About Me - Joanna Allen
I am an artist, printmaker and textile designer based in a small town in the Peak District. I graduated with a degree in printed textiles from Manchester Metropolitan University and am a member of Peak District Artisans. As an artist and printmaker for over 30 years, I have worked in many fields of art and design including designing furnishing fabric, tapestry needlepoint and greeting card designs for companies including Primavera, Papyrus USA, Anna French, The National Trust and Liberty.
My watercolour and mixed media paintings have been exhibited in galleries and art fairs, both in the UK and abroad.
My hand printed intaglio prints include etchings, collagraphs and monoprints. They often incorporate layers of watercolour, pastels, and even salt and bleach to create a distinctively romantic style. My prints evoke a personal inventory of treasured possessions and memories, creating a world of quirky little songbirds and delicate florals, all creating a distinctively romantic style. In a turbulent world I desire to create an ambiance of peacefulness and quiet sanctuary.
I have recently returned to my love of printed textiles. I have combined my hand-coloured collagraph and drypoints with my experience in design to create beautiful digital prints onto luxurious silk, linen and velvet.
The starting point for all my textile designs is my original artwork. These include mixed media paintings and intaglio prints, including etchings, collagraphs and monoprints. Recurring themes in my work include charming little birds, romantic florals, and the occasional reference to books read as a child. Selected artworks are then digitally printed in the UK onto fabric, creating unique designs for luxurious silk Crepe de Chine and Habotai silk scarves.
I come from a creative family including siblings and children who are musicians and actors. I have a love of nature; flora and fauna feature heavily in all my work. I am currently inspired by Shakespearean themes such as “The Tempest”, “Macbeth” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and I am loving researching the plays and garnering ideas from them for my artwork. The Mabinogion, a collection of twelfth century Welsh legends is fuelling ideas for new projects!
Often romantic, mysterious and ethereal, my creations are full of magical figures, birds and fantasy gardens. My aim is to create a unique and beautiful surface, and printmaking is a great way to experiment and produce variations on a theme.