The natural world inspires my art, primarily through my relationship with the environment. Originally a plein air painter, I used to consider the world while I was immersed in nature, battling the elements – wind, clouds, bugs – but at a certain point, I felt the need for inspiration from a different medium, so I began to study printmaking. I was immediately captivated by the many possibilities of creating works through a variety of materials and processes.
The print mediums I particularly employ are linocut, woodblock, and multiple plate aquatint etching. In the latter process, I utilize three zinc plates (red, yellow, and blue,) which produce numerous color combinations as well as fine detail work. Each plate undergoes at least five different acid baths which etch the plate, and then each plate is inked and printed sequentially. The finished print exhibits different colors according to the duration in the acid baths of each plate. This painstaking process produces surprises since so many factors influence the outcome, but it is extremely rewarding. Prints take from several months to a year to complete.
During the Covid pandemic, I began cutting up my state prints, (the early prints which determine the final product,) and making collages with the pieces. I am inspired by traditional patchwork quilt designs and by African textile designs. The juxtaposition of patterns and detailed lines creates new environments in these “Print Collages,” a new medium I find endlessly interesting.
I went from painting the Bay Area to printing the Bay Area, from challenges due to natural weather changes to challenges due to the processes of the medium. My work celebrates the splendor of our environment, be it flora and/or fauna in our immediate surroundings, the long views of complicated vistas, or the abstract patterns created by arranging print fragments. It is all inspirational.
