Meet The Printmaker- Chitra Merchant

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

I grew up in India and I currently work as a printmaker in Bristol, U.K. After completing a B.A Degree in Psychology, I left India to work for a year in an artist's studio in West Africa. I came to England in the early nineties and completed a B.A (Hons) Degree in Illustration from U.W.E Bristol ('98). In 2001, I based myself at Spike Print Studio where I print, exhibit and work to commission on a regular basis.

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

I occasionally make Artist's Books and dabble in animation.

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

I was first introduced to print during a module on my Illustration degree and I haven't stopped investigating it since!

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

Much of my work is strongly informed by my Indian upbringing. I use ancient Indian historical sites as a starting point from which to develop imaginal structures that take on a life and logic of their own. In other bodies of work,  I am interested in examining the roles and expectations that are ascribed to women. A love of drawing always forms the starting point of any work. These drawings may be made on site (whether at an ancient eastern ruin or an urban western city site) or painted directly onto a screen to form a stencil. I'm inspired by the writings of Blake, the poetry of 12th and 13th century poet seers ( Rumi, Kabir, Mirabai and Hafiz) to name a few.

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

I enjoy the sociable and unpretentious nature of working in a large shared print studio (Spike Print) with its numerous tea and biscuit breaks (vital aids to the creative process!). Printmakers are by and large a very generous group who are willing to share techniques and discuss ideas.

The work of which other printmaker/s do you admire?

Paula Rego, WIlliam Blake, Marilene Oliver, Graeme Todd, Hughie O Donoghue, Anne Desmet,  Katherine Jones, Peter Doig (painter).

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

I absolutely enjoy all parts of it; from the initial drawings, through to experimenting and proofing and finally the labour of editioning.

Do you have a favourite tool or something you find invaluable when printing?

Lascaux screen filler. Its a favourite, but not very forgiving to work with!

Its a great way creating a stencil by painting directly onto the screen mesh. I enjoy the immediacy of this process, though it can go horribly wrong too!

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

Mr Muscle! Its the only thing that removes the above screen filler off the mesh. (Coupled with a really good jet washer.)

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

Part of my process involves turning all techniques on its head to see what treasure or disaster might be revealed. I'd like to carry on this way.

Which printed publication do you most look forward to thumbing through

Printmaking Today & A-N magazine. And written works by Marion Woodman, Edward Edinger, Robert Bly, Robert Johnson, Rilke, Basho and Thomas Transtromer.

Monochrome or multi-coloured?

Colour of course!

Thanks for those great answers Chitra! your work is truly amazing. We can't get enough of your colour work!

Chitra will be at the print shop for the rest of volume 2 and her prints are a must see, the scale and composition of these prints are an inspiration for all and a highly desirable addition for any collector. 

 The Print Shop

Unit 6

Quakers Friars

Cabot Circus

Bristol

BS1 3BU

Open Daily

Mon - Sat 10am - 6pm

Sun 11am - 5pm 

Meet the Printmaker - Alice Rolfe

 Alice Rolfe prints onto textiles and paper. Here you can see her sporting one of her wonderful t-shirts. Read on to hear about her processes and life as a printmaker in Bristol....

Please can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about your work…

What sort of prints do you make?

I’m Alice Rolfe from Rolfe&Wills – a Bristol based Print and Upholstery company. I screen print our designs on to homewears, clothing, a variety of papers and fabric which Chloe Wills uses to upholster furniture.

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

From the age of about 6 I did printing workshops with family friends who were artists.  We screen printed using stencils, and etched – taking the plate out into the countryside or the beach and drawing what we saw.  I fell in love with the process – each step just as important as the last, and each step impacting the look your final piece. It was so much fun, I was hooked!

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

Primarily I’m interested in colour.  I love layering and blending colours to see what comes out.  I use a lot of fluorescent colours against a neutral back drop – it really pops out and creates a bold statement. I like to let the colours do the work and keep the designs simple.

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

Currently I print at Drawn in Bristol’s space at Hamilton House.  It’s been absolutely fantastic, meeting fellow artists and keeping it affordable.  I wouldn’t have been able to grow the business with out it… But as the business has grown so fast in just over a year, it’s time to move on and have my stock, printing table, and desk all in one place, so I’m currently converting a garage in Easton into a studio space.  It’s a massive space and therefore a massive project but I’m hoping to move in there by mid September.  I’ll miss the space at Hamilton House, but I’ll be renting out spaces in the new studio, so hopefully there will be a creative vibe there also.

The work of which other printmaker/s do you admire?

I’m always drawn to Lizzy Cox’s work, a screen printer who lived in Somerset – her work is unique and some of the most beautiful I’ve seen. She would take a printing kit out into the fields and document the plants by printing onto them.  I think about this a lot and am sure they will influence my ideas in the future.

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

Well, it’s got to be the big reveal! How is it going to come out… It makes me nervous and excited every time – no wonder I’m totally exhausted after a day of printing! It’s a very emotional process as well as physical.

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

Hummm well a lot of people ask me how to get the blended technique – but I’m not sure I should tell you...? It’s actually very simple, you just need all the colours on the screen at a time, and a steady hand.

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

I’m still at the very early stages of my printing career – I don’t really consider myself as a professional printer yet as I still have so much to learn.  Every time I print I learn something new, and I’ve probably only mastered about two techniques out of about 300…. So it’s a life long thing really.  I guess I just want to get better – more accurate – more experiential. 

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

I have a few books ‘The Drawing Book’ by Tania Kovats – my old tutor, and a book of ‘Rachel Whitereads Drawings’ are two of my faves I love to brows through.  I have a slight wayward rout to a final idea – colourless drawings seem to inspire my brightly coloured prints…????

Monochrome or multi-coloured?

For me… My prints – super multi coloured all the way!

Thanks Alice, we love the colours you use and the range of products that your designs can be found on. 

Alice Rolfe's work is currently featured in the second volume of The Print Shop, which runs until September 29th. If you can, please do pop by the shop to see all our printmakers' work for real... the computer images never really does their work justice!

 The Print Shop

Unit 6

Quakers Friars

Cabot Circus

Bristol

BS1 3BU

Open Daily

Mon - Sat 10am - 6pm

Sun 11am - 5pm

Meet the Printmaker - Carrie Love

Please can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about your work…
What sort of prints do you make?
I make large scale lino cuts, and have experimented with plywood carving as well to achieve the scale I want.  At the moment large rolls of lino are my favorite medium. I focus on portraiture and the human figure to convey as much of the positivity of human beings as possible. My work is mainly linear and I love the textures from the cutting tools that keeps the print as much like my original drawing as possible. I am experimenting more with the possibilities and vagueries of monoprinting for the ‘colouring in’ which keeps each print unique.

Are you solely a printmaker or do you work in any other creative fields?
I also love constructing objects and creating spaces, I work in set design and prop making and also teach art at Forest Schools. I also have a cartoon strip “Lally” at www.carrielovecreative.co.uk which is my illustration website.

What is your earliest recollection of making a print and what made you to want to do more?
I had a fabulous teacher when I was 11 who taught me the core skills of drawing from life, and lino cut printmaking. I won a Cadbury’s Childrens Art award from a piece I made with his assistance and always loved the way reduction printing (multiple colours from one print plate) made my head feel a bit bendy. After years of being a commission artist and realizing I had lost all joy in the creative process, I dug back in my heart to remember what really used to get me excited, and it was clear… Lino Cuts!

What inspires you and are there any themes or ideas that often run through your work? Yes, female identity is my core passion to explore.  I have been overwhelmed in the past as to where to start, but these days I focus on the positives, and I start with my friends who are beacons of inspiration to me and I hope, others. The women I portray are grounded and at home in their bodies, sexually vibrant and yet not for the viewer’s approval. They are business women, pioneering healers, and courageous explorers of life skills and authenticity. My wish and driving force is to widen the gratitude and public celebration of the diverse qualities of women in our society.

Studio with commissioned props for Stills in Time photography

Could you give us an insight into where you work – your studio/workspace and where you print?
Yes I am based at BV studios in Bedminster, a fabulous space of creative energy and community. I share my studio with some amazingly talented and focussed women who are very tolerant of my mess.

 Desk space, including plywood print plate for “Jo of the Earth”

The work of which other printmaker/s do you admire?
Swoon is undoubtedly the master of portrait printwork for me, and she gave me total permission to go LARGE! Funny how I never had thought it possible before discovering her. I met her a few years ago and she is phenomenal.. so grounded and just…herself.

I also love Tracey Emin’s  scratchy monoprints and Anita Klein’s strong line and domestic intimacy.

Printmaking is made up of lots of different processes, which aspect do you enjoy the most?
I love the carving and the regular trips to the chiropractor after a large project…

Do you have a favourite tool or something you find invaluable when printing?
Posca pens or acrylic ink to draw onto the lino surface.

Can you share a little printing trick or secret with us?
Cut AWAY from your body and carve in the sun whilst sunbathing if at all possible (warm lino is MUCH easier to cut).

How would you like to develop your printmaking skills in the future?
I am coming up with cunning plans that involve heavy rolling things so I can use heavier papers. Other than that, ways to incorporate more collage into the end piece, I love mixing techniques.

Which printed publication do you most look forward to thumbing through?
Sunday paper magazines.

Monochrome or multi-coloured?
There’s more fear in colour for me, and I am attracted to exploring that, as well as being in love with simple black line.



Thanks Carrie. We love the texture and impressive scale of your prints. Thank you for taking the time to give us an inside look at the story behind them.

Carrie Love's work is currently featured in the second volume of The Print Shop, which runs until September 29th. If you can, please do pop by the shop to see all our printmakers' work for real... the computer images never really does their work justice! 

The Print Shop

Unit 6

Quakers Friars

Cabot Circus

Bristol

BS1 3BU

Open Daily

Mon - Sat 10am - 6pm

Sun 11am - 5pm

Meet the Printmaker - Elena Ortiz

Introducing Elena Ortiz, a member of the Drawn in Bristol screen printing studio and an individual who takes inspiration from so much of the world around us. 

Please can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about your work… What sort of prints do you make?
Hello, I’m Elena Ortiz and I like to observe and capture my everyday life. I come from sunny Spain but I’m currently living in the cloudy but lovely Bristol. I was very lucky to study Fine Arts and Printmaking in Porto and Valencia where I nurtured my love for Graphic Art. As soon as I finished, I moved to London where I had the opportunity of working in and learning more about printmaking. I like to jump from one printing technique to another depending on the nature of the image.

Elena Ortiz printmaking

Are you solely a printmaker or do you work in any other creative fields?
I feel comfortable with both photography and printmaking, although I don’t think that fields are separated by fences. My prints drink from my photographs and the other way around. I’m constantly trying to learn new things –my next target is ceramics!

What is your earliest recollection of making a print and what made you to want to do more?
I started printmaking in Porto, Portugal. I studied a year of University there and the workshops were amazing. I remember printing my first engraving, I will never forget when I pulled up the paper and saw the drawing of the feather printed in the paper –it was magic! Since that moment I knew I wanted THAT in my life, I wanted to learn as much as I could of the different techniques of printmaking.

What inspires you and are there any themes or ideas that often run through your work?
Looking through the window in the morning, having breakfast, passing by houses down the street, windows, doors, taking off and landing in airplanes, a song, coach journeys, the sea, rivers, plants, cities, maps … I don’t really have a theme, I’m just trying to portray my living.

Could you give us an insight into where you work – your studio/workspace and where you print?
Since I live abroad I haven’t had a proper studio. I work in my kitchen, the living room and when it’s not too cold, in my room. While living in London, I used to print at London Print Studio and here in Bristol the comfy Drawn in Bristol’s print studio.

The work of which other printmaker/s do you admire? 
I won’t say the ones I admire most because there are tons and I’m pretty bad with names but I will say the first one that I admired: Blexbolex.

Printmaking is made up of lots of different processes, which aspect do you enjoy the most?
The process, getting my hands dirty, mixing inks, inking, discovering new techniques and touching the paper.

Do you have a favourite tool or something you find invaluable when printing? 
An apron –I’ve been using the same since I started University and it’s kind of my good luck charm.

Can you share a little printing trick or secret with us? 
Always use the chamois with the non fluffy side.

How would you like to develop your printmaking skills in the future?
I haven’t got a plan, I just want to experiment and see how it goes. What I definitely want to try is screen printing in ceramics.

Which printed publication do you most look forward to thumbing through?
I would love to see the original screen printed Praia-mar by Bernardo Carvalho.

Monochrome or multi-coloured?
Depending on the day but probably I would say monochrome if I had to choose.

Thanks Elena, what an interesting read! We love the range of printing processes you use, and it's great to hear about what inspires you. 

If you haven't already, do pop into The Print Shop to see a number of Elena's print pieces, as well as work from a host of other talented printmakers.

The Print Shop

Unit 6

Quakers Friars

Cabot Circus

Bristol

BS1 3BU

Open Daily

Mon - Sat 10am - 6pm

Sun 11am - 5pm

Last chance to book into our mono-printing workshop on 4th September

Artist: Sophie Rae 
Monoprinting with Stencils
Max Group size 8 (Min-4)
£25 per workshop

4th September

25th September

6 - 9pm

www.sophie-rae.com 

Sophie Rae has a BA (Hons) degree in Illustration from The Arts University Bournemouth.

Sophie has developed her own unique way of printmaking. After sketching out her designs she carefully cuts them into stencils. Then she mixes her oil-based inks to create beautiful colours.

The stencils are placed onto the paper and a roller is used to apply the ink through the gaps, gradually building up layers of shapes until the image is complete.

In this Workshop the group will learn how to make a set of five greeting cards or a larger print using Sophie's mono printing technique.

To book a place please email printshopbristol@gmail.com

Last chance to sign up to our 'Intro to Linocut' workshop

Artist: Kerry Day
Intro to Linocut
£60, including Equipment
Max 8 students (min 4).
2 sessions on 3rd & 10th September, 6:30 to 9pm.

This workshop will introduce you to the art of relief printing.
Using Japanese cutting tools you will create single colour prints from a Lino plate.
You will learn the basics of lino-cutting and hand burnishing techniques which will add
tone and texture to your work.
By the end of the 2 sessions you will be able to continue printing from home without the
need of expensive equipment.

To book a place please email printshopbristol@gmail.com