Alison Read is from Lincoln and specialises in hand made original prints in a variety of methods; screenprints, etchings/ aquatinting and lino-cuts. The subject matter is quirky, fun and mainly animal humour, however it is always different. In the main, Alison is a known as a printmaker, although she has had commissions in bronze. She studied at Newcastle University, subsequently completing her B.A.(Hons) in Fine Art.
Whist studying for her B.A. she was one of several Northern graduates chosen to exhibit in the Royal College of Art commissioned by Lord Rothschild to make a life-size bronze sculpture of five running dogs.
Despite this success in sculpture, she went on to run the Printmaking Workshop at Lincoln University for 9 years. Here, Alison completed her MA degree and began exhibiting her own work. This led to her going it alone as a commercial artist printmaker three years ago and this is how she now makes her living.
Alison Read ’s upbringing on a farm explains her preoccupation with animals in her work. Cows, cats, dogs and chickens were her constant companions. Although she loves all forms of printmaking, her current favourite is the woodcut, and in her own words she attacks her plates quite brutally at times. She is always surprised at how simple they are; just a few lines to denote the essentials. Alison likes the hands-on nature of producing a plate and its immediacy. She does not keep highly detailed sketchbooks as she uses the plate rather than paper to work out ideas. She thinks this is why her images are quirky, if she plans too much she finds that this is often lost.
