After graduating from Liverpool Art College with a degree in Printed Textiles, the heavy influence of textile design was still very much evident in my work when I started exploring with Printmaking 40 years later. I spent a while exploring various mark making techniques and shapes, using acetate, stensils, bits of tissue, found objects and fabric to create various textures.
Circles and Patterns
These prints show the heavy influence of textile design still very much evident in my work.
I explored Shapes and Circles, using black, red and yellow as dominant colours. This series is created using an acetate sheet as a printing plate, and stensils and masks, to give the appearance of seeing through one series of loops to another.
The ‘Onion’ shape, reminiscent of Russian domes are often present in this series. View the Gallery Circles and Patterns.
My work began to take on a much more painterly feel, and as my work is very much process driven, I began to explore multi textured surfaces, building up layers of pattern and colour, not knowing quite where it would lead. Using acetate as a printing plate, and templates and stencils to create pattern and shape, I was creating monotype prints, each one different. Colours became much more merged and figurative shapes started to emerge.
Pursuit
Then….. covid happened. I was surprised at how the sense of danger seemed to permeate life, even in rural Cornwall, there was no hiding from the insidious menacing creature… needless to say, it emerged in my next series of prints – which I called ‘Pursuit’. The images are of a pursuing menacing presence in hot pursuit of an alarmed and fleeing figure. Sometimes the pursued disappears, what was their fate? Did the tables turn and suddenly the pursued was in pursuit of the spiked pursuer? what happens when we turn and face our foes? who wins? View Gallery Pursuit series here
Anima/Animus
The next series showed a pair of heads, one male and one female. I started to explore the mysterious world of thought… who is real, who is just a dream, who is just a figment of imagination? is one thinking of the other? is one absent, or lost? are these our own thoughts floating about us? which is the person and which is the thought? I called this series Anima and Animus. a term used by Jung to describe the unconscious male in every female, and the unconscious female in every male. We are only whole when we learn to acknowledge the power of each and harness the qualities of the other.. view Gallery Anima/Animus here
Who, Where, Why?
This collection of monotypes is a mixture of collagraph on variable backgrounds, creating a variable edition of prints. A seated figure sits alone, behind her the big window is bright light, she sits in silhouette, you see the brickwork of the imposing buildings of Royal William Yard outside, but who is the figure? where is she? why is she there? what are her thoughts as she sits in the dark interior, a solitary figure, waiting, thinking, tense…. see Gallery Who, where, why?
Biography
Nicola studied Art at Plymouth Art College, doing a 1 year Pre-Dip course at the Castle Street annexe on the Barbican. This was followed by a 3 year Degree course in Printed Textiles at Liverpool Polytechnic (later became John Moores University)
There followed a lifetime of working in various environments, including Plymouth Theatre Royal in the eighties. After a brief spell in London, working for London Weekend Television, and the London Wildlife trust, Nicola returned home to Plymouth. The rest of her working life was in Education though in marketing and event management roles rather than academic. She finally finished working life as a dog walker, enjoying lots of great adventures with groups of dogs of all shapes and sizes.
Nicola started her art practice again in 2014, joining Mary Gillett’s Tamar Print Workshop. This was a great opportunity to explore various printmaking techniques, and many of the works shown here are made using an acetate sheet, stencils and masks, and collagraph.
Nicola joins a group of artists for a weekly drawing practice at Royal William Yard, Plymouth, in Portrait Clinic. She also joins ‘Drawing is free’ online zoom sessions where a lot of inspiration for her latest work has ignited.
Nicola has exhibited at Royal William yard, and the Limekiln Gallery in Calstock. She is a member of Drawn to the Valley, and aims to exhibit more in the many opportunities that exist in the months to come..
