Meet Harrie Fuller

Harrie Fuller started her position in December 2020 in a time of extreme national uncertainty, between the second and third lockdowns. The UWE Bower Ashton campus was already known to her, as she had studied Fine Art here for her undergraduate degree. Whilst she focused on multi-part sculpture during this time, Harrie was already familiar with some of the printing techniques we employ. Amongst her peers she has earned the friendly title ‘the screen printer of the team’. Her interest in printing, casting, and analogue photography has created the perfect background of skills to add to the CFPR team, and a solid foundation for the traineeship to build upon. 

This traineeship provides specific training in the chosen field along with a qualification. After completing 2 years, the apprentice will have a level 3 qualification and be able to work as a Print Technician. In practice this means dividing her time between experimenting with colourful prints at the university, and writing essays on colour theory and industry work.

Combining full time work with educational research is no small feat, both for the trainee and the project manager. Harrie’s day to day tasks revolve around the ESPRC funded Woodbury and Lippmann project, led by Dr. Susanne Klein. Whilst focusing on traditional Woodburytype printing, Harrie also undertakes practical lithography to create photomechanical prints using various techniques. Parallel to developing her practical skills, Harrie’s studies are facilitated by the British Printing Industries Foundation. She will learn the theory behind printmaking, and immerse herself in the world of industry work.

Both digital and manual production are of importance in Harrie’s work. Due to the nature of the photomechanical processes involved, any photograph she takes needs meticulous analysis in photoshop to ensure the image is appropriately transferred to a printing process. Knowledge of colour theory and software, such as Adobe’s suite and beyond, is fundamental to creating a photo lithography print in RGB or CMYK. This process also requires the ability to create meticulous digital patterns in order to get a visually pleasing result. With her Woodbury prints, Harrie experiments with various materials, both for the matrix, and the ink for the final print. 

Harrie’s daily routine also involves taking part in various CFPR activities, such as testing out new pigments in printing, or examining the optical properties of stereoscopic images. This has allowed her to establish open communication with colleagues and share her findings with the rest of the team. It is not only practical skills she gains during her days at Bower Ashton campus. Her ability to plan, and remain reliable and flexible, even through times of change at the university, has proved to be exactly what the apprentice position was aiming for. Keeping up a good work ethic has been difficult for everyone during this pandemic, along with moving our headquarters to Frenchay campus. This apprenticeship may well spark future educational plans and collaborations for the CFPR and the university. It is our hope and intent to create an accessible environment for academics, practitioners and students alike.