Whether it is a block print or a painting, my process always
starts the same. I begin with a
sketch and toss around rough ideas on paper before honing in on what I want to
portray. There will be many
sketchbooks and drafts that will live on after I am gone. Though I love watercolor, gouache, oil,
and other mixed medias, I have come to love printmaking processes and have a
particular affection for relief printmaking. I learned intaglio, lithography, screenprinting, and other
techniques at the Corcoran College of Art and Design where I earned a BFA
degree with a concentration in printmaking. I practice a form of Japanese woodblock printing known
as Moku Hanga and am in possession of two antique letterpress printing presses
(pictured above). They are
currently housed at the Virginia Arts of the Book Center in an environment
friendly to others who practice the “Black Arts.” I am a resident artist there and enjoy using their old
treadle Chandler & Price (pictured below).
I am currently in the design stages of a new body of
work. Stewardship of the land and
pride in one’s heritage has always been valued in my family. I am creating a series of prints that
will reflect the beauty of the flora and fauna of my indigenous Nelson County
so others may also see how peerless even the imperfections of nature are.
