We host monthly art exhibits, poetry jams, intermittent concerts, and every-so-often miniature film festivals. For everyone Outside The Box, Mudhouse is your wee oyster.
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JJ Eisfelder
{} Fri. May 06, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Exhibit: May 03 - May 29, 2011
Printmaking has changed the way I see the world. When I look at a tree, or cattails against a lake, my mind tries to figure out how to represent that in a print; how to separate the various colors and what materials to use to make the printing plates. I enjoy building the plates, not knowing exactly how they will print, and then being amazed of the results. Sometimes the ripple of water or the impression of plowed fields comes through unexpectedly after many layers of ink and many runs through the press.
I make prints that are simply meant to be beautiful. I am inspired by the patterns, textures and colors that I discover when I look closely at our fields, forests and gardens. I strive to make artworks that represent the beauty found in nature and that help to bring the peacefulness of the natural world indoors.
I am influenced by the Tao Te Ching in my daily life and in the making of my artwork. While in the act of printmaking, I try not to make conscious decisions of color and order, but instead try to let the print follow its own path. I begin by creating a group of textured printing plates using acrylic mediums and various reclaimed materials. I then start to experiment with printing them in different colors and layering them in various combinations until I get something I like. I am intrigued with the way that changing the colors in a print can change the emotion of the piece. A particular plate printed in yellow ink may represent sunshine and energy while the same plate printed in blues may represent water and calm.
I am currently experimenting with making collagraph collages by tearing and reassembling the pieces of my abstract prints. These collages started out as a way to give new life to less successful prints, but I am now intentionally pulling prints to be torn and collaged. Some of these remain as abstract landscapes and some are enhanced with the silhouettes of flowers and leaves. I am finding endless possibilities within the collagraph process and am consistently excited and challenged by this technique.
