Empty Print

Emma Lawrenson ARE (British printmaker.) 1973 My passion for printmaking began in 1991.Several years later I was lucky enough to study for an M.A at the Royal College of Art, which was an experience that has shaped my life ever since. I work from my Yorkshire countryside studio, where I endeavour to create thoughtful and harmonious pieces (some geometrical, others more fluid, tactile and organic) with a carefully considered approach to form and space. I approach printmaking as a recording process of ideas, feelings and moments in time; where inspiration is gathered from the changing seasons and fabric of the landscape. I try to preserve these moments and memories through layering and hand-drawn marks, with interactions of subtle colour. I see colour as the poetic language that binds it all together and I work with it intuitively to create ‘quiet’ prints with a feeling of calm. I begin each print by hand-drawing every stencil. The drawings themselves are relatively simple in structure and execution. However it is the whole process of building up the prints, little by little, layer by layer that fascinates me. The formal qualities of printmaking and engagement with the process is what holds the beauty and soul of a finished piece. Some prints are worked into afterwards with pencils or conté crayons. I enjoy making smaller prints that act as a visual diary or ‘sketchbook’ of ideas on old pages, printed spontaneously alongside making works on paper. This process attempts to invite unknowns. It’s more organic, and ‘records’ a specific time where the work is made by chance. These pieces feed back into my work and are a secondary source of inspiration. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My work has appeared in many magazines including ‘Vogue’, ‘House and Gardens’, ‘Art Review’, ‘Country Living’, ’25 Beautiful Homes’ amongst others. I have had work on film and television sets in America with Universal Studios.