I am an artist/ printmaker, living in London. I spend many happy hours producing Collagraphs, Linocut, Monoprint, Drypoints and Solar Plate Etchings.

I am particularly interested in including texture in my prints and I love the embossed look of collagraph plates. It adds another dimension to the print.

Collagraph printing plates can be made from anything that will go through the press and will not damage the blankets or rollers. This could include cardboard, paper, textured wallpaper, sandpaper, sand, tea leaves, coffee grounds, rice, couscous, string, glue, acrylic mediums, gesso, paint, varnish - the list is endless! It is a great way of recycling.

Every item used in the printing plate will hold a different amount of ink and therefore print a different tone. The more texture an item has the more ink it holds eg. Sand will print very dark, gesso will print a middle tone, whereas varnish will print very light.

Once everything is securely glued to the printing plate, it is sealed with acrylic varnish,to make it more durable.

The plate can be printed intaglio or relief or both. The way the plate is inked and wiped determines the tones within the image.

I use good quality printmaking paper and Caligo Safewash inks, which are oil based but can be cleaned with washing up liquid and hot water. This cuts down on the amount of white spirit used and makes them more Eco-friendly.