Aileen Grant

"I sketch in hills, woodlands and in other landscapes, immersing myself within a place. I am happiest out in the wild, and sketching helps me to record and absorb the sights and sounds around me. In my studio I develop ideas further from sketches through drawing, painting and printmaking. I work a lot in acrylic and mixed media, aiming to create expressive pieces that reflect the essence of a place and celebrate the beauty and fragility of nature. I also use drawing as the basis for printmaking. Most of my prints are photopolymer gravures (sometimes called solarplate etchings). To make these I start by making a drawing using highly pigmented ink on plastic film. I then expose this drawing onto a photosensitive plate at Edinbrgh Printmakers, and bring the plates back to Lochcarron to print on my printing press."