Interviews Member Printmaking Screen Print

POP Meets | Megan Hopkin

posted by Si Cunningham July 16, 2020

Our new series meets the people behind some of the industry’s most inspiring work. This week, Suffolk-based screen printer Megan Hopkin shares her secrets to becoming a successful printmaker. From navigating uni, to balancing work, Megan has some awesome advice for those looking to follow in her footsteps…

My work is solely about the use of colour and shapes…
I like to use bright and bold colours as it reflects my happy state when printing also my love for the process. I have so much when screen printing and I feel the colours I use help to reflect this. I’m a printmaker mostly focusing on screen printing. I work with both photo and paper stencils. Sometimes I like to mix both together. I also do quite a bit of digital work, I like to play around with patterns and designs before I screen print them to see what it would look like and it’s also fun to play around with different colours to see what works.

It is always good to push yourself and find new ways to work – this is how you develop as an artist…
Recently I’ve started to print onto other surfaces rather than just paper… I’ve been experimenting on wood, fabric and neon acrylic. Furthermore, I’ve also got some of my screen print ideas Riso-printed by fellow People of Print member Chugga Press to compare them to screen prints. I love how different a Riso print and screen print is, I love the small dots from a Riso print but then the block shapes from a screen print. It is nice to see my work produced in different ways.

Switching from A-Levels to art college was the best decision I had ever made…
I started to screen print about a year ago while doing my final project during my foundation course. Previous to that, I studied A-Levels but after a few days I realised it wasn’t what I wanted to do, so I decided to start a diploma in Art & Design at West Suffolk College. I went into the course quite open-minded and tried various different ways of working. I experimented with various different print techniques such as etching, lino cutting, intaglio, mono printing and of course screen printing. But I never really pushed my screen printing during these two years… I just tried out lots of ways of working. My final piece [from the foundation course] got selected to be exhibited at the UAL Origins exhibition at the Truman Brewery [London] last summer. Since then I have started studying an Arts Practice degree, in which I incorporate screen printing into almost every project. I’ve also built a little print studio at home allowing me to print all the time.

I decided to give up my part time job to focus on my printing and my degree…
During lockdown the shop I work in decided to close temporarily, meaning I had loads of spare time. So, I decided to start using that time to print and I found myself printing every day. This meant I was posting more work on my Instagram and started to gain a bigger audience and had more interest in my work. I also recently became one of Look Up Prints’ artists so I will be selling work through them soon as well as Look Like Love. Quitting my job allows me to spend the time in not doing uni work printing and being able to do something I love as my part time job is amazing and exciting. I’m launching my own online shop soon, and I have lots of interest in that… I’m really excited to see what happens in the next few months.

You have to take risks to see what works, if it goes wrong at least I have tried…
It took a lot of time to think about quitting my job to focus on printmaking. I’m only 20 and have just finished my first year at uni so I wasn’t sure if it was the right time to do it, but I decided to give it a go. Obviously, there is the big risk that my work will not sell and the money could be inconsistent but as said it’s worth the risk. I love printing so much so I’m willing to put in all that I have got. Confidence was another big thing, having the confidence in myself and my work took a long time too but I have such great and supportive people around me and on my Instagram who give me good feedback and that really helps me to believe in myself and my art.

I‘m now doing something which I really love, so I can put in all my energy and time into printing…
I feel really happy and excited about this move I have made and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Before making this decision, I used to go to uni five days a week and work all weekend so I never had much time to do my own work, this is why I felt it was important to make this move as now I have more time to print and have some time to myself. I also now have time to visit more exhibitions and see more art which I am super excited about.

Make connections, talk to other artists, get involved in exhibitions, just say yes to as much as you can…
That would be my advice to others in my position. Things will go wrong but that’s how we learn. I guess be prepared to work hard, which is why it is key to love what you are doing. Over the past few years I’ve tried so many techniques and processes and it took lots of hard work to realise it was screen printing that I loved. Also, be prepared to take risks – even if they go wrong – learn from it and carry on. Anyone can achieve what they want. Most of all have fun and enjoy yourself, it may be a bumpy ride but will be worth it.

For many years I wanted to be an architect, so I would say I am heavily inspired by architecture…
Each building is very different and that is what makes it so interesting. I am always taking photos of inspiring buildings and structures. Most of my inspiration comes from Instagram, there are so many great artists and creators out there and you are constantly being updated with new work – it’s amazing. You also get talking to other artists and you can share ideas and help inspire each other, I love that connection. When out and about I am always on the look for nice colour combinations and cool textures, anything can help inspire you.

I’ve been inspired by so many of my great tutors, that I wish to share this with others…
I want to teach at some point – whether this be through workshops or as a teacher. I also want to try and get involved in more exhibitions – I was part of one recently but it got postponed due to lockdown. Like most artists, I wish to be able to create art for a living, do what I love and what I enjoy. But I want to travel with my art too and go see more exhibitions and shows all around the world. Make more connections.