Art @ Crafts Alive

Having initially studied Fine ArtI took up printmaking about ten years ago. I work mainly from my small
studio at home in the Bannau Brycheiniog, producing, limited editions by
hand, on a Little John Press.

I employ a variety of techniquesusing colour and monochrome. I love the different qualities each process brings to the image - from the fine line of a dry point, to the rich
colour of a monoprint; the tonality of etching, and the sharp, vibrant cut
of wood or lino.

Recently I have beenexperimenting with Mezzo tint, a process, where you start with a completely etched plate –a solid dark tone and gradually scrape back to the metal to produce the lighter tones, giving the print an atmospheric quality.

For me, painting is aboutcommunication, exploration, discovery and above all, celebration. I am aiming to share the joy I get when I walk out of my door into the amazing world we live in; to share a celebration of the individuals and events I encounter in my daily life.

‘One of our most talentedwildlife artists’ Sir David Attenborough.

Based near Porthryd, Viv uses a Littlejohn Press to produce limited edition prints, mainly of birds but also of local scenes. She works with a variety of techniques and accepts commissions.

Having had abackground in teaching where the artistic and creative aspect was a great passion of mine, on leaving the profession I was able to continue and further my love of all things creative.

My other passions are travelling, camping and my golden retriever has led me all over the UK and Europe, beachcombing the coast for sea glass, pebbles, driftwood and all sorts of natural materials that the sea makes beautiful. Each find is thrilling, especially if it's aparticularly vibrant colour or smooth, beautiful shape. Equally as thrilling is creating artwork from the discarded pieces made beautiful by the sea. I incorporate these into simple and quirky greetings cards and pictures that hopefully make people smile and have a little bit of our beautiful coast in their home.