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"Years of fell running have shaped my relationship with the landscape and natural history of the Yorkshire Dales, an influence that is evident in my printmaking. The physicality of running combined with the solitude and necessary awareness of my immediate environment creates a deep connection with the land that lasts long after I have returned to the studio. Revisiting the same areas repeatedly provides me with the opportunity to catch a glimpse of some of the more elusive birds and animals that inhabit these environments. An image may be inspired by a wildlife encounter or objects that I have collected such as a feather or bone. I carry a battered compact camera and take photos to use for reference, sketching and writing notes to distil ideas. I specialise in collagraph a technique that offers a wide range of possibilities. I like to combine intentional cut and scratched detail with looser painted textures contrasting naturalism with stylisation. When each plate is inked and printed, there is always a compelling element of surprise. Lately, I have been collaborating with museums and ecological groups, using my prints to highlight the fragility of our natural habitats and the species they sustain."
Hester lives in the Yorkshire Dales National Park and has a studio with a view of Pen-y-ghent. She has been a professional artist since graduating with a BA (hons) Illustration from Harrow School of Art over thirty years ago. She participates in artist residencies, exhibits regularly throughout the UK and her prints are stocked by various galleries. In 2011, she was selected by Chrysalis Arts for an Extended Practice Award/Celebrating Place Award and has since been shortlisted for more awards including the New Lights Prize exhibition and the Flourish Print Award. Her prints have been published in a number of books and she was recently featured on BBC Countryfile. Hester is also a member of Leeds Fine Artists, Printmakers Circle, Craven Arts and Ålgården Studios in Sweden where she visits annually to develop her practice. Click HERE to see a more detailed cv. |