Ways of Working
"Every painting should be a journey of discovery, about experimenting and finding new ways, means and ideas"
Kurt Jackson, Artist
Kurt Jackson, Artist
This quote pinned up in my studio is a reminder to follow my creative curiosity, to be exploratory & experimental in my artmaking. The many 'how to' books on studio shelves cover drawing & painting, printmaking, papermaking, papier-mâché, book making, stitch, collage & mixed media, natural dyeing and mosaic. They are a good indicator of avenues explored but printmaking is the foundation of my creativity. Time spent outdoors, whether gardening, walking, sketching or simply quietly sitting & observing, is an important part of my creative process and helps inspire work in the studio.
I love that printmaking involves many different stages & for me has very unpredictable outcomes! I use mainly collagraph & etching techniques to build the plates that I print with. When I am ready to print from a plate I apply linseed oil based ink, wipe off the excess by hand and then use my etching press to transfer the image onto paper, or occasionally fabric. Printmaking in this way is an uncertain, exciting, frustrating and messy process and each print is unique. In my early days of printmaking I built plates that could be printed from a fair number of times but now my platemaking is less robust which suits my more experimental ways of working.
I often use plate making techniques in other creative work including mixed media & for making decorative plaques & 3D forms from Plaster of Paris. Increasingly my prints on paper form the basis of collage rather than being stand alone artworks. Offcuts of paper & unwanted prints are given a new lease of life by being used for papier-mâché or are pulped and made into paper that can be used.
Recycling & repurposing & using the resources I already have, rather than rushing out to buy new, is now an important part of my creative practice along with being mindful of the immediate & long term effect on the environment of all the materials I use. I have gardened organically for many years so 'greening' my artistic practice was an obvious next step.
Having a number of different projects on the go at any one time suits my way of working but it does mean that at times my part of the studio can become pretty cluttered as can seen below! However I did have to tidy it up one day for an interview for the village church 'Beck & Bells' project in which I had to talk my own beck project. The resulting video can be seen on the Garrowby Churches website
I love that printmaking involves many different stages & for me has very unpredictable outcomes! I use mainly collagraph & etching techniques to build the plates that I print with. When I am ready to print from a plate I apply linseed oil based ink, wipe off the excess by hand and then use my etching press to transfer the image onto paper, or occasionally fabric. Printmaking in this way is an uncertain, exciting, frustrating and messy process and each print is unique. In my early days of printmaking I built plates that could be printed from a fair number of times but now my platemaking is less robust which suits my more experimental ways of working.
I often use plate making techniques in other creative work including mixed media & for making decorative plaques & 3D forms from Plaster of Paris. Increasingly my prints on paper form the basis of collage rather than being stand alone artworks. Offcuts of paper & unwanted prints are given a new lease of life by being used for papier-mâché or are pulped and made into paper that can be used.
Recycling & repurposing & using the resources I already have, rather than rushing out to buy new, is now an important part of my creative practice along with being mindful of the immediate & long term effect on the environment of all the materials I use. I have gardened organically for many years so 'greening' my artistic practice was an obvious next step.
Having a number of different projects on the go at any one time suits my way of working but it does mean that at times my part of the studio can become pretty cluttered as can seen below! However I did have to tidy it up one day for an interview for the village church 'Beck & Bells' project in which I had to talk my own beck project. The resulting video can be seen on the Garrowby Churches website
