Cherie Steele

I studied a BA in Fine Art at Staffordshire University in the 90s working mainly in mixed media, sculpture and photography. I later developed a passion for printmaking through attending courses at Horsley Printmakers and Northern Print. I have been fascinated with printmaking ever since and have been particularly inspired by the use of collagraphs and viscosity printing. This versatile and experimental medium offers so many possibilities and printmaking lets me explore colour and texture, hand drawn elements and themes of the natural environment .

Although I am originally from Essex, I have lived in Sunderland for around 19 years, raising my sons here. I am grateful to live in an area of such natural beauty and my work often depicts elements of the landscape and natural forms inspired by the local countryside and coastline. The female figure and elements inspired by myth and fairy tales are also recurring themes in my work.

I enjoy the physicality of printmaking, its processes and the way that each print is unique and the same plate can give such varied results. Most recently, I have begun experimenting with cyanotype photographic printing. This enables the use of both drawn, photographic and objects to be placed exposed to create an image using light sensitive chemicals developing into deep cyan blue hues.

Previously I have exhibited work in galleries and cafes in the north east and Scotland including prior group printmaking shows at the Biscuit Factory.