ARTIST AND PRINTMAKER "It all starts with time spent outdoors"
My name is Jo Degenhart and have been an artist and printmaker for 5 years. There is a rhythm to printmaking, a process to follow which feels part of the history of the artists before me. This comforting consistency feels very connected to my love of nature and being outdoors.
A moment or memory recorded and developed in sketchbooks, simplified and transferred onto the lino. Ink mixing, the sound of the roller running back and forth then the slow turn and pressure of the press; to me it all has a meditative quality.
Training as a graphic designer then working in the industry gave me the desire to create a life that was less about the speed you can produce and more about taking the time to create something that will last.
My hope is that people who buy my work will feel it has a place in their home for a long time. That the feeling that drew them to choose a piece will mean they want to keep it with them.
Adana Quarto
Rollaco Gem
I have two presses in my studio which I use to print my work.
The first is my sixty-five year old Adana Quarto Flatbed press which is a hand operated press. When printing, I ink up the linocut individually for each print. The quarto can be a little temperamental, but the variations only add to the character of my work.
My Rollaco Gem press is an etching press I use to create my larger pieces. I am able to use smaller rollers to vary the colours on each pass through the press.
While I predominantly create lino prints, I also enjoy exploring other print methods and painting using acrylic ink and paint.
My love of nature comes hand in hand with my passion for reducing my impact on the environment and creating in as environmentally friendly a way as possible.
Sketchbooks are a passion of mine and I gain so much from being open to explore and experiment in them, for my art, my creativity and for my mental health.
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