Christine Taylor
I have had the pleasure of attending a number of Printmaking courses with you both including Monoprint, Acrylic Resist Etching and more recently Photo-etching. These courses have been extremely valuable, informing my current art studies which include a part time Fine Art Degree course at Newcastle College.
I especially enjoy the layering, experimenting with texture, colour and playing with light which are all part of the printmaking process. Making my own gifts for friend's and family is delightful and I would recommend printmaking for young and old alike.

Mandy Pattullo
Drawing is at the centre of my practice as an artist and I have been impressed with the way I have been able to use mark making effectively through etching processes. In recent years I have primarily used photo-etching and so am able to use pen and ink, resists, sticks and paint to create expressive marks on paper or phorographic film and produce multiple copies of the original drawing. I love the way you can individualise each print with changes of colour and through the use of Chine Colle ( a collage technique) which suits my experimental approach

Jane Cunliffe
I first attended the Centre for Lifelong Learning in the late 90s, primarily for my own personal creative development in the area of printmaking. The classes inspired me tremendously, so much so, I took what I learned into the art room at school. This was firstly at Walbottle Campus and now at Durham Johnston School. I so enjoy teaching printmaking and the students are responding very enthusiastically. In February our department are taking groups of Sixth Form students to Horsley Studios for 2 Print Workshops. My thanks to Rebecca and Carole for their excellent tuition and support.

Dorothy Allister
Monoprinting was, for me, a revelation. The sheer joy of producing gloriously coloured prints by this simple method was enough to ensure a sleepless night, my mind racing with numerous ideas for the following day’s work. I completed the weekend course exhausted and elated in equal measure. Collagraphs proved equally fascinating. Requiring a little more thought and preparation, the possibilities are endless. When printing there is a strong element of serendipity which only serves to heighten anticipation. Perhaps some happy accident has transformed your work into something totally breathtaking. Magic!

Meg Hogg
My interest in monoprinting began at my weekly calligraphy class. Judith, a fellow student, brought along some of her monoprints which she’d done at the Hearth Arts Centre at Horsley. Her work was excellent, especially the ‘ghost’ prints using leaves and ferns. I couldn’t wait to learn more about this wonderful craft. A few weeks later I was taking part in a weekend course: it was a thrilling experience. As an ex art teacher with a knowledge of arts and crafts, I was learning something new and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed the course, especially seeing the results which were achieved – some amazing designs in beautiful, vibrant colours. I look forward to having another go!

David Ford
My particular approach to printmaking utilises the chemistry of the process to uncover images that are not at the foreground of my intention … alchemy perhaps. The interaction of hands and materials with the interface of ‘the unknown’ (what happens in the etching bath) promotes an exciting and challenging descriptive mode. These etchings are more than illustrations of ideas and I hope some sense of that mystery comes across.
Working in a group situation with people of varying abilities exploring their potential, is very rewarding.
These are very accurate digital reproductions of the etchings.

Gavin Sanderson
Before I attended a printmaking course with Horsley Printmakers at Newcastle University I had done very little printmaking for a long period. The courses were inspiring and highly productive, with the teacher sensitive to the needs of each individual member of the group. I rediscovered an interest in lino-cuts and etching, and after participating in a number of courses over the past three years have gained a lot of stimulus as well as practical knowledge. It is truly fascinating to see how each member of the printmaking group develops themes in their oeuvre, and how they experiment with various printmaking techniques. It is also highly valuable to learn from others how to frame and exhibit finished prints.

Ann Bayliss
A Saturday class on monoprinting in 1999 revived an earlier interest of mine in printmaking. Since then I have experimented with a variety of printing techniques: etching, photo-etching, drypoint, collagraphs, screen-printing. Each technique has its own particular characteristics and for me part of the pleasure in printmaking is discovering these differences and deciding which technique is most suitable for a particular idea. At the moment I am particularly interested in acrylic-resist etching which is an extremely versatile method. It allows for the building up of quite complex layers of tone and texture which give depth and subtlety to a design.

Cherie Steele
Since completing a Fine Art degree in 1997, I had no artistic outlet until going on one of the CLL printmaking courses a few years ago. I now attend courses regularly and have rediscovered my creativity. Rebecca’s expert tuition and encouragement have helped me to develop my skills and a passion for printmaking, especially photo-etching and the flexibility it offers. Over the past two years I have even begun exhibiting and selling work in cafes and galleries.

Jill Arthey
Attending the printmaking courses has been an enlightening experience. I especially liked the venue "The Hearth" at Horsley as there was plenty of space and light in which to work. Printmaking has given me a freedom to express my creativity through a medium I hadn’t tried before in a relaxing atmosphere. I could achieve as much as I wanted to without any pressure.

Ann Hogarth
Printmaking is relatively new to me. In the last year I have attended several Horsley Printmakers courses and have learned a whole new way of approaching ‘picture making’ – in fact a whole new concept I had previously known nothing about! I enjoy the atmosphere of the sessions, the exchange of ideas with other students, and not least the friendly tuition which is given. By continuing to attend these courses, I hope to extend my knowledge and skill, as it would seem that there are many aspects of printmaking I have still to experience.

Mo Healy
I turn, and again return to printmaking with my work. Themes have naturally developed over eight years of practise. I find I can, for example, explore symbolism and motifs in nature both in a colourful monoprint abstract and with the complete absence of colour in a blind embossed collagraph.
I continue to find printmaking a very challenging, at times frustrating, but incredibly absorbing medium. I particularly enjoy the quiet work practice at the classes and meeting new and returning printmakers – under Rebecca’s supportive expertise.

Judi Postle
I embarked on a two day mono-printing course at Horsley Printmakers in July 2006,without much idea of what to expect.I have no art training so felt quite nervous. I found the atmosphere relaxed & friendly & soon settled in. I am interested in nature and gardening so took along dried fern leaves & grasses to use in my prints. I especially loved the excitement of seeing the prints hot off the press-as the results were impossible to predict (for me at least). Since then I have tried my hand at collographs,lino cuts and etching finding the experience fascinating,satisfying but above all enjoyable.

Mark Robinson
"Printmaking was something that I first approached largely out of curiosity. It has proved though to be just what I was looking for to breath new life into my art. Attending a course with Rebecca taught me not just a range of basic techniques. It opened my eyes to a variety of exciting creative possibilities and inspired me to go on and find and develop other techniques of my own. It also inspired me with the confidence to start taking the making of art seriously, as something more than just a stimulating hobby."

Jenny Mathers
Printmaking fulfils my need to experiment, to work through multiple steps in creating the right image to convey processes operating in the natural environment - such as the movement of objects in river or rockpool. I enjoy manipulating the etching process and the creativity afforded by choices of paper and colour in making a print.
Horsley Printmakers classes have given me the opportunity to learn new techniques, to push my practice forward in an atmosphere where ideas for future work and what is possible, can be discussed with Carol and Rebecca, from the standpoint of their artistic and technical expertise.

Louise Parker
I have attended several courses at Horsley Printmakers and have thoroughly enjoyed them all. Lovely surroundings, expert tuition and the company of like-minded and friendly fellow-students have combined to make every day at the Hearth productive and enjoyable. I have been able to brush up on my printmaking skills as well as develop and explore many new techniques and ideas with support and guidance; Carol and Rebecca offer friendly advice and encourage experimentation, as well as sharing a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Karen Willis
I find printmaking very exciting. I absolutely love to get the coloured inks out and layer them on to the metal plate then wipe off the ink and engraving into it creating texture and building up form - resulting in a unique work of art every time.It is magical to see the end result after going through the press like unwrapping a present.
Printmaking is very enjoyable. Firstly it is always good to do a course, it is confidence building and especially on a printmaking course you meet some lovely folk so that's always beneficial making new friends. The tutors are very helpful and you work at your own speed once you've learnt the basics and they are always willing to give advice or if you have any technical problems help to resolve them. Being small groups it is so much easier and you feel you can make quite a lot of progress even in one session. Printmaking has opened up a new door for me and I have so much more to discover. Personally at the moment I still love the process of monoprinting which is a very painterly approach to printing and very close to what I do being a painter. I love the act of mark making and the printmaking course has been very beneficial to me as a painter. So I'd recommend the printmaking courses to everyone, it's a fabulous experience and well worth giving it a go.

Hillary Edwards
Printmaking is interesting because the different techniques produce such varied affects. I like the immediacy and that the results of the print are a surprise. On the course I have been able to try out different styles and it has been a very enjoyable and fun experience.

Peter Saunders
Although photography provides a means of producing finished images, conveying all the artist may wish; it can also provide a begining to the photoetching process. It is this freedom to manipulate and 'push' the image in other directions that I find interesting about the photoetching experience.

Adele Burdon
I have thoroughly enjoyed learning printmaking with Carol and Rebecca. I have sampled monoprinting, collagraphs, lino cuts, etching and photo etching, which has given me an introduction to a wide variety of processes and techniques which were all new to me. I love experimenting and exploring the new methods of working and I have barely skimmed the surface of possibilities and leaving me hungry for more. I hope to enrol in more courses to progress my printmaking and develop my own work.

Louise Taylor
As a new media designer I spend my working day manipulating the digital on screen. Printmaking is my chance to get my hands dirty. It’s fun using my computer skills to create intricate Photoshop positive, but the end result is all the more enjoyable for the elbos grease you have to put in – the sanding, scraping, scrubbing and scrim. It’s the fact that every print is completely unique that really appeals to me; each one is someone’s labour of love. And you never know what you’re going to see when you lift the corner of that damp paper.

Sue Brophy
Printing:
A Discipline of my line in etching.
A Freedom in colour-field monoprinting.
A Choice of texture in collagraph and aquatint.
A Delight in the feel of lino-cut.
A Mixing of colour and the smell
A Surprise with each print.
A Need to do so much more.
A Total absorbtion in every process

June Drage
June studied Fine Art at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. After teaching art for a while and then establishing businesses in Graphics and Garden Design, she has continued to work in oils and watercolour.
Over the last few years she has been exploring etching through courses with the Centre for Lifelong Learning.
Her images are taken from landscapes and still life, sometimes directly and at other times using the camera to capture images.
She writes ‘I am interested in effects which commonly occur, often for only a moment in time; patches of light, superimposed views, scenes partially glimpsed through openings, shafts of light and multiple images, so that fleeting visual experiences can be captured.’

Linda Hinton
I attended 2 weekend collagraph and monoprinting courses at the Hearth at Horsley.
I enjoy collage, abstract design and colour, and with collagraphs and monoprinting, you can have them all. Though the results are sometimes unexpected, this is part of the charm of printmaking. It’s fun to experiment with endless techniques, and there is nothing like the thrill of seeing your print come off the press. The classes were small and friendly and there was lots of encouragement and support. Having a lovely café next door was definitely a bonus!

Isabel Croney
Most of my printmaking is a response to the wide range of techniques available in the printing process, from the bold surface textures of collagraphs to the fine delicate line work of etching.
I particularly like an experimental approach to printmaking and the joy and anticipation of never quite knowing how the print will look as it comes off the press.
The focus of my work is on colour and texture and often contains elements of landscape inspired by my travels. Lately I have been combing my background experiences in textiles with printmaking to develop new ideas.

Varie Freyne
A friend first introduced me to printmaking courses at the Centre for Lifelong Learning. I had never done any printing before but it was always an area that I had been interested in. Over the course of nearly 3 years I have done a variety of courses, both at Newcastle university and at the Hearth at Horsley, including photo etching, etching and lino printing. The courses have given me an opportunity to learn and develop new skills and to be creative. It is so enjoyable to work with a variety of people and to have the support and advice when necessary. I have now become a member of Northern Print but will continue to attend courses at the Centre for Lifelong Learning.

Judith Houston
Having dabbled in watercolours for 3 years, I saw Carol and Rebecca’s work on the Art Tour and immediately wanted to try printmaking. I attended a two-day monoprint course which, as a total beginner, I found very hard work but so stimulating. I loved working with the vibrant colours. It is the immediacy of printmaking that is so exciting – you never know how your design will translate onto paper until the moment the press rolls! At the end of the course I took home several colourful monoprints which was really satisfying for a beginner. Can’t wait for the next time!

Eleanor Holmes
Printmaking has always fascinated me. As a child I enjoyed stencils and potato prints and at school progressed to lino-cuts and persuaded my father to construct a screen-printing set up for me. I have experimented with mono-printing and touched on etching processes but the "First Impressions" course has allowed me explore etching in depth. Acquiring these skills has allowed me to investigate visual themes that have long interested me, focusing on my personal history and themes of family. Printmaking lends itself perfectly to illustration and narrative work. I have much more to learn but cannot wait to put into practice the techniques I’ve taken away with me.

Eileen Hodgson
As printmaking encompasses a wide range of techniques there is always scope for innovation using the various methods available. Time spent at Horsley Printmakers gives the opportunity for experimentation and adaptation of the skills already practiced. It has not only been a good learning experience at Horsley but also a great deal of fun to using somewhat unusual processes such as a blow torch on collograph plates and the creative use of carburundum. The staff at Horsley have an enthusiasm to pursue not only the latest advancements in techniques but also materials giving a rewarding experience all round.

Marie Mullen
In her native North-West of Ireland,Maire Mullan is a well known, highly respected professional artist who has combined a successful teaching career with an impressive output of work in a variety of media which can be found in many collections in Ireland and abroad. However, she had absolutely no experience in printing until she attended a wonderful Collagraph Course at Horsley Printmakers under the expert, sympathetic and patient tutelage of Carol Nunan in October 2006.This course fired her with such enthusiasm that, although it’s a long way from Derry to Newcastle, she quickly signed up for more courses at Horsley. Influenced by Caravaggio, Maire has worked on the theme of Atonement.

Sophie Twiss
I loved printmaking since I put my first plate through the press and felt a childish excitement at turning the wheel and peeling back the paper to see the results at the other end. After my first printing experience I knew this was the medium I wanted to work in. I'm excited by the endless possibilities and techniques to be learned. Printing at Horsley with Rebecca and Carol has given me an inspiring and supportive environment to work in and for this reason I continue to go back to learn more. And I still get a thudding heart turning the wheel.

Janet Dickson
Why printmaking? It’s exciting – that moment of peeling the paper from the plate which is like no other for the ‘thrill’ of anticipation and discovery. Nothing is certain about the end result; the processes are often experimental - there may be surprise, delight or even disappointment.
Having studied printmaking as part of a Graphic Design degree, CLL courses with Rebecca Vincent enticed me back to ‘the press’. The fire was well and truly rekindled and I now have my own printmaking workshop and that sense of enjoyment is part of my everyday practice.

Anna Hatch
I am relatively new to printmaking, having experimented in water-colour, batik and silk screen printing. I relish every aspect of it-the construction of a collagraph plate, carving lino, experimenting with textured materials and mixing colour, but the excitement is in the uncertainty of how it will all come together, as the paper is peeled from the plate! I enjoy then refining and slightly changing the next inking up to give a different hue and mood. The tangible embossed quality of prints is very appealing to me, both clean cut and contemporary but somehow linking us to our rich heritage and tradition.

Nigel Wild
It was great to make time to devote to something you’ve long wanted to do. To have 4 days devoted to learning techniques and making prints was a real joy. I would like to sign up for another course to ring fence the time to do it again and to build on the skills already learnt.

Glynnis Carter
My work is a response to the landscape rather than a realistic representation of it, inspired by the colour and structure of the hills and moorland, the constantly changing light and weather conditions.
Although my work is inspired by the landscape it's what happens on the canvas that drives the painting process and I am constantly looking for new ways to make paintings.
During the past two years I have attended courses at Horsely Printmakers, experimenting with printing collagraphs and monoprints onto fabric and paper. These prints have been used as an integral part of my recent paintings.

Helen White
When I signed up for printmaking classes I had no idea how a print was made. I never imagined I would be so captivated by printmaking and that it would be so exciting to peel back the paper on the press to reveal my first prints. Each printmaking course has given me the chance to keep on learning, exchange ideas, pick up tips and meet interesting and creative people. It has been so much fun producing prints in such gorgeous exciting colours. Printmaking lets me work in the free and spontaneous way that I have been looking for.

Sue Pine
What I find so wonderful about printmaking is the unpredictability. I never know exactly what my final print will look like and this is what makes the whole process so exciting.
Everyone seems to hold their breath when they finally separate the paper from the plate!!
The courses give me the opportunity to explore new techniques. There are so many different processes to try and so many new ideas to explore. I come away from every course feeling that I’ve acquired a new skill.

Cindy Herrema
My first ever experience of printmaking was a weekend course "A splash of colour" - which it certainly was. I had never done any printing before and did not know what to expect. Both tutors, Rebecca and Carol, were enthusiastic and excellent, their work on the studio walls wonderful. The two days were exciting and inspiring - I can't wait to try some more!"

Andrew R Pattullo
An etching course at the University in the late 1990’s struck a chord in me as a logical extension of the black and white photography I had pursued since being a teenager. I love the huge tonal range achievable from deepest black to crisp white art paper. Like long evenings in the darkroom, there is the excitement of driving the alchemy of change and creation in the etching bath and the press that printmaking entails.
I have latterly pursued random pattern and form inspired by the work of Robert Motherwell and Victor Pasmore. Trying, with difficulty, to recreate the seemingly random but aesthetically pleasing scribble has lead me to a huge respect for abstract art.

Eileen Carnaffin
The variety of Centre for Lifelong Learning courses is useful, as it provides an opportunity to try many different printmaking methods. After attending a number of courses I have at last found the confidence to begin a degree course in Fine Art. As the course is part-time, I hope to be able to continue to attend printing courses at The Hearth at Horsley.

Carol Nunan
The allure of printmaking for me is two fold; multi-layered with each layer you peel back holding its own fascination; then the process of carrying through an idea from sketch pad to the making of the plate and on to the final print is both engrossing and immensely satisfying. Each medium has its own unique characteristics. Even as a tutor of printmaking there is always more to learn and the more I learn the more I want to know. I learn as much from my students as they learn from me.
My subject matter is based on the colours and textures of both the Northumberland and Southern African landscape (Namibia and the Northern Cape in particular). The heavily textured plates of collagraph/carborundum and relief etching media lend themselves particularly well to conveying the mysteries of the land we occupy.