Why Do I Do Printmaking?
Why Do I Do Printmaking?
Art has always been important to me. Even when I stopped making it - I felt a loss.
The short answer to the question is that I love it but it goes deeper than that. After having my daughter, I did what a lot of mums do and made my every moment about her. For the whole of maternity leave, I was Mum and nothing else. Don’t get me wrong - I am incredibly grateful and proud to be Mum. It is one of the most wonderful things I have ever experienced, but that’s one part of me and I didn’t realise that for a while.
When maternity leave ended, I went back to my teaching job part time. This allowed me to still have days with my gorgeous girl and go back to some sort of normal ‘me-ness’. It was hard learning to juggle it but it soon felt like I had never been away. For a year I chugged on, tired and feeling like something wasn’t right. My friends noticed something was off but I couldn’t put my finger on what. Turns out I was experiencing depression. The realisation was like being hit by a train but oddly a relief at the same time.
One of my friends told me to do my art again. “But what about my child?”, I asked. “It’ll be good for her to see it.”, she said. And do you know what? She was right - it has been amazing.
That Christmas, I used money from my dad to buy an essdee lino printing kit and never looked back. My husband was despairing at the kitchen constantly being covered in art materials so had the potting shed turned into an art studio. My daughter and I have bonded over art - we share the art studio, we have a shared passion and she is in awe of me. It’s quite amazing.
The Joy
I can’t not smile while printmaking - even if I do look slightly deranged. Who cares?
It has also inspired other people in my life. I got the most amazing message from my cousin saying that he was going to start printing again, a friend of mine started crafting again, another friend has started sketch booking and journalling with her daughter and the children in my school love having a real artist amongst them.
The Sketchbook Club
This has been a fab way to share my passion with others. Grab a pencil and get sketching.
All that time ago I thought it was selfish to take time for me. In actual fact, it has made me a better person to be around, helped me cope with depression and anxiety and inspired others. So many amazing reasons to keep doing it.
Me outside The Aviary Gallery in Jesmond, where I had my first professional exhibition.