Resident at North Watford Library from February to April 2022
When Sheila de Rosa retrained as an artist she thought illustrating books might be a way of using her talents for drawing – but she was bitten by the printmaking bug and followed a more fine art path where she aligned her interest in concepts of photography with techniques of printmaking.
Her work explores cultural issues surrounding Photography Theory, in particular its relevance to memory – recovered, false and learned; the context in everyday life of photo albums and Post-memory; and an interpretation of the now ubiquitous and immediately-available digital snaps and posts and its effect on self-worth.
CHIMAERA 2019, 50 x 50cms
Multiple photo assemblage (images taken from discarded Flea Market albums)
FLAWED 2020, 84 x 35 cms
Photogravure/monoprint/ghost print/chine collé
SIMULACRUM 2015, 28 x 38cms
Multiple plate photopolymer etching
At the forefront of modern photo-etching processes, Sheila has been teaching Solar Plate Printmaking widely for over twenty years. However, inexpensive and low-tech methods of using photographs were behind her proposal to Hertfordshire Libraries.
During her Residency at North Watford’s lovely library, Sheila will demonstrate a method by which photocopies can be ‘transferred’ to strong cotton-rag paper and enhanced using simple print techniques to create individual artworks. You are invited to get involved with the project and work with images that are important to you. Details of upcoming sessions are below.
The transfer print process
A selection of transfer prints
In a neat nod to the library’s main purpose of holding, promoting and lending books, Sheila also hopes her new-found interest in making books (rather than illustrating them), will result in some participants’ creations becoming the basis for a legacy of locally made artbooks for visitors to the library to enjoy.
A selection of artbooks