An Artistic Evolution in Texture and Form

Over the years, my work has travelled a richly textured path. From figurative etchings inspired by everyday life in South London, to layered and expressive abstract pieces that push the boundaries of printmaking. Each series in this collection marks a chapter in that journey, both artistically and personally.

What began with a deep fascination for urban landscapes and the people within them has gradually unfolded into an exploration of abstraction, texture and mixed-media techniques. Life events, new environments and a constant curiosity have led me to experiment with embossing, carborundum, collage, gold and silver leaf, and more recently, multi-layered enhancements of existing prints, creating truly unique pieces that are both grounded in tradition and alive with contemporary expression.

This body of work captures not just a progression in style, but a transformation in how I see and respond to the world around me, across time, place and medium.

Abstract recent Unique’s (labelled either Mixed Media or Embossed Watercolour or Enhanced Collagraph)

The first group are my most recent unique works where I am using my large selection of etchings and collagraphs, as textured starting points for enhanced works.  I sometimes make collages, and often change the dynamics adding strong colour, and delicate textures using the heavily embossed prints as a starting point.  This is a mixed-media process, using watercolour, pen, ink, coloured pencils, gold & silver leaf, and gilding wax.

Figurative early works – London (Etchings, Aquatints and a Structure) 

These prints show my initial interest in figurative images which were inspired by my family life in South London: what I would call “Londoners London”  The first image shows the transition from being a theatrical designer for 10 years. I discovered life as an itinerant designer was unsuitable for raising children.  I went to Morley college, to learn printmaking, because they had a creche! The images show how I quickly developed a love of etching, from South London shop fronts, to textured old walls, the industrial bricks and warehouses of inner London, trains, busses, the river etc, with not a single image of Big Ben or the Tower.  When my children stared school, I found a warehouse near Southwark Bridge and was loving my new-found art.

Semi-abstract “Variations” series (Collaged Etchings and Collagraphs) 

I gradually developed an interest in the three-dimensional possibilities of etching, biting separate plates in the acid (sometimes to destruction), using the “plate mark” as part of the design, and enjoying the flexibility of compiling images after proofing.  This series were printed on a full sheet of paper (as in Sea Variations II but shown here cropped).  This is when I started experimenting with collagraph (a print made from a collage), pushing the boundaries of embossing.

Abstract textured (Etchings and Collagraphs) 

This was a period of joyful discovery, developing my special method (the rubs) to pick up colour on different levels of the plate, using weakened ink with pure primary colours rubbed on top.  I also started incorporating silver and gold leaf  and discovered a wonderful French hand-made heavy-weight paper which held the embossing much better.  I also started to use carborundum (a grit) to provide a deep silky background to a lot of the pieces  The collagraph element increased with natural plant and mineral and textured material glued onto the plate, drawing with glue and cutting away,  a more dynamic approach to plate-making.

Planets series (Etchings and Carborundum) 

I started to experiment with marbelization, floating the etching stop-out on top of water, and transferring onto an etching plate.  This took hours to get right, and I found that my carborundum technique provided the deep rich background I needed.

Figurative Mediterranean(Etching and Aquatint) 

In the 80s we renovated a traditional village courtyard house in Spain, creating 3 apartments and a studio, where my family could enjoy summer in the sun and my husband could create an exotic garden, while I worked in a Mumu in the studio.  Inevitably it cost more than we had hoped, and we started to rent out the apartments to holiday-makers and artists, even running courses for a few years.  In the meantime, I was captivated by the light and textures on the white walls, the glimpses of landscape between the narrow streets, and the craggy mountains beyond. I did dozens of drawings, developing embossed etching/aquatint images of Andalucía.  We also had several visits to Corfu, where I spent happy hours drawing in the olive groves.

Figurative New Zealand (Etching and Aquatint) 

I met my husband when my family emigrated to New Zealand in the late 50s  and trips to New Zealand to visit family  were dotted throughout my life.  I had gone to art school there and have spent many happy hours drawing and painting the bush and landscape of the country.  These are probably my most detailed drawing- based works.