“Every print begins with a series of relief sculptures which I create from found objects and ephemera which I think have an interesting form or texture. I look for interesting shadows and the way objects interact with each other when carefully curated and composed. I am constantly building my library of photographs so that I have plenty of inspiration to draw from.”
“Moving into my sketchbook is a quick and easy way for me to get my ideas down on paper. Working with the photographs I have taken, I am drawn to areas where the composition or shape is strongest and using coloured papers, interpret these into collaged pieces. I normally work from several photographs at a time and because of this, the collages quickly become abstracted and more informal, as I try to take apart and then reconstruct a three-dimensional sculpture into a two-dimensional paper form.”
“In my print studio, I sketch the outlines of shapes from my collages onto thinner paper which will form the stencils used in the printing process. At this point, the composition of the final screen-printed panel is still largely unplanned. I work with each shape in an isolated way at first, and then slowly build the composition as I print, making sure that each colour and shape I add to the print works in the overall composition; it’s a very organic way of evolving the print and means I can work more freely.”
“Laying down my stencil between the screen mesh and fabric, making sure that the whole screen is covered so I don’t inadvertently print where I didn’t intend to. Drawing the pigment across the screen and committing to the first printed shape is always the scariest part because its placement can affect the whole atmosphere of the final print.”
“Leftovers from the process are a lovely record of the colours and shapes used and remind me just how many layers it can take to build up the final design.”
“The table I print onto is 3m long and 1.7m wide. I’m very lucky to be able to use the space to its full potential but it’s not without drawbacks. When trying to print shapes in the middle I have to stand on a pair of steps to reach and make sure the pressure I am applying to the screen and squeegee is even, otherwise the consistency of the print can suffer.”
“As the print takes form, I constantly check that the shape and colours I am about to add compliment what I have previously printed on the panel. The possibilities are endless so I have to be precise and refer back to my sketchbook explorations to make sure the final composition will be strong.”
“I like to tape leftovers up onto the wall into their own composition. These papers are great to save and use as collaging papers back in my sketchbook because they have a lovely texture left by the application of the pigment.”
“The blue pigment has transferred through onto the fabric through the space in the stencil, but has been held back in other areas. Using stencils to print enables me to be free and open with the design as I am not constrained by designs exposed and fixed onto a screen and I think this gives my large scale prints a unexpected and informal feel.”
“Layering up the shapes and colours can take a long time because I have to cut each individual stencil and mix the pigment colours from scratch. If I try to cut corners or rush the design process then mistakes happen: I could drop a big splodge of red pigment in the middle of my design or the composition of a piece might suffer. Printing a piece this large can take four full days of printing before it is finished.”
“The finished wall hanging, part of the BLOOM collection, measures 3metres by 1.5metres and is printed onto heavy linen canvas using water-based inks. I named it “Hothouse” in recognition of the crafts business programme run by the Crafts Council which I was lucky to be a part of during 2016 and which continually motivates and inspires me to push my craft and think big. Wall hangings this size are a labour of love and sometimes can feel like a bit of a marathon, but once finished and on the wall I always realise it was totally worth it.
