The Excitement of Possibilities

Discovering the possibilities of paper lithography

There is always something exciting and energising about discovering a fresh method of working which opens new possibilities.  I recently spent a weekend with Dr Ralph Overill (find Ralph on Instagram as @between_the_images), an enthusiastic and generous tutor who introduced his students to the magic of paper lithography. The process, as with traditional stone lithography, relies on the immiscibility of oil and water.

As the plate is a sheet of paper, the process feels very immediate and freeing, which is unusual in printmaking. I could see possibilities opening up and I think this process will have a place in my practice.  The method of printing requires little in the way of materials, does not require much printing ink and even the clearing up is relatively quick.

I have much more playing and experimenting to do, but already have projects in mind – I can’t wait to spend time in the studio!

Paper lithography printed on walnut dyed paper, 2024

Paper lithography on proofing paper, 2024

Come back soon and see more of the work that has developed as I explore this ‘new to me’ way of working.

A version of this post was first published on the website TheFiveArtists.com in April 2024.

Consuelo Simpson is an artist and maker living and working in Hampshire. Her multidisciplinary practice is focused on seeking moments of enchantment and on reaching an accommodation with the world.

She remains obsessed with string!

Deep Looking, Looking Deep

An initial review of the works i choose for deep looking.

Seeing work in a gallery, out of the studio, allows a more dispassionate assessment.  The pain of birthing, the struggle of making has dissipated and the pieces reveal themselves more fully.

Concatenation (2023), Etchings on paper, hammered steel, wire

Cube I, print on paper and plaster (2024)

Seeing my work displayed alongside Dawn Langley’s delicately observed photographs and Janet McWilliam’s bold painting, brought previously unseen or overlooked elements into focus - new avenues to explore perhaps?I chose to exhibit a selection of work made over a period time.  Seeing pieces alongside each other was

the perfect opportunity to reflect, to examine the cohesive thread which runs through the pieces and equally to reflect on the asides which merit further investigation, or not. It is always intriguing to see how each work holds the seed of the next, ideas tumbling along, never stagnating, offering new perspectives.

Some of my work shown in Deep Looking in The Art Fund Gallery, The Lightbox, Woking

Seeing my work displayed alongside Dawn Langley’s delicately observed photographs and Janet McWilliam’s bold painting brought previously unseen or overlooked elements into focus - new avenues to explore perhaps?

Consuelo Simpson is an artist and maker living and working in Hampshire. Her multidisciplinary practice is focused on seeking moments of enchantment and on reaching an accommodation with the world.

She remains obsessed with string!

Deep Looking, The Art Fund Gallery, The Lightbox

A Three woman show featuring a painter, a photographer and a printmaker

Deep Looking, with Dawn Langley, Janet McWilliam and me, was our first joint exhibition: a roller coaster ride which was nerve wracking, a lot of fun and from which we learned about working together and about how well our very different practices come together to produce a cohesive show.

Consuelo Simpson, etchings, linen thread, wire

Gallery view: Consuelo Simpson (sculptures), Dawn Langley (photography), Janet McWilliam (painting)

Our practices and outcomes are very different but the hang went very smoothly and the works all sat comfortably in the space and with each other.

We are so delighted with the responses from visitors to our first joint venture that we talking about another exhibiting adventure. Hooray!

Visitors to our Meet the Artists session

It has been a pleasure to put our work out into the world and to spend time with it in a lovely gallery and with each other. Connections, hitherto unseen, have sparked conversations and hold the kernels of future work.

Consuelo Simpson is an artist and maker living and working in Hampshire. Her multidisciplinary practice is focused on seeking moments of enchantment and on reaching an accommodation with the world.

She remains obsessed with string!

It's good to be brave

I said ‘yes’, then went away and thought about it.

Leaping out of your comfort zone can be difficult but the rewards usually outweigh the fears. I was lucky enough to be asked to take part in an exhibition in Winchester. The exhibition was to take place during the second half of Lent and to finish after the Easter celebrations. The brief was to make work inspired by Malcolm Guite’s sonnets on The Stations of the Cross. I don’t often read poetry: there was the first challenge. I was struck by the materiality running through the sonnet I chose, “Jesus is given his Cross”. This was my starting point.

St Paul’s, Winchester Installation, image 1

St Paul’s Winchester Installation, image 2

My piece was displayed on a deep windowsill on two levels below a stained glass window which added a colour element to the work whenever the sun shone.

The first element I chose was a net made of paper string to represent the universality of our travels through life. More binds us together than divides us.  I added flints, as a reference to the stony path of life. On a cold February walk I found that the blackthorn hedgerows had been machine trimmed and the cuttings became part of the work. The flayed and torn ends illustrated suffering and pain. Once the twigs had dried, I gilded some of the thorns to signify hope. We must hold on to Hope, as best we can.

The experience was positive and energising.  It was a great pleasure to be part of a team with many recent graduates, a lovely reminder of how much I enjoyed that time spent at university, swept along by the energy and enthusiasm of younger students.

Thanks must go to Amanda Berridge for masterminding the project and for inviting me. Details of the exhibition ‘This Darker Path’ can be found here on Instagram.