Start at Home No. 92 - Margaret Preston

Margaret Preston was a famous Australian artist born in Port Adelaide in 1875. She loved to experiment with different styles and materials like painting, printmaking, and ceramics. She studied art in Australia and Europe, where she learned about colour, design, and new ideas.

Preston liked painting flowers, objects, and scenes from different places she visited. She helped bring modern art to Australia and often used nature and Aboriginal designs to create a unique Australian style.

Margaret Preston’s lino and woodcuts use bold lines, strong shapes, and simplified forms. She often carved native Australian plants, flowers, and still life scenes, focusing on pattern and design. Her prints have a flat, graphic style with limited, earthy colours like black, red, and ochre.

Margaret experimented with negative space and repeated motifs, drawing influence from Japanese prints and Aboriginal art. Her technique combined hand-carved detail with thoughtful layouts, creating images that are both decorative and modern.

Question

How is Margaret’s art different from other art you’ve seen?

• Margaret was one of the first Australian artists to use printmaking—making pictures by printing from carved wood blocks or in her later career, lino.
• Maragaret was inspired by Aboriginal art and Japanese prints, which helped her create bold and exciting designs.
• Margaret loved trying new things, and in the 1920s she even started making her own ceramic pots, like bowls and vases.

1. Use thin cardboard (a cereal box) to cut out 2 or 3 simple shapes of Australian native flowers—like wattle, banksia, or waratah.
2. Glue the flower shapes onto a thick piece of cardboard to create your printing plate. Make sure the pieces are stuck down flat.
3. Wait until the glue is completely dry before printing.
4. Use a paint roller or sponge to roll a thin layer of paint on an old tray or plate. Choose bold colours like red, black, or ochre.
5. Roll or sponge the paint over your flower shapes.
6. Press a clean piece of paper on top of the painted flower. Rub gently all over, then peel the paper off to reveal your print!
7. Once your prints are dry, use a paint brush to add extra earthy colours if you like.
8. Use a black felt-tip to add more delicate details to shape and patterns on your dried prints

Take it further

Add a thick black frame around your layout using a ruler and black felt-tip and sign your amazing work!

• Thick cardboard – for the base of the collagraph
• Thin cardboard – for cutting out flower shapes
• Scissors
• Glue stick or PVA glue
• Acrylic paint or block printing ink – in bold earthy colours (red, ochre, black)
• Roller (brayer) or sponge
• Old tray or plate
• Paper
• Brushes