Have you ever tried printmaking and lacked the confidence or been put off by the expense? Well be put off no more. My mission is to make printmaking more accessible and encourage people to have a go in there own home and on a budget with DIY techniques. I am a Lancashire based artist who loves working out how to make things herself but also really values teaching, collaborating and sharing ideas. Printmaking can turn the practical into the creative and the creative into the genuinely useful.
Back in the late summer of 2020 with the help of Creative West End Partnership. Thankyou Creative West End Partnership. I have had the amazing opportunity to create a set of videos for the West End Community. Please check out the Creative West End Videos and have a look at one of four DIY printmaking videos. You can learn to print sets of postcards using the magic of kitchen foil and cola pop or create your own bespoke cushion covers. It is a great starting point and you can apply the ideas in many different ways. Wherever the imagination takes you really.
Since the videos appeared on the Creative West End website I received some great feedback. People are watching them and making their own prints in Morecambe’s West End and beyond. If you haven’t had a go at DIY printmaking then follow the link and do have a go yourselves. Follow the link:
If you're not sure which one to start with I recommend the monoprinting one, which is video number 4 as a good place to start.
These videos will provide an ongoing resource to the West End community and over time more people will be able to access them and use the resources to make their work. Using the videos as a starting point there is a real potential to create a larger project that engages with individuals in the West End more directly, even given the challenging circumstances of Covid and the restrictions on every day activities going forward.
PRINTCLUB
Exciting News - Creative West End is going to support a PRINTCLUB, a DIY printmaking initiative which will train and support a group of local residents to learn a range of printmaking techniques and through the project develop a piece of public artwork which will be shown in pride of place in Morecambe's West End. The Project is due to start January/February time and will run into the spring, cumulating in a high profile public artwork in Spring/Summer 2021.
It's worth noting that the benefit of this project is that while it is being delivered online people will be making real tangible objects. From artworks to decorate a home, to textiles and ideas that can also be incorporated into 3D objects. While the final work and the delivery will employ some of the benefits of today’s technologies the benefit of working in a hands on way is huge. We can all benefit from quality creative time away from the computer. Using recycled materials helps us positively consider the environmental impact of what we do both locally and globally. Mindful making engages the brain in a way that has excellent mental health benefits. Printmaking provides an element of control with a touch of the unpredictable, perfect creative partners. It doesn’t matter if you are not confident with drawing there is a way in for everyone to make something satisfying especially with the right support and guidance.
With the Covid crisis we can still make something happen in the real physical spaces of Morecambe’s West End and make a virtue out of the challenges, reaching out to people in isolation and positively transforming the local environment.
Large Cola Lithography based on Sandylands front Morecambe West End. Etched on Aluminium foil, etched with cola and printed on paper. I love the process so expect to see more!
Artworks created for videos inspired by a walk found the west end and a bit of playful thinking. Found objects, flying birds etc...
Concertina Sketch Book for West End Project