Discovering Monoprints
I started my art career studying painting at the Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston. I moved to Vermont in the late ’80s and spent a large part of my early career painting landscape in oils.
After having children, I developed a sensitivity to the oil solvents. Although unfortunate, it led me to try printmaking.
Water-based printmaking inks were starting to be developed at this time. I loved using the new inks and was fascinated by the infinite possibilities of layering color using monoprinting techniques.
Monoprints are one-of-a-kind prints done on a plexiglass sheet. These “plates” are rolled with color and run through a press multiple times with the various colors building up an almost infinite range of tones.
Monoprints are a painterly print and leave much to chance.
Half Dome View
Yosemite Valley
Pond
Late Day Sky
Bottles
Hillside
Herricks Cove
Bellow the Damn
Block Prints
I’ve also explored relief or block printing. This is done by carving a block…be it wood, linoleum, or rubber. The uncarved areas are what is left to print.
The block is rolled with ink and pressed onto the paper. This produces a similar print each time.
I love the line quality of a block print. It produces a sharp expressive image and can be reproduced many times.
Grafton Ponds
Ram Shed
Five Mile River
Parker Hill
West River
Fisher Hill
Old West Townshend
Townshend Village