Inspired by the microscopic view of illegal fuel dumping into my local river, this series uses monoprints to expose the hidden beauty and devastation beneath the surface.
It’s been a while but after my solo show in Kilkenny, I am now getting ready for my next solo show in An Cultúrlann, Belfast (the opening night is the Thursday 7th August 2025). I find it so hard to type and create work at the same time so hence the laptop has taken second place to the studio- anyone else the same???
As a painter, I just can’t paint. I need to run through sooooo many processes before I actually put the brush in my hand and look at the canvas. There was a while back, while I was still working in my real job (and getting paid a real wage) …lol… I found myself afraid to work on canvas. I found it so ‘final’ and ‘real’- if you get me? Because I had limited time in the studio, I didn’t feel confident enough in me or my painting, so to ‘waste’ it on an actual canvas was just a mortal sin!!!! So, I worked on paper for a few years until eventually (after I bit the bullet and left work to concentrate on my art practice) I knew it felt time to go back to canvas. I still however, can’t go straight into painting as I need to loosen up, get an idea in my head, work out a colour, shape and form strategy.
So, back to the task in hand and stop whittering on, I hear you say.... I had worked through inks and different types of papers, (see the previous post), always referencing the photomicrographic images and as I said, the circle or circular ‘form’ was always present. I wanted to see now, how could I now translate these further? Into monoprints? I wanted another way to produce form and colour and thought my ideas would transition into ‘print’ form really well (a monoprint is a unique form of printmaking where only one image is produced). I had originally joined the Creative Spark Print Studio in Dundalk where I did a print course that covered all types of printmaking to see what ones I liked. Monoprinting was the one that I really enjoyed, as to me, it was the closest to painting but still gave that ‘flat’ solid form that I liked about print making. I imagined that it would give me my first layer so that I could work into it but also the surprise (which I hate and love at the same time) of not knowing truly what it would look like until I pulled the print.
So that is what I did. I spent a few weeks in Creative Spark experimenting with colour and form. I always came back to purple and green as they were the colours that showed up in the original photomicrographic images.
