Clare Rogers

I have wanted to be an artist from the age of six! I spent much time in my early years
drawing, mainly from still life, enjoying the detail and contour of natural forms.

Later, my focus turned towards text and print, studying graphic design at Plymouth Art
College. The relationship between paper and ink continued to draw me in, and after
completing a degree in Fine Art at Plymouth University in 2011, my practice made a
natural turn towards handmade artist books.

My books act as a meeting place between poetry, text, pattern, abstraction and
photography, with a collision of ideas and feelings articulating a deeper sense of creative
passion. The inspiration for these can be spontaneous; arriving from a place of interest or
a simple thought or feeling. The concept is always the starting point, with the process and
format emerging later.

Over the years my drawing practice continued to evolve, experimenting with larger
graphite drawings looking towards abstraction, as well as simplified linear forms and
figurative studies using ink.

An introduction to printmaking led me to extend my practice to combine drawing
techniques and expressive mark making. The fluid styles of monoprinting allow me to build
layers of texture and form, creating land and seascapes, demonstrating vistas of space
and light.

The flexible process of adding and removing ink on the printing plate’s surface blends the
muted colours which embodies the moods and atmospheric beauty of Dartmoor’s open
space and ancient land. I often add figurative forms by pressing different textures into the
ink or drawing over the ink to illustrate the diverse scenery of the Westcountry’s wooded
valleys, rivers and contrasting shorelines.

Clare Rogers