Laine Tomkinson
I explore the emotional attributes of experience though colour, depth and form. I’d describe my practice as lyrical abstraction. My artworks begin as large screen-prints on Fabriano paper, often incorporating elements of monoprint or collage.
I frequently refer to the print process itself by collaging cut up elements, such as the registration acetates of the print.
I orchestrate my personal array of marks within the frame, they are dancing, reacting, moving, accordingly they are given movement based titles: Roundabout, Tumble and Hoky-Koky.
Increasingly, I make one-off prints and, other than an idea of essence of the piece, I don’t have a fully formed idea of the final state until it’s completed – it’s a process of looking, thinking and improvisation, though a playful dialogue with the work.
I concur with Patrick Heron “The picture is not the vehicle of the meaning, the picture is the meaning” in that, though I make prints that are inspired by specific preoccupations, in truth the heart of my work is as much about the process/ endeavor of making it.
OVERVIEW
Laine is a fine art painter and mixed media artist based in Nottingham. Her practice has developed over forty five years, experimenting with all aspects of printmaking and painting. In recent times, she has shown in Inprin- A Celebration of Printmaking The OPG Scarborough,2024, The Open exhibition Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donnington, 2025 The Hepworth Print Fair, Wakefield, 2023; Sea; Land- The Lotte Inch gallery, York,2016; and Printfest Selects at The Northern Print Biennale, Newcastle 2014. Laine is represented by several British independent commercial galleries.
She also curated and participated in Make Colour sing - Abstraction now, May 2018 NSA Gallery Nottingham showcasing colour and collage inspired artworks from thirteen British and International artists also How soon is now? Review of Contemporary Abstraction Nottingham, 2016, featuring a selection artworks from 12 leading contemporary British abstract artists.
A longstanding member of the Printmaking Council, known for showcasing contemporary British printmaking nationally and worldwide, Laine was the featured printmaker in the Printmakers Council’s magazine Imprint, which featured an interview and a selection of recent work.
She says of her work “I’m consistently experimenting to keep my work fresh.
My artwork is a response to everything I love, the natural world, music and the sensation of being human.
I approach each series of work without a definitive blueprint, orchestrating my personal array of shapes and marks,building up layers of screenprinted and painted marks to develop an image that is true to the initial inspiration."
Education
University of Central Lancashire 2.1 Degree Fine art 1976-1979
Residencies, Affiliations
Member of the Printmaking Council 2011-to 2022
Artist in residence at Leicester Print Workshop September 2011 – May 2012
Solo exhibitions
2025 (forthcoming) Cut and Colour - Solo exhibition. Surface Gallery, Nottingham
2022 New Work - Solo exhibition - Opus Art Studios, St Ann's Nottingham
2017 Remaking nature - Solo exhibition, The Wallner gallery, Nottingham Lakeside Arts
2024 InPrint; Survey of Contemporary printmaking - Invited exhibitor- informed by screenprints of Internationally acclaimed printmakers. The Old parcels gallery, Scarborough
2024 Open 24 The Tarpey gallery Castle Donnington East Midlands
2024 OPO Open curated by Robert Moore and Karen Cupola, The Old Parcels Office Scarborough
2022 Colours curated by Matthew Macauley, Stone-Space gallery Leytonstowe, London
2022 Printfest Curated Print festival, Ulverston, Cumbria
2022 On paper Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donnington, East Midlands
2022 Bid Old lock up gallery, Cromford, Derbyshire
2021 Colour and Form Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donnington, East Midlands
2019 Riotous Assembly - curated by Professor David Manley -Laine Tomkinson, Gordon Dalton, David Manley, Wendy Mclean, John Rimmer, Lois Sabet. Deja Artspace, Derby
2015 Perfect day The Tarpey Gallery Castle Donington, East Midlands
Curatorial projects
2016 How soon is now- Review of contemporary abstraction N.S.A Gallery Nottingham- featured artists; Terry Greene, Claudia Bose, Lauri Hopkins, Laine Tomkinson, David Manley, Martin Heron, Rachel Pinks, Clay Smith
Group exhibitions
2024 Inprint-a Celebration of Printmaking
The Old parcels office Gallery- Scarborough
The Tarpey Gallery Open Castl Donnington 202
2017 Recall - Former alumni - joint exhibition - The University of Central Lancashire (forthcoming Oct -Nov)
2017 Revealed - Printmakers collective, The Kunstuis gallery, North Yorkshire
2016 Sea; Land- 4 Person exhibition The Lotte Inch gallery, York
2016 Hepworth Print fair, The Calder building, The Hepworth Wakefield
2016 Ashborne arts festival - Artist in residence Ashbourne, Derbyshire
2016 How soon is now- Review of contemporary abstraction - curated by myself
2016 Salon 7 -Ten contemporary artists curated by Rachel Pinks The Old lock up, Cromford, Derbyshire
2016 Off the press-Six contemporary printmakers, The Old Station gallery, Rowsley, Derbyshire
2014 Northern Print Bi-annuale Invited Exhibitor The biscuit factory, Newcastle on Tyne
2014 Printfest Annual print festival Ulverston, Cumbria
2013 Tarpey Gallery Castle Donington, East Midlands Midlands Open
2012 Midlands Open Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donnington
2012 Passion for Print; Embrace Arts, Leicester University, Leicestershire
2012 London Print Studios Gallery Printmakers Council International Mini print Exhibition, touring Britain
Selected previous exhibitions
Nottingham Open Nottingham Museum and Art Gallery, Nottingham
Passion 2 Print Leicester Print Workshop East Midlands touring exhibition
Internacional Mini Print exhibición, Cadaques, Cataluña, Spain
Expressive Figuration Solo Show, The Pankhurst Centre, Manchester
City Life- Public Life Group Show, The Cornerhouse, Manchester
New Art from Manchester Salford Art Gallery
Public/ Private Collections
2012 Portfolio of prints acquired by Fullers Brewery P.L.C.
2011 Selection of Prints acquired by Andersons Accounting, Barcelona
2010 Prints acquired by The Royal Bank of Scotland, Manchester
Work acquired by private collectors residing in Britain, Switzerland, Spain and America