David Rayson was commissioned by MK Gallery and the University of Northampton to produce a limited-edition etching applying the methodology developed for his ongoing practice-based research project The Everyday Fantastic. This commission enabled him to explore and develop the processes of transfer between drawing and etching, and to work as a resident in the printmaking studios in the University of Northampton. The research project was documented at each stage of development and the work was displayed throughout the six-month period in the print rooms.

Through Cuckoo Spit, Rayson investigated the effects upon the act of drawing and ultimately the status of the finished print in relation to the development of a novel drawing vocabulary. During the residency, he experimented with inking processes using multiple plates to create a series of unique prints that became more than direct reproductions of drawings. The products of this research demonstrated the potential of print as a tool for enriching drawings through the generation of heterogeneity in the reproduction process. This residency succeeded in raising awareness of printmaking within the Fine Art faculty, and generated discussions concerning the historical and cultural significance of print.

The residency culminated in a solo show of supporting drawings and photographic documentation alongside examples of works from The Everyday Fantastic series at the University Gallery, plus a series of discussions and lectures centred around this cross-disciplinary project at both the university and MK Gallery. The print is on permanent display at Northampton, and is installed alongside other commissioned artists' prints such as Mark Francis, David Austin, Marta Marce, Boyd and Evans, and Kritian Ryokan in Milton Keynes. The documentation compiled from this project has also been incorporated, as a research aid, into the Fine Art and Graphic Communication BA and MA courses at University of Northampton.