About
I started printmaking in 2002 when I was living in Venice and was fascinated by the dark inky print studios. I learnt etching, mezzotint, and woodcut at Stamperia Albrizzi and Stamperia del Tintoretto. When I returned to Devon in 2005 I continued to print at Double Elephant Print Workshop in Exeter, where I am now Outreach Coordinator and one of the directors.
I use portable presses and printmaking equipment to take printing out of the studio and to groups who couldn’t otherwise access it – schools, prisons, hospitals, galleries, festivals and community groups. I am particularly interested in printmaking and mental health. In 2008 I established a Print-on-Prescription scheme to give adults dealing with mental health issues the opportunity to explore printmaking on a weekly basis and use professional printmaking facilities.
Most of my own prints incorporate monotype drawings – I love the smoky loose lines and I now work predominantly with screenprint as it enables me to use both flat colour, delicate patterns, drawings and to repeat designs on both fabric and paper.
Inspired by the European tradition of papercutting and silhouettes – particularly the papercuts of Hans Christian Andersen – much of my current work starts with designs cut with blades and is then transferred onto screens so I can experiment with colours and repeat patterns. I don’t want to ever stray too far from the tactile process of sticky black ink, damp paper and rolling plates through the etching press though because that’s where the fun stuff happens.
I live in Devon and like convoys, manskills, making cider, gondoliers, wolves and Wang Chung.
For more information on Print-on-Prescription or the work of Double Elephant Print Workshop in Exeter please visit www.doubleelephant.org.uk
If you have any queries about my work, prints, wallhangings or wallpaper please don’t hesitate to contact me. I undertake commissions for wallpaper, illustrations and other handprinted projects. emmamolony@hotmail.com
