I first met Mary Beth Shaw, the driving force behind StencilGirl at a GOLDEN gathering in Florida. Despite being small of stature she packs a punch and we hit it off straight away. We have kept in touch. A while ago I was a guest artist on their blog using some of their stencils to create texture. I was thrilled when she emailed me last year to see if I would like to design some stencils for her.

My work often focuses on the patterns, shapes and strictures of architectural forms and when StencilGirl asked me to design for them I decided three stencils I had created, and use and use frequently in my studio, would be ideal to share.  I have found them to be versatile in so much of my work; as monoprints, as masks over collagraphs or simply stenciling on parts of paintings. The patterns can provide a focal point, the structure gives structure. I love layering in both my paintings and prints so stencils and masks allow me to build interest, to play with the graphic as well as the ghost, the remains of paint that are often the best prints!

The city where I live here in the UK is known for its industry, in particular Colman’s mustard. The factory recently closed after 160 years of production, and the industrial buildings left along the river side have been turned into swanky apartments. Before the builders moved in I went down with my camera to capture the industrial decay. One skeletal frame stood out against the grey sky, and back in my studio I started on a series of small paintings one of them including a linear depiction of this frame.

This was exhibited alongside a series of paintings I exhibited in a solo show “Past, Present, Imperfections” that focused on Norwich and its industrial architecture. I find the skeletal form of architecture as exciting as the skeletal form of winter trees. I love the negative spaces that create patterns across the surface of a painting or print.

I went on to create a stencil from my drawings and this is one chosen by StencilGirl. I have been using it recently as part of my new Monotype course Materials & Methods.

The Colman’s stencil works as both a mask and as a stencil. It is a versatile design that can be used in a number of ways. I use parts of it to mask off areas of a print, or use the negative spaces to stencil through, or roll it with paint to use as a relief print. 

Whilst most of the bridges in Norwich date back many centuries the Novi Sad foot bridge is a recent addition. The bridge was named in recognition of the twinning ties between Norwich and Novi Sad in Serbia. I love the clean lines and the way it reaches over the river joining the two sides. The angles and shapes provide energy and movement. An excellent design to use in printmaking but I also uses it to provide a strong graphic element to my mixed media paintings. 

The final stencil Bridge Combination celebrates the lines, shapes and construction of bridges. Bridges provide connection, and symbolise transition. We build bridges to take us to new places, connect previously isolated places and to allow people to come together. In our creating we bridge areas of a piece to provide unity and composition. I enjoyed playing with the lines, moving them across the design, changing direction and repeating shapes to create patterns. This stencil provides a range of lines and angles, positive and negative shapes that work together in unison. The perfect stencil to provide a lively urban background for prints or paintings in a range of media.

I am so pleased to be able to share this with you!

• L948 Colman’s
• S937 Novi Sad Bridge
• L947 Bridge Combination

In the US they can be purchased from StencilGirl

If you are in the UK they can be purchased from Stampers Grove