Collagraph Angel

Here she is, the blessed damozel.

Ok so the bar isn't gold and the lilies are more like massive daisies but you get the idea! The angel may or may not have had purple hair. I'm taking artist liberties here!

My aim was to create an emotional print, using cool blue tones to show the sorrow implied in the poem. Drapery is ever present in Pre-Raphaelite works, and I wanted to capture those textures of flowing fabric. How better to do this then by using actual fabric? Working in textiles has it's perks! Collagraph was my chosen print process as this enabled me to create a plate to print directly from these materials.

The print size and shape were mainly inspired by William Morris' Red House and his stain glass windows. But more on that later..


The figure is hand drawn like a dry point into the card, to create soft painterly line.

Peek inside my sketchbook..

So what inspired me whilst chilling at the V & A? Well, I'll let you into a little secret - I'm a HUGE Pre-Raphaelite fan, in particular Dante Gabriel Rossetti. He's so dreamy with his romantic style. I find myself getting lost in dramatic flowing fabrics and serene scenes of medieval chivalry.


























Inspiration hit me in the face after learning the painting 'The Day Dream' was inspired by a poem he wrote. Oh yes, he wrote poetry! (For me). I really liked this idea, and researched more into Rossetti’s poems. I found myself day dreaming over a romantic poem called ‘The Blessed Damozel’ about an angel outside heaven, pining for her lover back on earth. Alas they cannot be together! The imagery in the poem inspired the imagery in my print, such as ‘The Blessed Damozel lean'd out 
From the gold bar of Heaven; She had three lilies in her hand,’ ‘And laid her face between her hands,
 And wept’. After several preliminary sketches, I confirmed my composition.



Pictures of the prints to come..