Frances Carlile

I lived in rural Mid Wales for twenty five years and now live on the boarders of Powys. The Welsh landscape has always been part of my work both in sculpture and print. I have recently begun to make prints based on imaginary fairy tales and myths. Myths and legends are a universal language and belong to everyone. I am hoping to make links with Welsh and Irish traditional stories inorder to inform my work.

I think of landscape in terms of space, as a backdrop, an arena or a stage. Within this arena an imaginary protagonist could be enacting a solitary drama. The protagonist could be present in the form of an animal, person or tree, or absent with the stage empty. The beginning and end of the narrative are not important for the work, although sometimes I construct a series of images that could be set in sequence. The work is about quietness, solitude and absence.

Tara Dean

I first became interested in the project after visiting the exhibition ' Le Cheile' at Rhyl Arts Centrein January this year.

The exhibition really made me think about communication through images.

I like to receive things by post, especially when the envelopes or parcels have been decorated in some way.

Seeing this combination of print and how it can be used to layer and layer between artists is something that I would like to investigate .

Looking at the images develop into finished pieces.

My work recently has revolved around routes and roots and multi layers of colour using the screen. I have been experimenting with alternative surfaces to print onto in particular clay and fired tiles.

The images above are all screen prints

Charles Hulgraine

My visual image of Wales, where I went on holidays with my parents in the 60's, has always been the mirror similarities of the rural landscape of Wales and our own in Ireland,formerly linked by land mass.Our land and soil must also be one and the same.These rural similarities are most notably evident in the silent guardians of the hills and valleys--Trees.

Along with our common Celtic culture,language and symbolism, I can think of no more suitable a topic for recipricol Art making than these Trees/Roots and in particular,Celtic tree Worship.Almost all kinds of tree found in the Celtic countries have been thought to have special powers or to serve as an abode of the faries,especially the trio of Oak (dair in Irish and derwen in Welsh),also Ash,Yew and Thorn.After this in rank are the fruit bearing trees Apple and Hazel,followed by the alder,elder,holly and willow.

Many Irish and no doubt Welsh placenames,emanate from tree association; eg -St Brigets monastic foundation was at Cill Dara (church of the oak,Kildare) where we at Leinster Print are located.The esteem given to different trees varies in different parts of the Celtic world and I intend to link up the esteem and worship of Trees in our respective Celtic zones.