Jane Smith makes screen prints, inspired by the wildlife where she lives on the West Coast of Scotland. She has written and illustrated two books, "Community" and "Wild Island"

 

'I used to make wildlife films, which involved a lot of travelling and subjects as diverse as elephants, jaguars, anacondas and penguins. Now I enjoy getting to know one place in depth. And Scotland is as beautiful and rich in wildlife as anywhere I’ve ever been. Instead of TV programmes, I now make artwork to share my excitement about the natural world.

 

All my work starts with a field-sketch; a real-life encounter with bird, animal or landscape. I draw to share these snatched glimpses of wildlife that usually only come after hours spent out of doors. I can’t capture all the details of that moment, but I hope to hold on to the energy and excitement of it.

 

In my studio I combine my sketches to make a design for a print. ​I use screen printing because the limited number of colour-layers help to simplify and condense the ideas. An element of unpredictability occurs when colours overlap to make new colours, and this gives energy to the picture. I make stencils on the screen and use a squeegee to force ink through the fine mesh of the screen, one colour layer at a time. These layers build to make the final picture.'