Artist Catherine Mc Cue Boes

2026 is a year for thinking back. I’ve been in the arts for a while now, both as an artist and a practitioner. During that time, I’ve made some amazing friends, like Julie. We met in college and both studied printmaking. Over the next four years of full-time study, we shared not only our artwork but also our ideas, letters, and future plans. Sadly, Julie passed away in 2014. Over the coming months, I’m going to go through all our art, letters, thoughts, and ideas to create a record of our time together.

Monoprints “ Sometimes Gladness” a collection of pomes by Australian writer Bruce Dawe, resonates with profound themes. Within his poetic work, “Homecoming” explores the futility of war, specifically the Vietnam War and the return of  the dead Australian and American soldiers. This profound piece deeply moved me, prompting me to create a series of monoprints that visually express my reaction to the poem. My intention was to produce quick and spontaneous artwork without prior drawing or planning. I aimed to create based solely on the poem. Utilising a glass slab, I rolled up lithographic ink, employing brushes and rags to partially remove the black ink, allowing the process to unfold spontaneously. While some prints did not meet my expectations, a few emerged as successful creations. These monoprints were produced some time ago, but given the current state of global events, they could have been conceived and executed this year.