Today I visited artist Sandra Porter in her studio to select work for Quercus’ upcoming Contemporary Prints show.  It was lovely to see a cross section of her prints and paintings in her beautiful studio, where she also runs print workshops.  Sandra’s studio is situated in the village of Norton St Philip, about six miles from Bath.  It’s an amazing spot with stunning views out over the countryside and fantastic exhibition spaces within her studio and house.

Over the summer Sandra undertook a residency in Céret where she had the use of a large etching press.  I was particularly interested to see a newly produced series of her largest etchings to date, plus exciting new large-scale collograph/carborundum prints.  A selection of these new works will be available in the forthcoming Contemporary Prints show along with some earlier etchings.

Since studying Fine Art at Stourbridge College of Art in the West Midlands and then painting at Chelsea College of Art in the 1980s Sandra’s work has been dominated by investigations into stripes, grids and intersecting graphic patterns.  These explorations continue in her present work and over her impressive exhibition history as a painter and printmaker she has developed a visual language that is recognisably her own.

You can view many of Sandra’s large paintings in the Autumn Exhibition at CircleBath, Peasedown St John, launching this coming Thursday 18 September