7th June – 26th July,
Opening Night, 7th June, 6 – 8pm.
Tarpey Gallery is excited to announce an exhibition of new work by East Midlands based fine art printmaker Laine Tomkinson. Laine’s practice has developed over thirty years, experimenting with all aspects of printmaking and painting, now specialising in silkscreen and intaglio processes.
The exhibition will showcase a range of beautiful and effervescent screen prints. The works are inspired in part by the coming of spring. Much of the work shows natural forms, flowers or organic shapes, tumbling, moving, dancing – almost bursting out of the frame with celebration at the seasonal changes.
In mid-2011 Laine was elected as a member of the Printmaking Council, which showcases contemporary British printmaking nationally and worldwide.
In recent times she has shown prints in over twelve countrywide exhibitions, including the national touring Printmakers Council 8TH Annual Exhibition and Contemporary Printmaking Now at Dorchester Abbey featuring works by selected current printmakers, Brighton Art Fair, London Print studio and Printfest. Her work has also been selected for the Northern Print Biannual in Newcastle in 2014.
“Laine’s printmaking practice deserves wider acclaim. Her painterly approach and unerring sense of colour produce prints that are both dynamic and beautiful. She is becoming hot property in printmaking circles- a true printmaker’s printmaker”
Lucy Philips, Director, Leicester Print Workshop
Residencies, Affiliations
Member of the Printmaking Council 2011-2013
Artist in residence at Leicester Print Workshop September 2011 – May 2012
Group Exhibitions 2012
Midlands Open 2012 Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donnington
Contemporary Print at Dorchester Abbey, Dorchester, Oxfordshire
Passion for Print; Embrace Arts, Leicester University, Leicestershire and touring
Wirksworth Arts festival, Wirksworth, Derbyshire
Printmakers Council 8TH Annual Mini print Exhibition- London Print Studios Gallery, London, currently touring Britain
End of residency exhibition Leicester Print Workshop
Selected exhibitions
Nottingham Open Nottingham Museum and Art Gallery, Nottingham
Passion 2 Print touring exhibition; The Craft Gallery, Rufford, Nottinghamshire and Rugby Art Gallery
Internacional Print exhibición, Cadaques, Cataluña, Spain
Solo Exhibición Galería de Pinto, El Raval, Barcelona, Spain
Expressive Figuration Solo Show, The Pankhurst Centre, Manchester
City Life- Public Lifem Group Show, The Cornerhouse, Manchester
New Art from Manchester Salford Art Gallery
Commissions/ Public Collections
2012 Portfolio acquired by Fullers Brewery P.L.C.
2011 Selection of Prints acquired by Andersons Accounting, Barcelona
2010 Prints acquired by The Royal Bank of Scotland, Manchester
Artist Statement
Laine Tomkinson is a fine art printmaker based in the East Midlands. She studied Fine Art Printmaking at the University of Central Lancaster from 1976 to 1979. Her practice has developed over thirty years, experimenting with all aspects of printmaking and painting, now specializing in silkscreen and intaglio processes.
In mid-2011 she was elected as a member of the Printmaking Council, which showcases contemporary British printmaking nationally and worldwide.
In recent times she has shown prints in over twelve countrywide exhibitions, including the national touring Printmakers Council 8TH Annual Exhibition and Contemporary Printmaking now at Dorchester Abbey featuring works by selected current printmakers.
She was recently shortlisted for the prestigious Printmaker of the year award by Printfest, the Cumbrian based annual celebration of printmaking.
My practice varies from abstraction to figurative- though a constant seems to be that they are energetic, elemental works. A memory of a place, the joy of jazz, or the evocation of winter. All these experiences spark the need to physically evoke the resonance of the initial emotion. When printing I take a highly improvisational approach, as a painter might. I fully respect happenstance and exploring all intuitive possibilities.