Artist Statement
I have always been an observer, noticing things that are often overlooked. My printmaking practice has refined how I see the world, encouraging deep reflection about my experience of living in it. I see beauty in the texture of long grass swaying in the wind, the shape of clouds, the colours of the sunset, reflections in water. I collect moments of awe in nature & travel through photography to serve as starting points for my imagery. Sometimes, over time, multiple photographic & mental images coalesce into one, blending ideas & memories to create something familiar but new.
Relief printmaking challenges and stimulates me with constant demands for problem-solving and learning. I’m drawn to the physicality of this analog process; working in reverse to carve away wood and linoleum for areas not printed. When working in letterpress, I set antique wood & metal type by hand, in mirror image. The printing of multiples from the resulting raised surface allows for variations, combinations of techniques and a range of expressions in the final prints. The whole process requires a high level of intentionality and reflects a mindful approach which I strive to convey to the viewer.
I am increasingly drawn to working with natural materials to be respectful of the natural environment that inspires me and stimulates a sense of connection and belonging in this world. I hope that my work beckons viewers to walk a little more slowly, to reconnect with their memories and present self, and ultimately to see the world around them with fresh eyes.
Bio
Sullivan (b. 1978) grew up in small-town Ontario and studied Fine Art at the University of Windsor and University of Guelph. She later earned a Bachelor of Education at UOIT (Oshawa), but after a short career as an elementary French Immersion teacher stepped away to rededicate her time and energy to artmaking.
Sullivan reignited her interest in printmaking while working at Station Gallery (Whitby). Her continued practise of the medium during a sojourn in The Netherlands from 2017 to 2019 and back in Canada during the Covid-19 pandemic helped to solidify its place in her life. Since 2020 Sullivan has maintained an art practice largely focused on relief printmaking, working out of her home studio in Whitby to create hand-printed linocut, woodcut and letterpress prints. She makes works on paper, greeting cards and block-printed textiles inspired by moments in nature, travel memories and the power of words. Through both her work and the printmaking workshops she teaches, she aims to help others slow down and to appreciate the world around them more fully.
In the spring of 2025 Sullivan received a Canada Council for the Arts Professional Development Grant to study mokuhanga (Japanese water-based woodblock printmaking) at the Mokuhanga Innovation Laboratory (MI-Lab) in Echizen, Japan. She looks forward to continuing to learn and practise this traditional printmaking process.
