Kay McDonagh
Kay McDonagh is a painter/printmaker working from her studio in East Devon. Kay tries to capture the character of her subjects, and her prints often contain an element of fun. The images are always of a single animal with no background, and she says the more you look at the animals the more complex their patterns, shapes and faces become. She is always looking for inspiration from her photographic projects carried out both where she lives and during her visits abroad (street cats and dogs are of particular interest). A number of Kay’s images have appeared in books such as The Printmakers Cat, The Artful Hare and The Book of the Dog.
Kay has extensive experience of copper plate etching but she is currently producing drypoint etchings in which the images are drawn directly onto acrylic plates with a metal tool. She finds that the images created using this technique are particularly effective at suggesting the tactile feel of these animals. After the images are etched the darker tones are created by gluing a fine Carborundum grit onto the plate. The plates are then inked and handprinted on her press to produce a limited number of original prints, each slightly different. Recently she has been experimenting with monoprints of landscapes and seascapes. In this technique the artist paints directly onto the plate and then produces one print from the press onto very light and strong Japanese paper. Many types of paints and inks can be used on this paper and the effects can be amazing.
Kay sees her work as constantly evolving and she is always looking for new subjects and fresh techniques to bring into her printmaking.
Go to our Printmaking Techniques page for more information on how these prints are created
Don’t hesitate to email us on info@cambridgegallery.co.uk or call us on 01223 324222 if you have any questions about specific pieces.
