5114\/5032\/files\/9781439731826_FrontHighRes.png?v=1792779471","url":"https:\/\/shop.penandpaper.co.uk\/products\/paperblanks-solitary-oryx-midi-hardback-journal-lined-144-pages-pb3182-6","provider":"The Pen and Paper Stationery Company","version":"1.0","type":"link"}