Céline Blanchard

Céline Blanchard is a self-taught artist and linocut printmaker. Always a keen artist and experimenter, Céline tried out various techniques and enjoyed playing around with India Ink, acrylic paint, Posca and Promarkers, before one day watching a video online about linocut printmaking. She explains; “I fell in love with the process and could totally see the point of such a technique in my big picture about tattoo art“.

Céline grew up in a creative family; her Dad was a wood tuner and cabinetmaker, her sister is an artist and an interior designer, her Mother practised pyrography among other techniques, and her brother was a keen illustrator. “We always had our hands on wood, paint, salt dough and so on” describes the printmaker. However, Céline chose not to go to Art School, and instead, as she was passionate about Ethology (study of animal behaviour), she studied Biology and Physiology at university. Later, when she understood that the path leading to her dream job could be out of reach, she went into Marketing, yet did not lose her interest in sciences.

“Along the way I never stopped loving art, with an on and off relationship with it. As a teen, I discovered the world of tattooing and got really obsessed with it! Once I turned 18 I offered myself my very first tattoo, the first of a long list, still growing” states Céline. For this reason, her work is influenced by tattoo culture, particularly old-school and Japanese tattoos, as well neo-traditional. As a child of the 1990s, Céline grew up with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Xfiles, and all the series about paranormal, witches, voodoo and zombies, the influence of which can be seen in her work today. Furthermore, she also combines this with her passion for nature, presenting imagery of flowers and nature alongside spooky elements.

Céline works with a wooden Woodzilla A2 manual press, and uses several selected eco-friendly handmade papers such as Lokta, De-Kar and Tsasho which she prints using Cranfield ink. She usually carves on a Japanese vinyl called Gomuban, but also experiments with other types of linoleum. To create her designs, she begins sketching with a criterium pen, which she finishes on her Ipad using Procreate.

Going forward, Céline is looking forward to exploring more printmaking techniques, such as wood engraving, screen printing, etching, Risograph, and Infographics, as well as further developing her tattoo designs. Currently, she is showcasing her work in an Art Gallery where she lives in Malta, and is on the look out for more collaborations. Céline hopes to one day open her own gallery and have art in a little shop, along with other artists.

www.mynameishellish.com
@mynameishellish

You can apply to join our membership community at www.members.peopleofprint.com.

• Author
• Recent Posts

POP Members

Check out our membership directory and apply to become a Verified POP Member at www.members.peopleofprint.com

Want to know more about our membership? Give us an email at members@peopleofprint.com.

Latest posts by POP Members (see all)

• Tim Belonax |All Of My Mistakes Have Led Me To You - April 26, 2024
• The Humber Printmaker - April 25, 2024
• Horizons by Angus Vasili - April 24, 2024