ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
KENT ARTIST PROFILE
JUDITH WESTRUP
INSPIRED BY THE KENT COUNTRYSIDE AND ITS STRIKING LANDMARKS , PRINTMAKER JUDITH WESTRUP CREATES CHARMING LINOCUT PRINTS DEPICTING THESE CAPTIVATING CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR COUNTY .
Judith , tell us a little bit about your artist journey and background .
From as early as I can remember I have been creative . Art was one of my A Levels , but I chose the more ‘ sensible ’ career path of Speech and Language Therapy after working as a special needs teaching assistant . As time went on , there was a growing need to do something with that creative side of me that had been neglected in all the years of working and raising a family . I was intrigued when I saw a linocut workshop advertised at Belmont House , and having researched what linocut actually was , I just gave it a go . I can only describe carving my first lino plate as something akin to falling in love - from the moment I pulled my very first print , I knew that my art form had found me . I have been printing every day since and lino has taken over my life - I simply love being a printmaker and sharing this wonderful art form through my prints and through teaching workshops .
Please explain the process behind creating a piece .
Linocut is a form of relief printing . I draw onto traditional art linoleum , remembering to mirror the design . I then carve into the lino plate using a set of small sharp gouges . A thin layer of ink is rolled over the top of the plate , and only the surface areas will pick up the ink while the carved away areas print as white . Multicoloured prints can be achieved by carving several coordinating lino plates or by carving away gradually at the same plate , or a combination of both of these techniques . Multilayered prints can take several weeks or even months to complete as each layer of ink has to dry before the next one can go on top .
You depict a lot of Kentish scenes and nature in your work . Why are you so inspired by the county ?
Much of my childhood was spent in the low moorlands of northern Germany and by the North Sea coast , and I am naturally drawn to wide landscapes under big skies - places like Dungeness are a favourite ! I am also a fossil hunter and a licensed mudlark . I love exploring Kent ’ s past , from prehistoric sites to abandoned industrial remains . Kent is endlessly fascinating to me , from the flat vastness of the Romney Marsh and the Thames Estuary ’ s industrial beauty to the rolling chalk grasslands and sunken lanes of the North Downs and the ancient woods of the Weald . With so much history packed into one county , there is always something to discover and therefore always something for me to print !
Where can we find , see and purchase your work ?
You can book workshops with me and see if I am attending any art and craft fairs near you at www . ramblinghen . com . Otherwise , you can find my work at the following shops and galleries : Greenfinch , Ticehurst ; The Horsebridge , Whitstable ; Lovely ’ s Gallery , Cliftonville ; Ethel Loves , Rye ; Creek Creative , Faversham .
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