Hello and welcome to my first ramblings of a newsletter

Happy connections with nature through walking and art

Hello and welome from Yorkshire where in the beautiful coastal village of Staithes I live and work as a full time artist - Painter, Printmaker & Book Maker

Through Nature Monotype Print, Collage Painting and Handmade Artists Books I keep a continuous thread to nature, observe and record passing seasons and walked through landscapes

Everything starts with a walk, some are no more than a short stroll or wander, others take me into the landscape for hours and longer distance walks for days. I have no favourite, all find me at the right time and place.

Through these posts I hope to share walks and some of the art work that has come from them along with an insight of my studio practice and some of the processes I use.

PRINTMAKING

Through printmaking I make original botanical prints directly from the wildflowers, grasses and leaves that can be found and gathered whilst walking. Each piece I produce is totally unique, a rare and original treasure printed to last into the future.

Nature print is a wonderful way to record the beauty of the natural plant kingdom. The dreamy quality coming from the combined mix of plant, ink and the surface of the different papers used produces ethereal, calming and timeless art which I capture in prints and artists books.

Every print I make is a unique piece however I often work in series.

COLLAGE PAINTING

Whilst my printmaking is all about the close up natural details of a landscape my collage paintings allow me to explore the wider view. In my paintings I bring in the colour of nature and the energy of the land.  Combining watercolour painting with nature print and painted collage papers I create expressive memories of the landscape I have walked through. Where possible I like to use papers printed with plants from the specific walk they are depicting. This is not always possible and all of my paintings include a big dollop of playfulness and imagination.

ARTISTS BOOKS

Many moons ago I studied for my PGCE at Goldsmiths in London. It was a fantastic course and printmaking and book making was a key ingredient. Handmade books were highly valued as an important tool in the classroom, a way of enabling children to value their work and through this their self worth.

I have always enjoyed the slow nature of book making. My little artists books have no text, no words. It is important for me that the plants themselves create the narrative. The use of chance in their making and the folds the reader makes with the book in the hands reveals a slow unwritten story. Nature and Imagination combined.

I hope this first and somewhat clumsy ramble has been readable to you and gives a little insight into what I am about.

New original monotype prints, paintings and handmade books are added to my shop once a week usually on a weekend

Stef Mitchell Shop

Thanks for reading my first Stef Mitchell News Letter. The writing in future posts will be about my walks in nature and art that comes from these walks and some of the processes used. Subscribe for free.

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