ABOUT K M REILLY

New Zealand artist Kathleen M. Reilly was born and educated in Golden Bay, and left to undertake a Certificate in Graphic Design at Christchurch Technical Institute in 1977. She studied under Murray Hedwig, Neil Dawson, Michael Reed, et al.

On completion of her study, Kathy worked as a Commercial Artist in the Christchurch advertising agency, Hill Skinner Compton.

Moving to the North Island, she worked as an advertising consultant and artist, and then as an artist for the printing company Te Rau Press in Gisborne.

Kathy has exhibited since student days, but had a 15 year break from full time art practice, while farming and raising children. The family travelled to UK & Europe to accompany Kathy’s husband Tony Reilly on a Nuffield Agricultural Scholarship in 1995, also visiting the famous galleries of Europe.

By 1997, Kathy was able to resume a full time art practice with a focus on drawing and painting. In 1998 Kathy designed and had built a studio & gallery overlooking the family Dairy Farm at Motupipi. For several years she focused on painting “TeaCup Portraits” from her large collection at the historic family home. This work morphed into surreal TeaCup images, using the tea cup as a metaphor in social commentary. A series of cards were produced and still sell well today.

While further fulltime study was not an option from Golden Bay, Kathy attended annual short courses in painting with Peter Siddell, Seraphine Pick & Nicola Jackson at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology.

Pen & Ink was of major interest, and Kathy produced over 50 drawings of local Golden Bay, and nationally significant regional buildings, including many commissions.
The desire to further her drawing skills in Printmaking saw Kathy undertake short courses in Intaglio Etching with Jenny Dolezel in 2004 and 2007.

Etching on zinc is the main focus of Kathy’s art practice today. She travels extensively, always with sketchbook in hand, and has found inspiration in galleries large and small, famous and less known throughout the world. Her work reflects her interest in the quirks of personality, and the beauty of the natural world.

Kathy’s work is shown in galleries throughout New Zealand and Australia, and in New York.
She is a member of the Print Council of Aotearoa New Zealand, and the Nelson Suter Art Society.

Kathy’s work is in collections throughout the world, many purchased by travellers who have visited her studio and gallery in Golden Bay.

ETCHING

Etching is an intaglio printing technique made famous by Rembrandt and others in the 17th Century.

My etchings are produced by the action of nitric acid on zinc plate. The plate is coated with an acid resist ground which is then drawn through to expose the metal. The plate is immersed in acid, which “bites” through the lines drawn. The plate is then cleaned and polished, then inked. The inked plate is buffed clean, leaving the etched lines filled with ink. Dampened paper is laid on the plate which is passed through the press, creating the print.

"Each print in the edition is an original, printed from the plate for that purpose. There is no one original print from which copies are made. Each print is inked and pulled individually – it is a multi-original medium."

Printmaking Techniques and Terms