Talking to Merryn Delves

1. How would you describe your art in one sentence? 

Dynamic, colourful, sharp lines.

2. What inspires and influences you? 

My surroundings, travel and going to old and new places.

3. Are there any recurring themes in your work that are vital to your practice?

Plants-  they appear in most of my work at the moment, I think it’s their shape and mostly just the outside world.

4. Can you describe your studio setup and your approach to creating?

At the moment I am on my kitchen table and printing in an open access print studio. I am hoping to get my own space as soon as possible. I would describe my approach as fluid - I like to use reduction prints, nothing is planned out apart from the cutting at each stage and I plan the colours as I go. 

Merryn Delves's studio, Linos drying.

5. What has been your proudest achievement to date?

Small wins for me, selling a piece of work to someone I don’t know.

6. What are you currently working on?

I have just finished a 5 colour reduction print based on a photo I took in Melbourne Royal Botanics, its taken me like a year to do between Covid and getting into the studio. I have a few other prints waiting for their next colour too.

7. What is next for you and how can people follow what you are up to?

Just producing more, day job and life have a great way of slowing me down, updating my website, getting a space for me to be creative, the best way too check in is probably Instagram, although I am really quite slow with this too. 

8. Which living artists do you most admire?

Thats a hard question, there are lots and for different reasons - I love Bridget Riley to Gursky, but also lots less famous but just as amazing. I recently brought a print from Yoonjung Shim which I love, her work is available in the Abstract Etchings collection. I really like the photographer Joe Howard, who takes beautiful photos. In his work London and Cornwall feature alot - two places I love. 

9. If you could get a studio tour from any artist throughout history, who would it be?

Paula Rego, I have loved her work from a young age 

10. What work of art, from either a public or private collection, would you love to have in your
life?

Terry Frost - a Cornish legend with amazing colours. I remember seeing him in a pub in Cornwall when I was about 8.