During current events, we find ourselves working from home, trying to juggle many different things at once, which is showing us how it is possible to adapt to new ways of living. We talk with printmaker Megan Hopkin, who tells us all about how she has been using screen printing to help get her through the pandemic.
“For me, art was the thing I needed to take a step away and forget about what is going on. I have never wanted to screen print as much as I have the past few months” begins the printmaker. Megan is in her home studio every day working on new, colourful prints. These experiments have included printing onto fabric and wood for the first time, as well as finding new ways to print onto paper, such as using hand cut stencils and a blank screen. “It is great fun having the freedom and time to do this, I have so many new prints” describes Megan.
For many people, art is providing a focus point and distraction from the unusual circumstances we are living in. Megan explains; “For me when I print, I go into my own little world, I lose track of time and forget about everything going on, all I am focused on is the print and what colour or shape I am going to use next. It is great, I feel very fortunate to be able to carry on“. Her work is bright, bold and colourful, and right now this is needed more than ever. Megan utilises this colour palette in order to portray the joy that printing brings her, and reflect her love for the process. Through her neon prints, she hopes to make others feel uplifted and happy. “Colour plays a big part in life, it is a strong form of communication. I sometimes struggle to communicate through words, therefore to do it through art is so much easier and often more powerful” states the artist.
When her university closed, Megan made sure to take everything home so that she could carry on working. She built a new worktop in her studio, and bought new screens, inks, and lots of paper. After a few days of solid printing Megan became addicted, waking up each morning eager to get straight in the studio, get every colour out and “go nuts“. With no particular plan for the resulting print, she starts by simply laying down shapes and colour; “that’s the joy and what makes it so fun, you never really know what prints you are going to finish with“.
It was during her foundation studies in 2019 that Megan discovered her love for screen printing, and has since produced a variety of prints through which she has developed her own style. “Now I have found something that I love doing, I really want to keep pushing myself” comments Megan. She has recently begun working on new screen print designs for the future, gathering different shapes and patterns on Photoshop. Megan created a new print for the @drawforoffical programme where artists were asked to create a limited-edition print for free, which would be sold for £20, with all profits donated to the NHS. On taking part in the project which is very close to her own heart, Megan states: “It was a great idea, right now the NHS need all the support and love they can get, so to see them get so many artists involved was heart-warming and I was delighted to get asked to be part of it… At times like this we have to come together and unite, as one big group we will get through this, and fight it and support those who really need it“.
Feeling fortunate to be able to take the time to create artwork during this time, Megan concludes; “art will get me through this. Art will get us all through it. Keep creating and keep smiling“.
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