PROCESS

In her work, Sherin uses various combinations of collage, collagraph, relief printing, drypoint, carborundum, chine collé, and monoprint techniques. She has evolved from her traditional roots in lithography and intaglio to the exclusive use of plastic materials and direct non-chemical-mediated methods.  Her works on paper engage in a dynamic dialogue of painting, printmaking and collage. Working on an etching press, she approaches printmaking with the directness of a painter and an eye for contrasts of a collage artist. Her rich and complex prints evolve from the multiple layering of collagraphic elements.  Some prints offer further sharp spatial or clashing contrasts by her method of slicing apart prints and reassembling them into new and contrasting wholes.

ABOUT ARTIST-MADE PRINTS

Monotypes and monoprints are conceived and created by an artist who is working directly with materials to create each print by hand and when completed each piece is an original work of art. If you purchase a monoprint or a monotype you are purchasing a one-of-kind, original work of art.

The two terms monotypes and monoprints are often used interchangeably. There is, however, a difference between one and the other.

A monotype is created much the way a painting is created. The print artist works directly on a clean and un-etched plate (akin to a canvas) with brushes, brayers, or other means to apply ink directly to that surface.  This surface once completed is covered with a sheet of dampened paper and passed through a press that transfers the ink from the plate to the paper creating a unique one-of-a-kind piece of art.

An encaustic monotype uses encaustic paint (beeswax + pigment) instead of ink to create the image on a heated surface.  The final impression is made by transferring this image to paper by using a hand-held tool (a baren) to apply pressure to transfer the image.  A press is not needed. Encaustic monotypes are known for their intriguing translucencies.

A monoprint is different from a monotype in that it does have some form of repeatable element. There is always a pattern or part of an image that is or can be repeated on another print.  Artists use anything from lace, leaves, fabric, to thin plastic stencils or other materials as this repeatable element.  The entire plate is not reproducible as the artist manipulates these elements differently each time they make a print.

In a carborundum print, the printable surface is painted with a powdered grit suspended in a liquid acrylic medium, which when dry, creates relief areas or lines that hold ink.  Carborundum prints are known for their ability to create rich blacks.

A collagraph is a monoprint technique relating to collage, varied textures or shapes are glued to a surface or treated individually as loose parts to be inked and run through a press for transference to paper.