Printmaking

2022 had been a wonderful, productive summer. I painted and printed, framed and sold artwork as I’ve never done before, had an open house on the Silver Thread Studio Tour, an exhibit in downtown Creede and had lots of visitors come to my home. And the wildflowers that I sowed too late for any hope of growing and for the first time at 8852′ bloomed with abandon!

I thought I was going to die on the vine. Peaceful contemplation, friends and art helped me survive.
Christine Mercer Kraft

Then, I had a huge loss; of my mother, of my husband’s health. Bittersweet experiences. There are no words for the loss of my mother. Grief lingers, shouts at me when I least expect it, I find peace, then it all repeats. The upside is, skillful surgeons have fixed up my husband’s heart and all is well with him and we continue living life together. Thanks to friends and family that got me though all of this.

I’m now facing Springtime reflecting on the upsides of 2022. Below are some the prints and paintings I produced and a few photos of my opening!

Monotypes are one of a kind prints, made by creating an original painting on a surface, called a plate. Then, by placing paper on top of the plate and pulling it through a printing press with the correct amount of pressure applied, the painting transfers to the paper that results in the artwork being created. These are original one of a kind prints, although as you can see below, I created a “ghost” print by pulling the same plate through the press again for a “ghostly” image.

The first two images I created from impressions I’ve had of the area I live in–the moon reflecting on the flowing or frozen Rio Grande River or upon glassy snow. Snowfall, is how the snow appears on the small spruce and fir trees in the mountains–big undisturbed clumps of fluffiness. And the last two are from a memory I have of flying a kite with my next door 80 year old neighbor and a little boy named Grayson this past summer.

Contact me if you are interested in purchasing any of this work. Thanks!