Today I submitted 3 images to the Monotype Guild of New England for their annual national show in early 2013. It’s a bit out of my league at the moment, and I have reservations about submitting to anything when I feel like I need this year to build a body of work. It’s not cooked yet, the flavors haven’t melded. But it was hard to ignore that monotypes and monoprints have been my primary output lately so, what the heck. I won’t hear until 12/10.
After serving as a juror on a week long murder trial, which was quite a wringer let me tell you, I managed to get back to the studio (a.k.a. my kitchen turned print shop) last thursday with the kids and, not expecting anything, I got some images I liked.
This is a riot. All I did was trace a picture of an elephant from a Jane Goodall book for kids, on acetate, ink it up and print away. You can see that I’m obsessed with the alphabet stencil. I love the way the letters and symbols are the building blocks for a language, in a similar way that yoga poses are the building blocks of a yoga practice, and simple images can be the building blocks of a visual language. I’m still having problems getting the ink to adhere and release properly from the acetate stencils so I’m going to have to come up with something better. I can try a sturdy paper and coat both sides with gloss or matte medium. That’s next.
Did I mention that I think I need to buy a printing press? This is Pamela Lawson’s fault. I saw her monotypes at Lawrence Academy’s gallery in Groton, MA last thursday and they are gorgeous and bright and cheeky. Take a look out her red-winged blackbirds, done mostly with rollers.
Unbelievable.
Deborah Santoro 
I like these! Keep at it.
Thanks Sally!
Thanks for the note Deborah. And I’m glad you are blaming me! You paint a rich picture in words as well as image.
Thanks Pam. I’m blushing… And I’ll take you up on that offer to come see your presses sometime when the orchard settles down.
Good for you! These people do great work. It’s good to have yours seen by them; the work is worth seeing. The blackbirds, too, are indeed amazing. Thanks for them.
Aren’t they though? If you can get to Lawrence Academy, they are gorgeous. I mean drop dead. I mean oh my gosh I can’t believe she can do that in a monotype. Why bother painting?
Those elephant alphabets (elphabets??) are fabulous!
Elephant alphabet, I like that title. Titles are so hard sometimes!
Your elephants are fabulous! I think they would be lucky to have your work in their show!
Thank you Carolyn! I didn’t enter the elephants, I entered some of the yoga pose series I’ve been working on. Here’s hoping!
I love elephants and these are no exception. Makes me want to get my hands inky/painty and play along.
xoxo
I really love your prints. I must have a try at this, you have inspired me.
You must be exhausted after the murder trial.
xx
Hi Gwen, I just noticed that I never answered you. Sorry! The murder trial did wipe me out for quite a while, but now it’s getting to be a morbidly interesting story to tell. Thank you for visiting.
These are lovely looking forward to seeing more.
Thank you so much!