Skip to main content

John Howard Print Studios at The Poly

Myself, Kayleigh and Emma went to the Private view of John Howard Print studios at the Poly this evening. John was my tutor on foundation and along with the wonderful technicians Becky and Jane helped me find a love for the process of print-making. My practice is focussed on etching but I always love to learn new print-making processes and am fascinated by how much there is out there.

Upon arriving the room was buzzing with people looking at the work. Ranging from detailed etchings to eccentricly coloured woodcuts. I came away once again feeling motivated and inspired by the process of printmaking

As always the work of Becky Haughton caught my eye. She has a great ability to both work successfully on large and small scale. These two in particular caught my eye because of the use of mark-making and colour. The intricate size of these etchings makes the viewer appreciate each mark that has been carefully placed on the plate. I find the smaller work more appealing because it is more intimate and allows the viewer to engage with the work in a different way to larger scaled work.

The structure within her work is beautiful. The use of shapes and tone really creates a sense a textured scene which captures scenes people might overlook. It is though this repetition of mark-making that she is able to build up and create these scenes.

Becky Haughton

Becky Haughton 

Other work in the exhibition which appealed to me was the work of Lesley Harry. Living by the sea for over a year now has made me look at it in news ways. I now appreciate the movement and rhythm of the sea as I find it calming and often sit by the coast for hours at a time just taking in my surroundings. Lesley's work captured this sense of rhythm to me and the idea of tranquil landscape which is dominated by organic structures. The patterns and marks within the work are stunning and whenever I see the work of Lesley I am inspired to try and recreate this within my own work. 

Lesley Harry 

I was so fortunate last year to have John Howard as my tutor on Foundation. We had a day where he came in and talked about his work and brought in original prints and copper etching plates. I still remember seeing the copper plate for the first time and learning about the process and time he takes to manipulatie the plate. For me, the plate is as beautiful as the print because you are working with different metals and you never know quite what you're going to get. The amount of time and effort John puts into his practice and that of others is really inspiring. He motivates me to keep drawing and better myself as an artist. 


John Howard

The exhibition is currently on display at the Poly in Falmouth. I really recommend that you go and see it. I came away feeling so motivated to get back into the print room. All the best for those who have work on display. 

http://www.johnhowardprintmaker.com/index.html 







Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Artist Talks: Sophie Eliza

I first saw Sophie's work on Instagram, she has recently graduated from Falmouth University. I love her use of colour and shape combination in her collages. She has a great eye for combining these to create striking pieces of work. I caught up with her to learn more about her influences and why she loves to create work.  What have you learnt about yourself while studying at Falmouth University? I found out what really drives my art. Before I started, I was very confused and didn't really know what I was trying to communicate. The second year of uni came around and I suddenly felt I knew what it was all about. Collage just kind of erupted everywhere.  This is my favourite piece of Sophie's work. I think the combination of found imagery and colours works so well together.  What artists/designers influence your practice? Well, lets start with the big names... Kandinsky, Josef Albers... Bridget Riley.  Composition , colour... they're just all so inspirational i

Artist Talks: Phoebe Atkey

Phoebe Atkey is a talented artist whose work I first saw on Instagram. Her commitment and enthusiasm for the arts is very inspiring. Her detailed drawings and attention to detail is what makes her stand out. Phoebe currently has over 25,000 followers in Instagram where she often uploads work. I interviewed Phoebe to gain more of an insight to her interests and how she creates such beautiful works using a variety of media. How often do you draw?  I try to draw everyday, even if it is just 15 minutes. What artists influence you?  I have always been interested in children’s book illustrations especially those of Quentin Blake and Ernest Shepherd. These two artists inspired me to draw from a very young age. As I have got older, I have also become interested in the works of Saul Bass, Herbert Leupin and Paul Rand. Do you see yourself going to Art School?  I would like to try getting into the industry without going to uni. However, I am lucky to live near an extremely good a

Phyllida Barlow at the Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh

I've spent the last week in Edinburgh where I visited some great exhibitions. I went to to my favourite gallery in Edinburgh, The Fruitmarket Gallery. The first exhibition I saw here was by the Artist Gabriel Orozco. His work has had a huge impact on my own practice, his use of shape and colour really intrigued me. Upon first seeing the display of Barlow's work I was struck at how the gallery had made amazing use of the space. Her work is dominating and powerful.                                  'Set' at the Edinburgh Fruitmarket Gallery 2015                                                         Her use of materials was very clever and the combination of plastic, paper and wood etc. showed a great contrast making each individual element stand out. I was enticed all around the gallery space as the sculptures connected from room to room and even spilling out into the upstairs of the gallery space. There was a really fluidity to how the exhibition has been presen