The Way I work
Making an Aquatint Print
Almost all of the prints on show are aquatints and you can see why I love it!
However, making a print is not as easy as you may think – and it’s all done by hand!
You can see what’s involved in a video of me printing an ‘Out of the Blue’ print on YouTube:
Click on this link http://youtu.be/leW-Mrh9n4M to see it.
I should say that this 5-minute video is a heavily edited print – it takes me at least 45 minutes to make a print.
Many thanks to my daughter in law Seeta Lingham for being producer, camera person and editor.
I haven’t shown the effort involved in making the plates, because it’s a cure for insomnia. Print – when you work on metal – is an experimental medium. It may take up to a month and literally dozens of proofs (each time I alter the image on the metal) until I – mostly – get what I want.
However, all that effort is worth it!
The medium is absolutely perfect for illustrating aspects that interest me most – colour, light and movement. This influences my subject matter: the swirling patterns of birds in flight; patterns of reflection and movement in water; fish gliding in dark but richly coloured depths.
About me
I went to the London College of Printing in 1963-1967, and then worked as a graphic designer in the 60s and 70s.
In 1984 I started full time as an artist, specialising as a printmaker in etchings – both line and aquatint.
I have taught print at the LCP and for the Outreach programme of Dulwich Picture Gallery’s Education Department.
I have also had commissions for complete editions destined for P&O liners: Oriana, The Pride of Rotterdam, The Pride of Hull and Queen Mary 2.
My Studio
I share a lovely studio in South London with other printmakers. We work mainly in line etching and aquatint.
Our new studio is a railway arch in the middle of Herne Hill in South London. It’s light and airy and there are congenial artisans all around.
You are welcome to visit by appointment. Just call me to arrange a visit and to find out how to get here. It’s just 5 minutes from Herne Hill Station
Susie
Mobile: + 44 (0) 7817 76 27 80