My name is Claudia Jones and I’m an artist from Kingston, Jamaica and I have been living and working in Petworth, West Sussex for the past thirteen years.
How and where did you learn to print?
I learnt print making about five years ago after attending courses with Will Dyke and Hugh Dunford Wood. Although I’m a painter I have always loved block printed images and the immediacy of printmaking.
I enjoy all aspects of printmaking, especially carving the lino.
Where do you work?
Recently I converted my daughters bedroom into my printmaking studio as she has moved back to Jamaica and she no longer needs it.
My other studio, known by the rest of my family as the living room, is where I carve my blocks and paint.
Describe a typical day in your studio.
The first thing I start with is mixing the colours. Rarely do I use colour straight from the tube. I like to think I’m creating a new colour, my aim is to make the colours as vibrant as possible. I print as much as I can in the daytime and use the evenings to design and carve the lino.
What inspires you?
I am inspired by the plants and colours of home. I have many photographs that I’m constantly looking at reminding me of what I love. The light is different in the tropics, also the shape and colours of the plants are more dramatic.
What is your favourite printmaking product?
I love all my cutting tools but my favourite is the Pfeil cutting tool. I’d love to have the whole set. Good tools make the work much more enjoyable.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
I’m most proud of my recent prints as I have managed to create lino blocks that remind me of my paintings of tropical plants, flowers and birds with their vivid colours.
Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?
My work is available on my Instagram @ahwhadat as well as several gift shops and galleries in Jamaica.
Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?
When designing a lino block I start with drawing circles and that gets me on my way. Similarly when printing, squirting out the first colour gets things rolling. My advice would be, don’t overthink it …just have a go.