Irene Riley, originally from Malaysia, is a London-based artist who draws, paints and prints. She is fascinated with the print medium because it allows experimentation with different techniques and ideas. It contrasts with her approach to paintings, which are usually complex and may take years to complete. The printing process can allow for the unpredictable and unexpected to happen. She enjoys both the quick monoprints taken directly from drawings, and the slower woodcut carvings and etchings.

Irene is open to exploring new avenues and inspirations for her printmaking and painting. Big landscapes and cityscapes are reliable resources but, more recently, plein air drawing has prompted new techniques. These have led to monoprints taken directly from copies of her drawings, such as Rotherhithe 2, Jubilee Park and Rainham Marshes.

The sensory experience of passing through a space is a source of inspiration for Irene’s woodcuts. The Walk to Juara responds to the feel of being in a dense and humid rainforest, the shaky floorboards of the clan jetties in Penang triggered Jetty Passage, whilst the light entering the walkways of Angkor Wat inspired Angkor Corridor.

The capturing of movement is a recent source of ideas. Dancers 1 and Dancers 2 are monoprints taken directly from quickfire sketches of supple dancers in Rambert Playground sessions. The abstract nature of the drawings offers a new direction that Irene intends to explore.

Irene’s own paintings are another source for printmaking. The contrasting moods of her large and colourful painting New York Cityscape, and its monochromatic monoprint, reinforce her fascination with the print medium.

 

Website: https://www.ireneveeriley.com