A LITTLE ABOUT NANETTE’S MONOTYPE PROCESS:
My monotypes are created using crude tools like q-tips, my fingertips, and brayers to add and remove ink from a plexiglass plate. Once the image is complete it is then transferred onto a sheet of paper by pressing the plate and paper together using a printing press. The printing process yields only one unique singular print on paper. Monotypes are often referred to as “the painterly print” since only one piece/painting on paper can be created in the process.
INTERLUDE: recent monotypes taking a closer look at my connection to land, sea and the play of light by using my plein air paintings as inspiration for backdrops, color connections and lighting phenomena. My emotive figures have moved from below the waterline to above, capturing private moments of contemplation and solitude that both connect and distance themselves from the viewer.
REFLECT: Giving in to the quiet beauty that nurtures my needs. Finding places where I hear nothing other than happiness and joy. Closing my eyes to better see and feel the things that sustain me. Finding the confidence to understand the naked beauty of myself and to strive to be a prism through which light refracts.
LETTING GO: weightless, meditative figures, 2020-present. Letting go of fears, of inhibitions, of failures, of tension, of pain, of what’s weighing me down, of what hasn’t yet happened, of perceptions I believe about myself and others, of what I thought our future would look like... and Letting In the sounds of the sea that bring me solace, time for deep and honest rest, experiences that are unfamiliar, as well as curiosity, compassion, anger, sadness, failure, frustration and joy... all with acceptance as part of the journey.
In the fall of 2022, I fell in love… with a place and a process that continues to inspire my work. In the remote and breathtaking landscape of Summer Lake Oregon, I began making plein air monotypes during an artist residency at Playa. Here’s a tiny peak into the beginning of what certainly will be more to come.
PORTRAITS: Oh how I love faces, there are so many stories waiting to be heard when looking into the eyes of another living being. 2019-ongoing
STILL LIFE: I often turn to still life work when my brain needs a break from more conceptual work and daily stressors, to “simply” focus on the play of light over the surfaces of objects. More often than not these studies quickly turn into an unfolding drama where I find myself listening to a conversation between adorable lemons and glowing tangerines. I have many, don’t hesitate to ask if you want to see more. 2019-ongoing
FIGURES: memories and emotional responses inspired by reimagined vintage photos, 2017-2023
LITTLES: a series of tiny 2x3” monotypes. Creating work this size was inspired by the size of Dega’s monotypes, look it up, many are incredibly tiny!! I thought can I make a monotype that small? The answer is YES, I can! 2022
SPOOKY: originating from series called “imagined reality”. 2017-2019
RECYCLED RAIN PROJECT: 2106 & 2017: In 2016 I was asked to be a featured artist for The Recycled Rain Project. The project organizers encouraged us to use collected rain water in our artwork. As an oil painter and a printmaker that used oil based inks, I felt compelled to rise to the challenge. I decided to use water based printmaking inks, something I had never done before. It took a few months of trial and error to figure it out. Nonetheless, the outcome was outstanding! To this day I primarily use water based inks for my monotypes. I am ever grateful for the door that opened thanks to this show.
