'Ova roof tops is a new exhibition by the brilliant Lisa Stubbs, exploring the idea of ‘home’ and feelings of nostalgia in relation to a place where we hold domestic affections and a sense of belonging.
‘I’m interested in environmental triggers for nostalgia and the sentimentality of a rosy retrospective. My aim is to translate these feelings into a visual narrative, opening up conversations linked to our past landscapes and the bricks and mortar where we hold our emotive roots.’
Lisa is a printmaker and creative facilitator in the Yorkshire Holme Valley and works from her studio here in Slaithwaite.
‘I have many influences which feed into and inform my work. I’m inspired by the journey to my studio through the scenic steep valleys which gives me a birds eye perspective of the landscape and a sense of its history and the homes embedded within it. My background is in narrative illustration and I’m fascinated how illustrators visualise emotions especially in children’s picture books, this has led me to working with children who struggle to articulate their feelings. By using creative techniques I help children process their world and create a visual narrative while finding comfort in the process. I observe the children channeling complex feelings of home life through choice of colour, medium, pressure applied to the paper and thoughtful pauses throughout. I’m inspired by the children’s intuitively confident creative freedom and instinctive nonjudgemental trust in the outcome. I work to foster this approach towards my own work by being process focussed and maintaining a curious and open mindset.
I start building my prints with a collection of hand painted papers and vintage ephemera, including letters, postcards, maps and photographs representing lost moments, memories of place and pockets of time. I look for a connection to build a narrative and create quick thumbnail sketches. I transfer the spontaneous energy of the naive lines from these sketches onto TetraPak cartons which I use as print plates to support sustainability within my printmaking. I incise into the TetraPak’s surface with etching needles, a scalpel, leather work tools, screw drivers and a pattern cutting wheel, then create texture with scrim, an open gauzed cloth used to remove ink from the plate. This is done during the inking process, complimenting the mark making and adding movement and authenticity to the final print. I combine a number of printmaking techniques including blind emboss, de-bossing, monoprint, drypoint, wax pastel transfer and Chine collé allowing for flexibility when laying out the final print on the press bed.
Cross pollinating these processes and jigsawing techniques together also allows for affordable experimentation and an organic playful approach which compliments the visual narrative and gives new perspective into these forgotten memories in the landscape of everyday lives.’
Displayed alongside Lisa’s striking printwork is the remarkable sculpted houses by Yukihiro Akama, adding a delightful touch to the ‘Ova Roof Tops’ exhibition. After initially training as an architect at Tohoku University of Art and Design, in Yamagata, Japan, Yukihiro Akama creates beautifully intricate miniature wooden houses, each one carved from a single piece of wood inspired by buildings spotted upon his travels.
'Ova roof tops will be running from 4th May to 22nd June at our Globe Arts Studio Gallery on Carr Lane.
Join us on Saturday 4th May for our Print Day in May to celebrate Lisa’s exciting exhibition and this fun event, everyone is welcome!