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CHAIRMAN of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority Councillor David Wood has presented a suite of 14 prints from Hilary Paynter's commission "From the Rivers to the Sea" to the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle. Councillor Wood presented the prints to Julie Milne, Curator at the Laing Art Gallery, at a ceremony at Central Station this week . Artist Hilary Paynter was present to witness the handover. "From the Rivers to the Sea" was commissioned by Nexus as part of its Art on Transport Programme and unveiled at Central Station in June 2004. One of Britain’s leading wood engravers, Hilary Paynter's "From the Rivers to the Sea" is a pictorial journey depicting the contemporary life and landscape around the Tyne and Wear Metro. This suite of prints was originally commissioned to celebrate the 250th anniversary, in 2003, of the birth of Thomas Bewick, one of Tyneside’s greatest artists. His celebrated wood engravings were critical in encouraging a popular interest in natural history and continue to be a source of inspiration for contemporary wood engravers. Hilary Paynter is widely regarded for her work as a wood engraver and through her involvement with the Society of Wood Engravers has done much to revive interest in the technique. Inspired by the scenery of the North East, as well as taking many journeys on Tyneside’s Metro transport system Hilary Paynter also took a flying lesson in order to portray the Rivers Tyne and Wear from the air! The result has been fourteen stunning prints that together present a panoramic landscape of the area. These images were transferred onto panels at Central Station and are enjoyed by many thousands of passengers as they pass each day. The original works from which they were transposed will now be housed in the public collections of Tyne and Wear Museums, at the Laing Art Gallery.
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