Joanna Allen

Biography

I graduated from Manchester Polytechnic (now MMU) with a degree in Printed Textiles. I have been an artist and printmaker for over thirty years, and until recently was also working part time as an Art Teacher. I have exhibited my work in galleries in the UK and abroad, and I still hold regular print making workshops from The Studios in New Mills, where I live.

Printmaking allows me to explore different variations on a theme, achieving many different versions from the same original ‘plate’. By adding subtle hand coloured touches, I can enhance each print and create a unique image each time I print, rather than printing many identical editions. In turn, printmaking has inspired me to be more adventurous with colour and mixed media; I enjoy the process of layering materials, often combining print, paint pastels and inks on the same piece. I seek to capture the quiet calm mysterious beauty of everyday objects and places, but infused with a touch of romance and magic. My aim is to transform plain paper into a beautiful surface… it’s all a bit of an adventure really!

Selected pieces are then further developed by being scanned and digitally printed onto fabric. This includes limited silk crepe de chine scarves, and hand finished cushions in velvet and linen. Everything is printed, sewn and finished in the UK, within ten miles or so of where I live on the edge of the Peak District.