Original limited edition prints are an affordable way to collect and enjoy original fine art.
Original art for original people
Each unique print is signed and numbered by Nicola Slattery
All sizes and measurements are approximate.
Prints can be sent framed or unframed anyhwere in the UK and abroad.
Worldwide costs vary but are very reasonable so please contact for a quote.
Order now and enjoy FREE UK delivery. email your request to artpeople@btopenworld.com You will then be sent a PayPal invoice which you can pay securely online with most cards. You should then expect UK delivery within a couple of days.
"Blackbird and Strawberries" a recent limited edition (of 8) drypoint print
Image size 30 x 30 cms. Overall framed size 56 x 55 cms framed £445 unframed £350
The main printmaking techniques used by Nicola Slattery are Collagraph and Drypoint. These lead naturally to small hand made editions of prints in which each image is unique and variations in the inking of each print mean that no two prints are identical. Editions are rarely of more than twelve prints and are often less than this due to the ephemeral nature of the plate used to create the print. All are printed by hand directly by Nicola Slattery who signs and numbers each individual print.
Prints can be shipped to most places in the world and many have been sent to the USA and other locations around the world without any problems. To enquire about purchasing a limited edition print please call - any day 9am - 9pm - 01986 788853
or email your enquiry to: artpeople@btopenworld.com
To see all the available limited edition prints please click on a selected image below.
All sizes and dimensions are approximate.
A few words about about hand made limited edition prints:
The arrival of computers into the world of art has blured many boundaries and much excellent work is produced by new technology. However a hand made print is a work which should involve the direct input of the artist hand into the production of the print.
All the prints by Nicola Slattery are hand made original limited edition prints. They should not be confused with photo mechanically produced prints which are often in effect "photocopies" of original works and are not works originally conceived as prints.
"For me there are occasions when I've made a print and it inspires me to create a painting with a similar idea and composition in mind. Then at other times it works the other way round and I create a print inspired by one of my paintings. They are not intended to be copies of the other but instead are simply different workings of the same idea or image in my mind by different media." Nicola Slattery.
Hand made limited edition prints have been made by artists for centuries and offer art collectors an affordable way to collect original art works.
Collagraph - the word is based on the Greek - kolla for glue and graph for draw/write. This technique uses a sturdy card base which can have material applied or stuck to it (eg, lace, sandpaper, greaseproof, string, etc) or can be cut into. The plate is varnished and then inked before passing through a press to transfer the image to the dampened paper. Because of the ephemeral nature of the plate editions are by nessesity very limited in numberand and rearely exceed ten or so as the plate will begin to deterirate. The collagraph plates are sometimes framed and sold as works of art in their own right as they often have a "mixed media" quality about them and there is no risk of unauthorised prints being made from the plate due to it's ephemeral nature as explained above.
Drypoint - opposite of a wet point - ie no acid! A steel needle is used to draw or inscribe the line into a Perspex plate. The line is both an incision or scratch and also a "furrow" or raised burr which creates the beautiful velvety line. The plate is then inked and passed through a press with dampened paper. Traditionally a metal plate would be used which enabled longer editions however the "burr" on a Perpex plate described above begins to deteriorate after a dozen or so prints again leading to small editions. The advantage of the perspex plate is it's immediacy enabling a drawing to be traced directly to the perspex and reworked without complex processes.
Each print is unique. With both of the above techniques the "artists hand" is active in creating each individual print so producing a unique artwork in each print. This means no two prints in an edition will be identical as slight and subtle variations will occur each time the plate is inked and printed from. This can even include the occasional artist's thumb or finger print finding its way to the margin or reverse of the print! Sometimes prints have additional water colour washes added by the artist post printing which again gives rise to variation and the uniqueness of each print.
Finally the print is signed and numbered by the artist. The numbering system is simply shown like a fraction with the first number being the order in which the print was printed and the second number being the number in the edition. So for example: 4/10 would be the fourth print created in an edition of ten prints. It is also often the case that one or two "Artists Proofs" will have been taken from the plate. These are usually taken at the start to check all is ok and sometimes to test one or two variations in the inking or colouring process. Some of these are destroyed if of no use but it is legitimate for the artist to keep or sell one or two and these prints are indicated by "AP "in place of an edition number. Nicola Slattery October 2020
The Norwich Print Fair is a great place to learn more about printmaking. Since its inception in 1995 The Norwich Print Fair has become one of the best loved independent shows selling contemporary, original, hand-made prints in East Anglia. Nicola Slattery has exhibited at the fair intermitently since 1996 and hopes to exhibit there again soon.
Find out more at: www.norwichprintfair.co.uk
Books on Printmaking. Mascot Media have produced many lovely books on printmaking. Take a look at the Work Published page to learn more.
WEEKEND PRINTMAKING ART COURSES
Nicola Slattery also teaches drypoint and collagraph printmaking on weekend Printmaking Courses at her lovely art studio venue in rural south Norfolk. No previous art or printmaking experience is needed and the weekend is an enjoyable way to learn the techniques and to create some wonderful limited edition hand made prints of your own. Please visit the Weekend Art Courses page