The Art Gallery

Tessa Asato

Perseverance 

The Lotus is a symbol of enlightenment in Buddhism, in its natural habitat its beauty blossoms from perseverance through the murky waters. This linocut was made in September 2024, for new beginnings and returning back to the printmaking medium. It has been some time since Tessa has done some printmaking, but this is a dip in the waters for her to get back in the groove of printmaking. When flowers blossom, it's a new beginning and a way for Tessa to find her new beginning of printmaking, “Perseverance”.

-- Tessa Asato 

Marit Berg

Startled Hare

I am interested in the delicate balance of life in the natural world and am fascinated by the relationships between species. Particularly how they have developed traits to help them thrive in their habitat. Rabbits and hares, for example, use camouflage to blend into the landscape for protection. Historically, hares are represented in many cultures and hold a vast array of symbolic meanings. Fertility, luck, madness, and trickster are all qualities associated with the hare/rabbit. Though symbolism is not my focus when exploring this subject, I have noticed viewers have a particular reaction and connection to this animal species, as I do, and continue to be motivated by this subject in my work.

-- Marit Berg 

Ruth Bravetti 

Untitled 

Fifteen mono-prints were created for this year's TCC Print Exchange. Each print was hand pulled through the printing press. Akua printmaking ink on Arnhem 100% rag fine printmaking paper were used to create each print. Techniques may include relief, collagraph, chile collè, ebossing and stencils. Each print was hand-pulled using the same Plexiglas plate and an old collagraph plate. 

The humand figures were created using Rene Westrbook's influence of manipulating mannequins and Barbie Dolls to stimulate different poses to draw. My drawings were scanned into the computer then printed in different sizes on card stock. Varnish was sprayed on both sides enabling the cutout figures to last throught inking and printing several times. 

The figures were inked and arranged on Plexiglas and run through the press. An old collagraph plate was cut down to size and relief printed over the human figure. The paper was wet each time so drying the first run before soaking and printing the second run was time consuming. 

Printing an edition is tiresome and redundant for me. Excitement is experienced by printing something a little different with each image created, keeping it fun to make prints. 

-- Ruth Bravetti

Margaret Doty

Egret's Soaring 

This image was inspired by a recent dream. The story appeard "in the shadows" of the unformed space between the dream world and my awakening. It was a striking, powerful dream. The two egrets were soaring high in the sky; above the clouds. In the far distance were mountains and valleys. The birds had stunning colors; white bodies with black tipped feathers on their wings, tails, and necklines. In the dream, the women had two female riders. The women were wild and free. 

The printmaking technique used is a simple relief or block print. This is a process where you carve pattens, shapes, and designs, into a "block." The areas that are removed do not print. In this case, I used a Speedy-Carve block which acts as a linoleum block but much softer and easier to cut. 

 

-- Margaret Doty 

Miriam Janes 

Shadow Play 

I have always had a affinity for somewhat unsettling, fantastsical artwork. From Grimm's fairytale illustrations to certain pages in Walter Wick's I-Spy books, I am Drawn to the peculiar spreads of whimsical masks, dragons, witches, and all manner of animals. I wanted to create a work reflective of how these make me feel. Combining the mystique and intracacy of shadow puppetry with folkloric image, this print depicts the encore of shadow theater backlit by a flickering light source. My intent for this piece is to entertain the viewer, as well as produce a feeling of uneasiness with the likenesses of these creatures that are only a shadow of themselves. 

-- Miriam Janes 

Teagan Janes

Untitled 

Recently, the silence and darkness that comes with the day's end was a dreadful place for me. The anticipation of being trapped with my racing thoughts was agonizing. After finally resolving some long neglected mental struggles, I used this print to express what I had been missing. 

Using linoleum carving, I revealed a landscape at night with night blooming flowers and slow-moving snails, some hidden and scattered about. Behind the snails and in the foreground, their slimy trails sparkle in the moon's light. 

The snails represent a slow and relaxed mind while their glimmering tracks leave the impression of peace behind them. The flowers are a reminder that even the darkness and shadows can be a beautiful place to dwell. 

-- Teagan Janes 

 

 

Erica Shirk 

Into the Shadows

This work looks at the thin boundary we share with our darker nature. Using the show's title, Into the Shadows, I looked to convey the dark spaces around us and how early we can entangle ourselves in those areas absent of light. 

This print was pulled on a Tackach press in my studio on a hand rockered plate. 

-- Erica Olive Shirk 

 

 

 

 

Pieces by Melinda Cox, $75 for large birds and $35 for small birds

Pieces by Margaret Doty, $20 each

Pieces by Melinda Cox, $15 each