Karen Menarry

Printmaker

I have been a practicing artist since leaving art college as a mature student in 2013. My love of printmaking was rekindled here and this has been my mainstay ever since.

I’m interested in all forms of printmaking but the process that interests me the most is the reduction linocut method. I find this technique challenges my logical thought processes as well as my artistic ones. The need to do both seems crucial to my creative process.

My subject matter is mostly based on landscapes of Dumfries and Galloway, especially its coastline. This is where I live and I’m inspired by its gentle rolling hills and forests and it’s beautiful, stunning coastal scenery. I’m also inspired by places I visits on my travels around Scotland.

My creative process involves visiting my chosen site on various occasions in different weathers and at different times, to see how the light changes the image. I take sketchbook and pens and will quickly draw scenes to see which composition works best and take photographs. I also make colour notations and use all three methods to work from back in my studio.