Well, it’s our first little interview of the year and it’s a cracker! Bristol-based Printmaker Jane Ormes is one of our favourite creators of cool stuff, so it was a pleasure to get to ask her four questions we thought you’d love to know the answers to.
We stumbled on Jane’s work a couple of years back, when we were aimlessly browsing in a gallery in Padstow… and we didn’t forget it. When we moved to our new house last February, the very first print we bought to cheer up our bare kitchen was a beautiful, bright, bold print of Jane’s - 15 birds headed for Eastbourne, 1 headed for Westward Ho! The majority of birds going one way and one lone ranger doing something a bit different (arguably wrong), seemed to shout out to us for some reason :)
Anyway on with the chat! We hope you think Jane’s stuff is as cool as we do.
1. How did you start out printmaking & what inspires you?
I started out about 11 years ago after having a career break to have my children and move away from the illustration work I’d been doing since leaving art school in 1987. I did my degree in Printed Textiles but rarely screenprinted after that, mostly working in collage until I shared a studio in 2006 with some other artists. One of them suggested I use the local print studio and I haven’t looked back since!
I’m influenced by all sorts of things - words, phrases , vintage children's illustrations , colours, animals and the work of Matisse, Picasso, Hockney and Warhol.
2. What's a typical day like for you? Is there a typical day? (we're guessing there probably isn't!) :)
You’re right - there isn’t a typical day, but my week is generally divided into working on artwork and stencils at home in my studio for 2 days and then spending the rest of the week at Spike Print Studio, where I screenprint my editions. I also spend time delivering work to galleries, picking up frames from my framer, mounting and wrapping work and packing off orders. I dread the packing up of orders! Glad though I am to have the orders, it seems to take me 3 times longer than I think it will to cut the board and wrap the prints!!
3. The names of your prints make us smile (bear that can stare, the fox that rocks in stolen socks, seagull planning his next chip theft) & your 'cat trapped in a greenhouse with lurking, smirking bird' print reminds us of one of our naughty cats! What's the story behind it?
Up until recently I had a fine black cat called Hilary. She was 22 years old, deaf and blind, but she had a naughty streak before she lost her sight and hearing. She died at Christmas which was traumatic for us all. She features in loads of my prints and I miss her terribly .
4. Tell us a secret about you or your art that no-one else knows.
I once spent 2 days working in my pyjamas!
Ahh – we know that feeling! Not that I’m in my pyjamas writing this… honest!
Anyway, if you want to find out more about Jane and her creations, here’s her website www.janeormes.co.uk and she has work at the Rostra Gallery in Bath and at Makers in Bristol, if you fancy a look in the flesh. She’s also going to hopefully be exhibiting at Printfest - a printmaking festival in the Lake District in April . Ooh... and there's an Etsy shop too!
