Barbara Grafton, a Cambridgeshire-based painter and printmaker, is exhilarated by the possibilities of abstraction and printmaking, specifically collagraphs and monotypes. Her collagraph prints are pleasingly textured and embellished with chine collé (hand-made and other decorative papers applied to the support paper during the printing process) and gold, silver & copper leaf to create highly decorative pieces.
Most exciting are her lively monotypes which take full advantage of the translucency of this most painterly of printing techniques. She paints and draws on the printing matrix with small rollers, brushes, toothpicks, cotton swabs, oil bars and - finally - spattered solvent to eat into the oil-based etching inks. The result is a remarkable quality of light and depth that is quite unlike a painting done directly onto paper. She particularly relishes the spontaneity of this media which combines all her skills in painting, drawing and printmaking.
“Most exciting are her lively monotypes which take full advantage of the translucency of this most painterly of printing techniques. She particularly relishes the spontaneity, combining all her skills in painting, drawing and printmaking. ”
Barbara has featured in several exhibitions at Haddenham Galleries over the last couple of years and was one of the artists participating in the Cambridge Art for Autism event at The Tunmer Studios, in May 2010. She had her first solo exhibition at Needhams Restaurant & Art Gallery in Witchford, Ely, in June & July 2011 and then at Frameworks-Cottenham in October/November 2011. She is also featuring in the forthcoming major exhibition 'Art At The Manor House' in aid of The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
