I am the resident printmaker at Eastgate Studio and a member of the Hull Print Collective.  I employ hand-drawn and digital images to create linocut, etching, aquatint, lithograph and screen prints.  My work varies from a detailed exploration of texture to a minimalist approach exploring colour and shape.

My “East Coast” series investigates the environment and environmental issues, themes explored through a range of printmaking techniques: linocut, collagraph, lithography and screenprint.  In addition, I sometimes hand finish or collage my prints to add a wider range of colour and texture.  For the one or two plate linocut prints I use a limited palette of greys, blues, and greens, colours observed in the natural environment.  The linocut print method also limits the detail in the image to abstracted shapes and colour.  The print series are editioned, and I also hand paint some to produce monoprints. 

My “Mute Persistence of Water” series explores the way the surface texture of water signals what lies beneath.  My work varies from a detailed exploration of texture to a minimalist approach exploring colour and shape.

I am currently working on my “Jazz” series of block and collagraph prints. 

The sensory experience of the studio, inks, solvents, freshly brewed tea and jazzy sounds evoke childhood moments watching my dad, Lawrence Leeson, at work in his Market Weighton studio.  It’s quite extraordinary how the scent of the studio recalls these formative experiences. Printmaking is often planned and highly structured.  However, although these prints begin with a broad plan, they fall into the category of “process art” as they evolve in the moment in the studio.

I enjoy the challenge of analogue printmaking and to be able to reproduce the same image in multiples means that the prints can be affordable to a wider audience.  However, each print can be slightly different due to manual handling of machinery, equipment and inks, and the variable condition of the workshop.  I also like the distinct minimalist aesthetic produced due to a limited palette.