I am a visual artist who lives and works in Dublin, Ireland. I work mostly in drawing and printmaking, particularly with collagraph, drypoint, and monotype methods. Over the past few years, I have started to explore printmaking methods using Tetra Pak plates (e.g., milk cartons). I am finding these materials really exciting to work with and they allow for a huge range of printmaking approaches, as well as being very accessible and more sustainable than some other print techniques.
This print - Wing Chair - is based on a drawing of an armchair in my house. A lot of my work is inspired by my home and I work mostly from memory and imagination. This print is produced using collagraph and drypoint printing techniques, cutting or drawing into the surface of the Tetra Pak packaging to create the marks. These areas hold the ink and it is then rolled through a printing press to transfer the image onto paper. This print is a two-plate print, meaning that two printing plates are printed over each other to create the final image - in this case one holds colour, the other holds line and shadow.
I like the unpredictability of the printmaking process and the surprise (sometimes good, sometimes disappointing!) of lifting the paper after making each print. I enjoy Tetra Pak printing as the shapes in the unfolded carton can suggest things and it is interesting to work within those constraints and see where it leads. Other times I work to hide the Tetra Pak material through the creation of small-scale prints, such as this one. I am also interested in the impact of colour and normally produce my prints in variable editions, each produced in a colour variation that alters the mood or feel of a piece. You can see more information on my work and process on Instagram or on my website:
@lizakelly_art | www.lizakelly.com