Meet The Maker: Sarah Burt
Hello, I’m Sarah, I’m an aspiring printmaker based in the rolling hills of South Devon, near the historic town of Totnes. I have a love of nature and social history and am fortunate to live in a part of the country that has an abundance of both! My work often focusses on buildings and landscapes that people may not initially see the beauty in; transient spaces, often invaded by self-seeding plants, yet full of abstract lines and interesting textures.
Describe your printmaking process.
I create my prints using used Tetrapak cartons and an etching tool. It’s wonderful to give new life to a material that would usually be thrown away, capturing the beauty of a place and printing it on ‘rubbish’. I also love the amount of detail you can achieve and that my drawings can take on a completely different feel depending on how I ink the plate.
The start of my process is tied in to my love of running (or puffing along is probably a better description!). My favourite place to run is along the river paths. I take great inspiration from the natural landscape and the local architecture that I come across. I take many photos captured across the changing seasons and they are the source of my inspiration. I will then use them to make detailed drawings, using tracing paper to transfer my drawing onto the Tetrapak. Then the fun begins! I am a stickler for details so can spend hours making marks onto the plate. For me, the etching tool is an extension of the pencil.
How and where did you learn to print?
I first learnt about lino cut printmaking on an Art Foundation Course 25+ years ago. I don’t think I really appreciated the medium at the time and focussed more on drawing combined with textiles. Two years ago, I was threatened with redundancy in my job in publishing and it made me re-evaluate what I wanted in life. I missed creating art but struggled to find the inspiration. I signed up for a half-day lino printing workshop with Sean Willis and absolutely loved it! I decided to join a printmaking class in Totnes run by Bethan Welby and Wendy Howarth. They introduced me to drypoint using acrylic plates and Tetrapak, and I was completely hooked! It unlocked something for me, creatively, which has lain dormant for many years. Beth recommended a relatively inexpensive printing press and as if by magic one appeared on a local selling site. The rest, as they say, is history.
Why printmaking?
For me, printmaking is all about the process. From seeing your inspiration, taking pencil to paper and developing those ideas into a print. Adding tone, texture and atmosphere by moving the ink on the plate is so exciting. I am a complete control freak, but the process doesn’t allow me to be, I have to go with the ink – you don’t really know what you are going to get until you run it though the press! And that is incredibly freeing.
Where do you work?
I am a kitchen table printmaker. I work when my husband isn’t using the table for work and the family have finished eating dinner. You will usually find me there early Saturday and Sunday mornings, when I am able to get a good few hours in without interruption. Luckily the presses I use are easily transportable, so it doesn’t take too long to set up and take down. The dream is to one day have a garden studio.
Describe a typical day in your studio.
I wouldn’t say there’s a typical day, but it usually starts with a nice cup of tea and selecting an audio book or pod cast. I tend to do most of my drawings in the evening, so the early weekend mornings are usually saved for etching and inking the plates when the light is best, and printing.
How long have you been printmaking?
My printmaking journey began in January 2024, so I regard myself as a newbie with a lot to learn!
What inspires you?
I am inspired by details and texture in nature and in architecture that you might stumble upon in the natural landscape – be that the drystone walls that crisscross Dartmoor to architectural beauties that have been left to the elements. I love to see how nature slowly reclaims the space. I am also inspired by how the seasons can completely alter the feel of a place. I often go walking in the local woods. Tracks are easy to follow in the winter when the paths are clear and dappled by the low winter light, compared with summer when the foliage is in full growth and the sunlight streams through the leaves and branches completely changing the environment. I will admit I have temporarily lost my way on a few occasions!
What is your favourite printmaking product?
It has to be my 1.5ml etching needle purchased from Handprinted. I also wouldn’t be without Cranfield Caligo Safe Wash Etching inks.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
I was commissioned to produce a print for a calendar focussing on the river Dart: ‘Flowing Through the Year’. It celebrates the communities who care for the river. I was tasked with creating a December print that features the Buckfast Abbey fish and eel passes and the Abbey’s stewardship of that part of the river. You can purchase the calendar and greeting cards here! All profits go to river-based charities and organisations.
Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?
My print ‘Right to Roam’; a Tetrapak print of Dartmoor which highlights the debate over public access to land, was selected for the 2025 Ironbridge Printmaking Competition. The exhibition runs from 11 October – 22 November.
I am also selling my prints at the Bright Edges Makers Market on 8 and 9 November at Dartington Village Hall, Devon.
What will we be seeing from you next?
I will be continuing to develop the current theme in my work of my journey in the landscape, following the tracks of people gone before, the well-trodden paths.
I will be taking part in the Totnes Open Studio in May 2026.
Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?
Being very new to printmaking I am not sure if I am best placed to give advice, but I hope people might be inspired by my journey into printmaking. So, from that perspective I would say don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone and explore new creative endeavours. Try new ways of working and explore different mediums. It may take you in a completely different direction!
To see more of Sarah, follow her on Instagram