Luella Martin is a contemporary British printmaker creating atmospheric solar etchings inspired by the landscapes she returns to repeatedly — the South Downs, the Sussex coast, and the wild Scottish islands. Each visit reveals new light, colour, and atmosphere, shaping her expressive landscape prints. Immersing herself in the history and mythology of place, Luella reflects on the people who have stood in the same landscape before her. As she says, “We’re connected to landscapes through these images, through the same stories and myths that come from these places.”
Her solar plate etchings use sunlight or UV exposure and water to develop the plates, which she inks by hand to achieve rich, painterly colour. She often hand-paints the paper before printing, giving each original print subtle variations.
Born and educated in London, Luella studied at Hornsey and Byam Shaw Colleges of Art, with postgraduate studies at Goldsmiths. She now works full-time from her studio at Phoenix Brighton on the south coast, where she paints and prints her limited-edition landscape etchings.