Meet the printmaker: Lucy Davey

We catch up with illustrator and silkscreen printmaker Lucy Davey, who's back for Volume 4 of The Print Shop.

Please can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about your work…What sort of prints do you make?

I'm Lucy, I make screen prints and I work as a freelance illustrator.

Are you solely a printmaker or do you work in any other creative fields?

Most of my work is commissioned illustration, mainly book covers and images for magazines. Its nice to do some printing occasionally and focus on my personal work

What is your earliest recollection of making a print and what made you to want to do more?

When I was a teenager I started making my own stamps from the polystyrene packaging that comes with pizzas! It works surprisingly well.  At college I got into monoprinting – I would layer paper over rolled out ink and draw on it. Then I started screen printing a bit at university.

What inspires you and are there any themes or ideas that often run through your work?

I think landscape and nature are my main inspiration.  It's usually filtered through something else though; a film, book or a photograph will spark off an idea.  I love early photos of American landscapes, places I've never been. My prints are of imagined landscapes really.

Could you give us an insight into where you work – your studio/workspace and where you print?

I've been in the Drawn in Bristol studio since March.  It's great having the printing facilities here as well.  Before that I was at Snap studio and I've done a bit of printing at the excellent Spike print studio.

Which other printmakers' work do you admire?

I've got a couple of Jonny Hannah's screen prints up on my wall at home. I also love Japanese woodcut, especially Hide Kawanishi and Saito Kiyoshi. Edward Bawden is a big inspiration too.

Printmaking is made up of lots of different processes, which aspect do you enjoy the most?

I like it when you do your first pull and it actually works!

Can you share a little printing trick or secret with us?

Its not really a secret, but keep your old cardboard rolls that parcel tape comes on.  They make excellent squeegee stands.

How would you like to develop your printmaking skills in the future?

I'd quite like to re-visit lino cut at some point. And there's a lot more to learn about screen printing!

Which printed publication do you most look forward to thumbing through?

Nobrow.

Monochrome or multi-coloured?

I like colour, but no more than three please.

Thank you, Lucy!  We love your bold, graphic prints and will certainly be using your squeegee tip.

Lucy Davey returns to The Print Shop for Volume 4, which is open from now until Christmas.  Come and snap up one of her vibrant prints or handprinted Christmas decorations while stocks last!

The Print Shop

Unit 6

Quakers Friars

Cabot Circus

Bristol

BS1 3BU

Open Daily

Mon - Sat 10am - 6pm

Sun 11am - 5pm