In this blog Dr Caroline Erolin explains her recent passion with lino printing and etching. Caroline works across the schools of Science & Engineering and Art & Design, and runs the MSc in Medical Art. Her research activities are focussed on digital 3D modelling and scanning of anatomy, and new technologies such as virtual and augmented reality. It may come as some surprise therefore, that when not in work, Caroline can often be found her home print studio, getting her hands dirty with traditional media such as lino printing and etching. Caroline had dabbled in relief printmaking on and off over the years, but it wasn’t until recently that things really took off.
“I think like many people, things changed for me during lockdown. Much as I love digital making, I found that with the extra hours spent creating online learning materials I was spending so long at my desk looking at a screen that something had to give. We’d recently moved house and for the first time I had a home studio. So when not working I was increasingly drawn to spending my free time in there rather than in front of yet more screens”
Caroline’s prints feature a variety of animals both wild and domestic, as well as human and animal anatomy. Her work tends to alternate between colourful reduction prints and more stark monochrome pieces. Many of her prints feature creatures that are often overlooked such as insects and amphibians.
“I often show part of the animals anatomy as this is a subject I find fascinating and just a much a part of creature as its external appearance. I like the effect this can achieve of the subject occupying a sort of liminal space between life and death. This was particularly successful in a recent etching I produced of my old cat Finnegan. Based on a portrait of him in life looking very handsome (he was a Maine coon) it was superimposed with the image of his skull (which I confess I dug up!).”
Over the years Caroline has transitioned from printing with her trusty wooden spoon, to getting a relief press, and most recently her prize possession, a Gunning Etching press. She works mostly in linocut and etching but also experiments with collagraph and monotype printing.
For more about Caroline’s work visit
Webpage: https://www.erolinstudios.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erolinstudios/
