How a Simple Shape Turned into a Series

I created the Breath Is Life series in Spring 2022. The seeds of this series started months earlier when I discovered that a certain shape kept coming up in my sketches. The shape is simply what flowed out of my hand.

I used that shape when taking a printmaking workshop. What I learned from the workshop studies below is how I loved playing with the flower-like shape along with making other marks on the plate. I wanted to explore this approach further into creating finished pieces.

Over three sessions with Master Printmaker Mark Lunning, this series of nine works was born.

The flower-like shape was made into a solar plate that was repeated in each image. There are swatches of ink rolled directly on the plate and I used stencils to add shapes or to block out color. Finally, I added the slightest bits of collage to give that each piece the final touch it needed.

Creating this collection was something brand new for me. So many decisions needed to be made for each piece. Thankfully Mark is a patient printmaker and I could not have make this series without his expertise and collaboration.

I originally thought this series was about exploring shape and color. But as often happens, something deeper is revealed after the art is completed.

I asked several people what they saw in the work. Some said they saw flowers. Others said they saw butterflies. One said she saw lungs. That insight resonated.

These works are about healing. About healing our our bodies with breath. And it all started with “randomly” playing with a shape.