Liz Hartley: Tidal Flow

About the artist

Liz Hartley is an artist and printmaker whose original handmade prints are inspired by the natural world, from the rolling hills and watery fenland near her studio to the mountains and islands of Scotland, where she recently completed a residency. Working primarily in linocut, she builds multiple layers of translucent ink to create richly detailed images characterised by atmosphere, depth, and a strong sense of perspective and light.

Her practice begins outdoors, sketchbook in hand, immersed in the landscape she is observing. Drawing forms an essential part of her process: the longer she looks, the more she sees. Back in the studio, these sketches are translated onto lino blocks, carved by hand and printed using her studio press. Hartley is drawn to the unique balance within printmaking between creativity and technical precision, as well as its endless possibilities for experimentation with colour and layering.

Originally trained as a biologist, Hartley’s work is driven by a deep sense of wonder at the natural world. Her fascination with landscapes, plants, and trees has remained constant since childhood, when she spent hours exploring fields, flowers, and insects on the Cambridgeshire farm where she grew up. Although she once longed to leave the Fens, she now returns repeatedly to its expansive horizons and quiet austerity, seeking new ways to capture its distinctive beauty.

Her prints have been recognised for their quiet intensity and layered stillness, evoking wild skies, reflective water, and the enduring presence of trees and place.