Prints Oh So Charming

Painter and printmaker Carole King is curator for the new Sticky Fingers exhibition at Oriel Q in Narberth.

This show of 80 prints is of original print work ranging from etchings, through monotype and collagraph to serigraphs, from artists across Wales

Carol’s interest in printmaking began at teacher training college in Cambridge where she produced a series of images based on curtains blowing in the breeze.  She says of the experience: “It all seemed quite magical to me.”

She continued to develop her skills by working on a kitchen table, designing, and printing the family Christmas card. Now Carole has a dedicated space housing a screenprinting bed (purchased through eBay from Wakefield College of Art) and a portable roller etching press suitable for producing relief prints, monotypes, drypoints and collagraphs.

Now a much respected resource for would-be printmakers, she teaches  a variety of printmaking techniques through her workshops which take place in Surrey, at her studio in Newcastle Emlyn and at Oriel Q.

“It is always a pleasure to see the sheer joy on a student’s face when a successful print has emerged from between press rollers. I feel I can share in their achievement at that moment.”

Carole is also a bookbinder and sees printmaking as integral to that activity. “I design my own covers and print them on a silkscreen bed in my studio. I employ my printmaking skills to produce the covers, printing my own designs. The bookbinding grew out of a need to make sketchbooks at college, where I used prints which were not of exhibitable standard.” Her quality control level is set to high.

You can buy Carole’s books – blank sketchbooks, notebooks, wedding photograph albums, address books – each with their own handprinted cover papers.

Much of the of artwork on display utilises media and techniques which would have been familiar to Dürer, Rembrandt and Hokusai. Scratching, gouging, and biting into surfaces with acid. “There is something satisfyingly timeless to the activity, though the products of these endeavours are resolutely contemporary as the methods keep evolving.”

If you get a chance, do go along and enjoy this excellent and varied show.

Carole says: ”Across all subject matter there really is something for everyone – whether they themselves have sticky fingers or not…”

The exhibition is on until the 10 September; Wed-Sat, 10am-4pm.

More information: https://www.orielqnarberth.com