History Waiting

I was born in 1953 and moved to Devon in 1956. After a Foundation Course at Plymouth Polytechnic I did a Fine Art degree at Bristol Polytechnic, followed by an Art Teacher's Certificate and a Postgraduate Diploma in Printmaking at Brighton Polytechnic. In 1992 I founded the Tamar Print Workshop, offering students a wide range of Printmaking techniques. Set in a beautiful position on the edge of Dartmoor, the workshop has become vibrant hub fo the many local artists. I enjoy the exchange of ideas and I see my teaching as integral to my overall practice.

 

The starting points for my images are often found on Dartmoor and on the north Cornwall coastline. I specialise in etching - a medium that has been developed for its own intrinsic qualities and is now frequently used to produce single images as individual paintings.

 

My etchings are contemplations on how our surroundings can reflect our histories, moods and thoughts. They look as if they are scored and furrowed, scraped, burnished, re-scored and re-furrowed until the history of their making symbolises the subject that confronts me. The combination of light and dark and their tactile immediacy creates images of intense atmosphere. I sometimes apply etching principles to the medium of collagraph so that I can work on a larger scale and more freely. I also love painting, and my oil paintings and pastels are informed by my etchings but are often lighter in mood.

Etching

48.5x45cm