Tracing histories

​In December 2024 my dear friend Caroline Hone died suddenly and unexpectedly. Unable to make the long journey to her funeral in Scotland I contacted a mutual friend, Pat Scott and we arranged to meet on the day of her funeral to remember her together. We hadn’t met for some years and Pat was telling me about what she was up to in her studio. She was making beautiful monoprints with a gel plate and botanical specimens. She offered to show me the process and I went to her studio the next week to learn. Following this I began making monoprints myself using my mother’s pressed flowers and leaves. I used blank greetings cards as this seemed an appropriate continuation of my mother’s activity. I referred to Caroline’s Instagram posts of her painting (@honecaroline) to choose colour combinations and thereby celebrate and mourn the loss of my friend.