Inked Up

Botanical Prints by Lucy Clive

I originally developed an interest in print- making particularly lino – cuts as a student at the Central School of Art and Design. For many years I have been designing and printing Christmas and greetings cards using plants, usually from my garden as subject matter. I have also occasionally used lino-cuts as a basis for my fabric prints. So when it was suggested I took part in exhibition at Tinsmiths I seized the opportunity to explore this interest more fully.

I have continued to use plants as my subject matter and made a deliberate decision not to refer to the techniques of other printmakers, so that I could develop my own style of cutting the block. The works have a simplicity about them that I am aiming for and is difficult to achieve. I find I have to get the drawing coherent ( I work with pencil straight on to the block) before I start cutting so I can cut in a very positive and uninhibited way, working out how to achieve the feel I am aiming at as I go along. This means that I sometimes have to cut two or three blocks to get something I am at all happy with as even the smallest cut in the wrong place can upset the balance of the piece so it doesn’t “read” as I want it to. I love the light and feeling of layers and space I can create cutting into the flat surface of the block. Above all it is the magic of seeing and understanding the true nature of the subject matter to create simple and direct images that I find very rewarding. I hope you do to.

Lucy Clive, 2009

Architectural Prints by Clare de la Torre

One of my favourite pastimes has always been examining buildings - I can spend days just walking and looking. I particularly enjoy finding suggestions of past use and it amazes me how many small clues there are to be had just from observation.

In an old Market Town, like Ledbury, these abound. My screen prints are taken from photographs, often of architectural details that I am attracted to around the town. Sometimes these are difficult to identify and sometimes I place more emphasis on the composition of the image than a literal description of the subject.

I began talking photographs in Ledbury last April and have used these to create my version of a "souvenir" mug. I am pleased with the results but couldn't help wanting to see these on a larger scale and to play around with contrast and composition. This exhibition has given me an opportunity to do so.

Screen printing is really very new to me - I think I attempted a few print techniques at Art College, but this is my first collection since then. I hope you enjoy these and consider booking for the Architectural Tour of Ledbury at 11am on 8th July, 2009. The tour will begin at Tinsmiths and will be lead by Duncan James, an expert in timber-framed buildings. Duncan has made an in depth survey of Ledbury's buildings and his knowledge and delivery are really absorbing.

Clare de la Torre, 2009