Iris Macklin

In Between (a story of two summers)

My collection "In Between (a story of two summers)" is inspired by my love of collecting and documenting different aspects of my life, bringing my drawings and photographs together in the form of a series of wall hanging vignettes, telling the story of two summers: 2023 and 2024. They stand alone as independent stories as well as linking together to build a bigger narrative, sharing glimpses of place, travel and friendship. Photography is at the root of my process. I take photographs everywhere I go, documenting unusual colour palettes, eye opening compositions, people and places. I do the majority of my designing directly on the print bed, gathering each motif, pattern, and colour and building the story as I print. This element of chance adds further layers of detail to my design, making connections that I may never have imagined, leaving me with unique and sometimes humorous compositions. Using my photographs as a starting point, I use traditional as well as digital drawing techniques and illustration to explore different compositions. I do the majority of my designing directly on the print bed - gathering each motif, pattern, and colour and building the story as I print. Using silk screen printing, gocco printing or digital printing to combine my drawings and photographs to create a multi-layered collage, bringing my stories to life.