Artist Interview: Nathalie Pymm

Nathalie Pymm is a mixed media artist and printmaker of whom is based in Buckinghamshire, in her outside garden studio! Nathalie is heavily inspired by her travels, architecture, her pets or anything with bright colours. Nathalie has gone from working in nursing, to now teaching lino print workshops and exhibiting in the likes of Ironbridge, Shropshire at Ironbridge Fine Arts Gallery, St. Ives, Cornwall and Bath as part of the Arts festival.

We had the pleasure of asking a few questions, delving into her world of lino printing!

©Nathalie Pymm

'I love the whole process of creating one colour and lino reduction printing (using more than one colour on the same print). I love not knowing fully how the lino print will turn out after applying one colour on top of the other and sometimes the path of the colours goes completely differently to what I’d planned in the beginning!'

Nathalie Pymm

'I love sharing my experience and practise with both beginners and experienced printmakers. I’m not a trained teacher, but with any form of art, I think the best way to learn is by another artist. It is always a great pleasure to see students blossom with confidence throughout the day and leave with a lot of lino prints made by themselves to take home!'

Nathalie Pymm

Q: Congratulations on winning an award from Cranfield Colours for your print ‘The old Bakehouse’! Would you be able to go into detail with your inspiration and process behind it?

Thank you so much! I was thrilled to be chosen by Cranfield Colours for my lino print ‘The OldBakehouse’! I live in Buckinghamshire and love to explore around this country. When I dropped off some work at Ironbridge Fine Arts Gallery a previous year, I went to Ludlow which is a beautiful town not far from Ironbridge. Beautiful buildings and particularly drawn to this hidden building. I am always drawn to architecture so had great fun planning this lino reduction print.

I always start off with a sketch from photos I take to the size of the lino cut piece I’m going to be using. Once I’m happy with the sketch, I’ll transfer it across to the lino and go over all the lines with a permanent marker so that I can still see the image on the lino between colours. This particular lino reduction print has eight colours on them using Akua Intaglio inks. It’s size is 30 x40 cms and is part of a small edition of 22.

The making of 'The Old Bakehouse' ©Nathaliepymm

'The Old Bakehouse' ©Nathaliepymm

Q: Would you be able to explain your journey into printmaking and your favourite aspect?

I’ve always been an artist and enjoying mixed media with my paintings; I visited a Printmaker in her studio during Open Studios one summer and fell in love with the outcome of lino cut prints. I did several workshops on learning this process but funnily enough I taught myself how to do a lino reduction print as I didn’t understand the process at all in the workshops and was too scared to try! Now you can’t stop me doing a reduction and that’s now my favourite way of creating lino prints. I love the whole process of creating one colour and lino reduction printing (using more than one colour on the same print). I love not knowing fully how the lino print will turn out after applying one colour on top of the other and sometimes the path of the colours goes completely differently to what I’d planned in the beginning! The part when you peel off the print after it’s been through the printing press is always a joy too, as that’s the first time you see what the print looks like when you’ve added a colour to it.

'Echinacea' lino reduction print ©NathaliePymm 

Q: As well as producing your own lino prints, you also teach workshops! What made you delve into the teaching world within your practice?

Luckily when we had my Garden Studio built, we had it made big enough so that if I was going to teach, I’d have room for students to come to my studio for workshops! After opening my studio for the first time as part of Bucks Art Weeks ten years ago, a lot of the visitors were interested in coming to learn about lino printing; so after the summer, my workshops started! I had six students to start with per workshop, but I found the students were all queuing up at my printing press all afternoon, so I only take four students at one time now. I love sharing my experience and practise with both beginners and experienced printmakers. I’m not a trained teacher, but with any form of art, I think the best way to learn is by another artist. It is always a great pleasure to see students blossom with confidence throughout the day and leave with a lot of lino prints made by themselves to take home!

One of Nathalie's print workshops ©NathaliePymm

Q: Which art materials could you simply not live without?

I have a little list! My little ABIG lino cutting tool set, my Pfeil No. 11 lino cutting tool, sketchbook, tracing paper, pencils, permanent markers, my Akua intaglio inks, Grey Battleship lino cuts and of course my Gunning Etching Press!

Q: What does a normal day in your garden studio look like?

I generally start my day at 10am in my studio. This gives me time to walk the dog and sort out any admin before I do my ‘two second commute’ to my studio. Luckily there is not much wifi in the studio, so I don’t get too distracted with emails, calls, messages! Because I have my own studio, I can leave everything out from the day before; so when I start my day, I can just carry on from where I’ve left off. If I’m in the middle of a lino reduction print, I’ll always mark out what I have to cut out the day before so I know where to start. Or perhaps I’m printing a new colour on that day and my lino cut will be waiting at the printing table to roll out some ink. I generally work until 5pm, usually later in the summer as it’s lighter longer and I love being in the studio with the doors wide open.

Nathalie's studio ©Nathaliepymm

Q: Do you have any advice to artists who have never delved into the lino printing world?

Visit printmakers who create lino prints at art exhibitions and/or their Open Studios. It’s always best to learn how to use the tools and create a lino print in a workshop before you start creating your own lino prints at home. So many of my students have tried at home with very little success and have been put off! Hopefully after a workshop or two, they will be hooked like me!

Q: Could you tell us some fun facts people may not know about you?

Before working full time as an Artist and Printmaker, I used to be a nurse! I was working as a nurse for thirty years firstly in Paediatrics, Neonatal Unit and then Recovery/Theatres. Sadly I injured my back and needed back surgery which was a success, but I decided to leave Nursing and focus on art instead. In a way, my back injury did me a huge favour, as I go to my studio each day with a big smile on my face! I’ve also worked part time as a receptionist at the local physiotherapy practise in Amersham for three years. I think I was there so often after my back surgery, they decided to put me on the front desk!

Doggy Duo Lino Prints ©Nathaliepymm

Q: Thank you so much for your time and knowledge! We would love to know what you are currently working on/ do you have any exciting future plans in the making?

Thank you for inviting me to do this interview! There are a few fabulous art exhibitions in the pipeline; I’m organising a lovely local Autumn Fair with two other talented artists called ‘Amersham Art Unlocked’ which is running on Saturday November 2nd. I’ve just finished working on my latest lino reduction print ‘Echinacea’ and this will be making it’s debut there.
The Ironbridge Fine Arts Printmaking exhibition runs until November 16th too, so that’s a fabulous exhibition to go and see. I’m also taking part for the first time in the Hearing Dogs Christmas Market in Saunderton on 30th November/1st December so I’ve been creating some new doggie duo lino prints to go there too! Lastly, really delighted that two of my Puglia paintings have been accepted to take part in the INGDiscerning Eye Art Exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London next month! All art exhibitions and art work can be seen on my website www.nataliepymm.com

©Nathaliepymm

Be sure to follow and find out more about Nathalie Pymm:
Instagram: @nathaliepymm
Website: www.nataliepymm.com

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