Hilary Warren is a Canberra based printmaker who developed her art practice following a career in Science. Her PhD in 1970 was in Plant Biochemistry, with a change to Immunology in the mid 1970’s which then became her research career until retirement in 2014. Hilary then turned her observational, technical skills and experimental aptitude to the visual arts and in particular printmaking. This journey started with studies in Visual Arts at the Canberra Institute of Technology (2014-2017) and continues through participation in workshops at various studios, locally and interstate.
Hilary has focused on the printing technique of Photopolymer Photogravure. In this process, Hilary adapts her own photographs to created etched photopolymer plates. She developed this specialised skill through workshops with well established Australian printmakers, Annie Day and Robyn Ezra (2017), Susan Baran (2018), Dianne Longley (2018) and Silvi Glattauer (2021).
Hilary’s hand pulled prints are generated using oil based Charbonnel etching inks, where the ink contained within the etching is pressed into dampened Hahnemuhle 300 gsm paper by passing it through a press. Some of her works incorporate colour from the original photographs as pigment ink printed on thin Japanese KOZO paper. In this process (Chine Colle), the ink on the etched plate is pressed onto the KOZO paper which is glued to the Hahnemuhle paper as it passes through the press.
Hilary’s early work focused on images from travels in Europe and Asia. With travel limited because of the COVID pandemic Hilary began a series of etchings of botanical works, using photographs taken in her own garden and at the Australian National Botanic Gardens. In other work Hilary is exploring still life. In all these works Hilary’s emphasis is on creating a composition that provides a different view of something ordinary especially with an emphasis on light and shade.
Hilary sees participating as a printmaker within the Australian and International community an important goal to forwarding the development of her art. Print exchanges provide one such forum as do the Artists Society of Canberra and the Canberra Art Workshop that hold exhibitions within Canberra. Most importantly, Hilary submits her work to prestigious art prizes in Australia and in a number of these she has been selected within a finalist group. These forums give Hilary the inspiration for her art as she is always eager to learn from others.