I posted a couple of my black and white lino prints on 12th August and now I have silkscreened coloured shapes over the top to lift the print from the paper and add interest to the composition. Colour is new territory for me as I spent most of my MA and residency working with tones of grey and off-whites. I was so seduced by mark-making and composition that adding colour became an added complication; a distraction away from the subtleties and qualities of a mark and it's edges. However, the boldness and crisp black marks of the lino prints shouted for colour.

Yesterday I sold this print following an enquiry after the PMC's Vyner Street Gallery exhibition. I made this print, 'Emotion I, Series I' in 2009, it was exhibited locally and selected for Originals '10 at the Mall Galleries last spring.  It feels like an old friend and I'm pleased it has gone to a good home!

Click here to go to my husband's blog where you will find the prints he submitted to the Design & Print Now!' exhibition.

On 28th July, I went to the SW1 Gallery in Victoria to the private view of 'Print & Design Now 2011' an exhibition organised in association with Bearspace (www.bearspace.co.uk). Approximately 200 prints were selected and presented unframed and there was varied mix of printmaking, drawing, graphics, digital media and some sculpture.

My husband had two prints selected and these can be viewed along with the other prints on the Bearspace website.

The exhibition is on until the 23rd August and then it travels around the country for the next 4 months. This was the first exhibition I have been to where all the work has been unframed.  It made the atmosphere at the private view less formal as the work was not displayed in such a regimented way and the work was affordable.  I also think the exhibition attracted submissions from younger artists and students because framing was not required as this can often be a great expense.

Link to the Ochre Print Studio website

Fur, Feathers, Fingers and Fins is the title of an exhibition by the Lockwood Print Group in association with artists from Ochre Print Studio and is at the Lewis Elton Gallery at the University of Surrey. The adults with learning difficulties who produced the work were at the private view on 25th July and were joined by the Mayor, staff from the Lockwood Day Centre and many members of OPS.

The exhibition is full of colour and humour. The work is diverse, sensitively presented and truly showcases the time and effort that has been put into this successful partnership.

On 4th July, I delivered one of my prints to the Vyner Street Gallery (www.vynerstreetgallery.co.uk) in Bethnal Green to participate in an exhibition organised by the Printmakers Council (www.printmakerscouncil.com). The gallery is situated within London's contemporary art district and the private views on the first Thursday of every month attract a large number of visitors.

I submitted 'Emotion I, Series I', which is the print that was selected for 'Originals 10' at the Mall Galleries last Spring. Altogether there were about 40 prints in the exhibition showcasing various printmaking techniques. I was particularly interested in the work submitted by Margaret Ashman. (www.margaretashman.com).

This was the first exhibition I have taken part in with the PMC and I would definitely exhibit with them again.

An image from the series titled: Emotional Stepping Stones



Ochre Print Studio Flyer for the Surrey Artists Open Studios, designed by Geff Newland


Members of Ochre Print Studio took part in the Surrey Artists Open Studios event held at the Lockwood Day Centre in Guildford. Unfortunately, this year I was unable to contribute to the opening event on 18th June, but I know a lot of members worked hard to make it a successful day with a monoprint taster workshop, live music, prizes awarded to prints by several specialist businesses and organisations including: The Printmakers Council (www.printmakerscouncil.com), John Purcell (www.johnpurcell.net) and Intaglio Printmaker (www.intaglioprintmaker.co.uk), a raffle of donated prints and of course, an exhibition of skilful and imaginative work by Ochre members and guest exhibitors such as Simon Lawson (www.simonlawsonprints.com) and Hughie O'Donoghue who will be visiting Ochre in October to give a talk about his work.

Over the two weekends the exhibition was open, Ochre had a healthy number of visitors and sales of work, which was really encouraging and rewarding for all those who took part. I submitted a series of six prints presented in two frames with three prints displayed vertically in each frame. Here is one of the prints in the series.

Who's Pulling My Chain?, monotype, collage, intaglio and drawing, Ron Pokrasso




Firenzied Motif, Monotype and Collage, Ron Pokrasso





Joanne McCarthy, Gallery Director of the New Ashgate Gallery in Farnham (www.newashgate.org.uk) selected four of my prints for an exhibition of work by Ochre Print Studio members. The work was displayed in the Balcony room from 10th June to 9th July. Despite four pieces being selected, only two made it on to the walls, but I was very pleased with that and was hung between Richenda Court and Tessa Pearson, which was an honor. (www.richendacourt.co.uk, www.tessapearson.com)

The private view was a stylish affair with lots of guests and the exhibition was officially opened by the American artist Ron Pokrasso who was about to embark on a an intensive week of teaching at Ochre.

Ron had been recommended to Julie and Annee at Ochre by Barbara Rae following her talk at the studio last summer. Ron currently owns Timberwick Studios, a multi-functional studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico and is an exhibiting artist mainly working with monotype, collage and assemblage. His week-long course was inspirational for the printmakers that took part and although I wasn't one of them, I did manage to pick up a few practical gems of knowledge and practice on the two occasions I went in to the studio during that week. (www.ronpokrasso.com).