traceystokesprint

Hi!  I'm Tracey Stokes!  I am a Print Maker from Weston-super-Mare.

I have always been ‘into’ the visual arts since my school days, not really knowing what part I was keen on most. My early college qualifications first introduced me to the world of printmaking. Initially, my interest was within the textile screen printing area but I had also touched on the relief and intaglio areas of printing of which I became very interested. I reignited my interest more recently in these areas several years ago after attending evening courses at Spike Island Print Studio.

After attending college, I moved to Leeds to complete a degree in Surface Pattern and Textile Design. Not long after this, I had my beautiful children and I moved back down to the West Country with my husband. Family life took over and nothing became of my degree.

As soon as my children were of school age, I gained an Art Technician position at a local secondary school, the experience of that which, along with my other qualifications led me to a job of Print and Multimedia Technician at a local college. It is since working at the college that my interest in printmaking really took off. I realise that I am in a fortunate position where I am surrounded by enthusiastic students on a daily basis who want to learn various methods of printmaking, amongst other things. I love to show others how techniques are worked to produce amazing results and how even if they are not that amazing, how to make them better! My own work is further enhanced by the addition in my studio of a brand new Rollaco etching press.

Much of my earlier work has been drawn toward the press monotype method of printing. I love the spontaneity of the mono printing process. It can be quite ‘hit and miss’, producing imagery that is not necessarily intentional. The unpredictability of not quite knowing how it will turn out is very appealing to me. I take a lot of pleasure in the techniques I experiment with and feel I am always constantly learning and developing. As this is a process I have not really expanded on before, I am enjoying the challenge. In contrast, I also like the more measured technique of etching. This precise method of printing involves many steps to obtain the outcome desired and I enjoy the processes involved.

Recently I have gained an MA in Multidisciplinary Printmaking. This has drawn me more towards the screen printing processes. I enjoy the act of mark making to produce the imagery to put on a screen and to work with hand drawn methods. Whilst printing, I use screen exposed shapes, patterns and paper stencils to layer up my images on the paper intuitively whilst thinking about composition, placement and a limited colour palette.

Texture, pattern and mark making using lots of different objects to draw with play a large part of my practice from sketchbook to final print.

Please get in touch if you are interested in any of my work.