My love of printmaking was sparked on my Art Foundation course where the Print Studio was run by Walter Hoyle. I went on to a degree at Farnham and then a few years later completed an MA at Nottingham Trent.

30 years ago I relocated for a job at Leicester Print Workshop. I am lucky to now own my own 1838 Albion press in my studio at home in a converted Victorian Coach House in the city, but still value the community environment of a shared studio workshop and make my living as a practicing artist and occasional tutor.

I exhibit my work locally and nationally, show at occasional art fairs, undertake commercial illustration work and I’m always open to private commissions!

Much of my major project work has been part of an artist residency or longer term collaboration with museums or gallery collections – developing a connection and knowledge of where and what I am involved in.

My father was a botanist and I grew up in the centre of Cambridge next door to the Botanic Gardens, which we would walk through on the way to our allotment on summer evenings – all of which laid the foundations for an enduring interest and love of plants, buildings, special places and the way we value and order the spaces we create – which in turn has formed continual reference and subject matter in my life as an artist. I have a small but packed walled town garden and a precious allotment in the city… they are both places of inspiration and solace!

For more than 20 years I have worked on a body of work featuring the buildings in and around Leicester that are part of the fabric of city life. These are a mix of iconic public buildings (such as New Walk Museum or the Market Place) and those more familiar yet nevertheless architecturally notable (such as Blunts Shoes or the Turkey Café).

With so many inspirational buildings in and around my city, my work with iconic landmarks is ongoing…

In recent years I have also looked deeper into the emotional and historical importance of gardens, green spaces and the countryside, within which buildings often play a key role. Plants, gardens and indeed my own allotments are very close to my heart, not only being my inspiration but also my solace. Recent studies in this vein feature Stoneywell, the Ernest Gimson Arts & Crafts property recently acquired by the National Trust and the beautiful landscape of Launde Abbey in Rutland, with its ancient woodland and rolling hills providing the perfect backdrop to the stunning building and kitchen gardens.

In addition to my external exhibitions, each Autumn I host an Open Studio Weekend – it’s an informal showcase of my work together with the work of a few fellow artist friends. If you would like to receive an invitation to future events please contact me at sarah@sarahkirby.co.uk aand I will add you to the invitation list.