Reviewed by Cecily Bisshop
printmaking is where i go to explore colour, shape and space with no fixed edges
Original prints by Cecily Bisshop — a printmaking artist working in Toowoomba.
Printmaking feels like an infinite world to me. I use it to explore colour, shape and space, and it keeps opening up further the more I work in it. Every mark I make suggests the next one, so the work grows a bit like the accretions I keep coming back to — small forms drawn together until they hold their own shape.
I came to a daily practice not long ago, renewed from dilettante to something more excited and steady. Printmaking has become the place I return to. Making a print is physical and layered — colour laid over colour, one pull revealing what the last one left behind. I don't always know where a piece is heading, and I've learned to trust that.
This page is for anyone who feels drawn to the work and wants to talk about it — collectors, other makers, or someone who has simply seen a print and wants to know more. If that's you, I'd like to hear from you.
Saturday Printmakers, Toowoomba
I'm a member of Saturday Printmakers in Toowoomba. Being part of the group encourages me to approach my work from unfamiliar directions, and that push matters more than I expected.
The warm support and the varied knowledge base of the other members take me somewhere I wouldn't reach on my own. Someone will suggest a different approach, or I'll watch how another person handles a plate, and it changes what I try next. That mix of people and ideas is a big part of how the work keeps morphing.
Printmaking rewards that kind of company. It's a medium with a lot of shared history and shared techniques, and sitting alongside people who know it well keeps me learning.
Captions above are placeholders — edit each one to name the print or note a few words about it.
the process is experimental, joyful, exploratory — i work with my own joy and follow where the print leads.
How it feels to make the work
Printmaking is playful for me. I follow colour, shape and space rather than a plan, and I let the process stay open. Spherical and ovoid forms keep turning up — eggs, wombs, planets — the shapes that in nature evolved to keep the young safe, and I'm drawn to their gravitas and their lightness at once.
It's experimental and joyful. I explore this limitless idea of personal iconography with elation, and I try to keep that lightness in every piece. My inspirations sit in landscape, cloudscape and seascape — natural ecosystems full of life and interconnected energy — and the way our own interior life merges with the place we inhabit.
I work with my own joy and follow where the print leads. Some pieces come quickly and some sit on the bench for a long time before they tell me what they need. I've stopped rushing them.
What to expect if you get in touch
Talking about the work is easy — just email me. Send a note to cecilybu@gmail.com and tell me what caught your eye. If you're asking about a particular print, a mention of the title or a rough description helps me find it.
From there we can chat about the piece, what's available, and how it might work for you. Original prints are hands-on to make, so timeframes vary from one work to the next — I'll always be straightforward about where a piece is up to. You can also browse more of my work at Celestial & Natural Forms or read a little more about me.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where are you based?
- I work in Toowoomba and I'm a member of Saturday Printmakers here. Most conversations start by email, and I'm happy to talk through anything about the prints from there.
- What draws you to printmaking?
- It feels like an infinite world for exploring colour, shape and space. The layering and the process of pulling a print keep surprising me, and there's always another direction to try. That open-endedness is what keeps me at the bench every day.
- What are the prints about?
- My inspirations sit in landscape, cloudscape and seascape, and in the energy held in matter — from the smallest particles to the largest celestial bodies. Spherical and ovoid shapes recur throughout, carrying both weight and a lightness of joy. It's a personal iconography I keep exploring.
- How do I ask about buying a print?
- Email me at cecilybu@gmail.com and tell me which piece you're interested in. I'll let you know what's available and we can go from there. If you're not sure of the title, a short description of the print is enough for me to find it.