Louisa Ellis

Louisa Ellis completed an art foundation course at Kingsway Princeton College in London and first became interested in printmaking while studying for a B.Ed. at the University of the Southbank, London, where art was her major.

Louisa exhibited her work in Cornwall but quickly realised that she had to take a teaching job to support her young family. After more than 20 years as a primary teacher, she returned to her dream of becoming a full-time printmaker.

She has developed a method which involves drawing directly onto a sheet of plywood and cutting a key block from this drawing. Louisa then prints this onto the reverse side of the plywood and cuts out the sections to be printed in colour. She prints her work using linseed oil-based inks and burnishes by hand with a Japanese baran.

A woodcut print is a traditional printmaking technique that involves carving an image or design onto a block of wood. This artistic process dates back centuries and continues to captivate artists and art enthusiasts alike. To create a woodcut print, the artist carves away the negative spaces of the image, leaving the raised areas intact. Ink is then applied to the raised surface, and the block is pressed onto paper or another suitable material. The result is a beautifully textured print showcasing the wood’s distinctive grain and character. Woodcut prints often possess a charming rustic quality and uniquely blend precision and organic warmth as shown in Louisa Ellis’s work.