Helen Clarke, contemporary Australian Printmaker with a passion for the environment
As a printmaker and producer of handmade, fine art, limited edition prints, Helen Clarke uses the mediums of etching and reduction linocuts to interpret the Australian landscape, flora and fauna. Her botanical interpretations are widely collected and acclaimed.
Helen spent her childhood on a farm in the wheatbelt of Western Australia and as
a child she explored the surrounding bushland which was rich in unique flora and fauna. It is not surprising that, as an artist, she is intrigued with the diversity and minutiae of the landscape in which she discovers something new on a daily basis.
Helen's current works are detailed hand-coloured etchings of fruits, seeds and pods and complicated reduction lino prints exploring the flora and landscapes of Australia. Other works include those inspired by her two year voyage around Australia on a cruising yacht.
Statement:
I am fascinated by the process of seasonal change in the Australian landscape. Careful investigation of the world around me reveals so much that is exciting
The varying mediums of printmaking
enable me to express my ideas and create images about my local and distant environment which is increasingly fragile and endangered.
Woody Pear
I chose the name Woody Pear for my website as it is one of the iconic Australian plants from the Proteaceae family. There are 5 species of this amazing plant, Xylomelum sp. which are only found in Australia. They all have woody fruits which look like a grey, wooden pear and split when ripe to expel the winged seeds. The local species in my area is Xylomelum angustifolium or Sandplain Woody Pear.
Seed pods from the
Sandplain Woody Pear
August 2010
The show in Alice Springs is a matter of days away. I am organising four lino printing workshops there: one at Central Craft and others at OPBG and a private home. My new portable press works beautifully and is a breeze to transport around.
I will be running workshops again from the home studio, commencing October 2010. Should there be interest in Printmaking Workshops in a variety of techniques including etching, collographs and lino printing, please contact me. In any season there are things of interest in the bush and we can travel to local bushland to search out native flora which can be used as inspiration for artwork.
I now have selected works available at Papyrus Gallery in Leura, in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Thanks to Ian and Marianne!
Kingfisher Gallery, West Perth will host the next show in August, 2011.
This new linoprint, 'Wild Orange', recently won a prize for Best Work on Paper at the local Morawa Art Award.
The new portable press which is so easy to transport to workshops.
