Pond Life

"Pond Life": English slang for someone of low moral fibre, specifically one who will stoop to any level to attain what they want.

This limited edition run of prints depicts two Common toads spawning in a pond thick with duckweed, flanked by a Yellow Flag Iris and Dragonfly while a prurient common frog watches through the reeds.

This design is part of a series of prints highlighting the way that some animals have become colloquially synonymous with undesirable human traits - these are often already persecuted species that deserve better PR. Toads have historically been associated with witchcraft and bog-dwelling species generally are avoided by most humans, who (not entirely unreasonably) associate boggy areas with death and disease. Whilst bogs and swamps may have been fearful to our ancestors, for whom an infection from a mosquito bite or a case of tetanus could prove fatal, ponds, bogs and swamps are unique and diverse ecosystems which support a variety of life. Indeed, one of the best things most of us can do for local wildlife is to install a pond in our garden.

This is a reduction-method print, which means the block the print is made from is progressively destroyed during the process. This means that the limited-edition run will only ever be the only copies in existence.

Printed on 130gsm fine-grained cartridge paper. Available in two mount choices; framing service also available. All limited-edition prints are  numbered and signed in graphite. Date, edition and signature repeated on reverse of mount. Each editioned print includes a certificate of authenticity.

Please note that these are handmade items, so each one is unique and individual products may vary slightly from the images shown. 

Artist's Proofs (AP) of this design are also available at a discounted price - these are prints with imperfections that meant they couldn't make the final cut for the  limited edition, but they are still unique and beautiful pieces of art.

Print size on A4 paper: ~175mm x 230mm

Mountboard external dimensions: ~300 x 387mm

Mountboard aperture dimensions: ~200 x 287mm

Framed external dimensions: ~ 328 x 415mm

Frame width: ~20mm

Framing service:

The frames for my prints are made from Oak. These come fitted with Clarity+ perspex, offering a scratch-resistant and more lightweight alternative to glass. I have partnered with eFrame to provide high quality mounts and frames at an accessible price point. eFrame are committed to sustainability and all their suppliers are PEFC and FSC certified.

eFrame provide a wide array of product choices, so if you would like to order a bespoke mount and frame, please follow this link to purchase your mount and frame directly from them.