Exchange Portfolios
Frogman's 40th Anniversary Portfolio
"Removal and Revisiting," 2022, Beth Sheehan. Pochoir, relief printing, and cut paper.
I was selected to participate in the printmaking exchange portfolio called Frogman's 40th Anniversary Portfolio, organized by Jeremy Menard to (of course) celebrate Frogman’s Print Workshops' 40th Anniversary.
For my piece, I wrote text based on a vague memory that I still hold on to and then input that text into AI image generator. I then separated that image into color layers and deleted some of the layers, making the AI memory as precise as my own version of the moment. The majority of the image is made by dabbing ink through mylar stencils. The white text is text I wrote based on the combination of the original memory and the AI's version of events. It is printed using the letterpress, but instead of inking the type, I placed white transfer paper between the polymer text and the print. Over time and with more handling, the transfer paper pigment will disappear leaving only a slight impression, reminiscent of memories. Finally, the text at the very top of the image ("focus") was removed from the print. It acts as an intrusive thought snapping me out of my memory and back into reality.
For my piece, I wrote text based on a vague memory that I still hold on to and then input that text into AI image generator. I then separated that image into color layers and deleted some of the layers, making the AI memory as precise as my own version of the moment. The majority of the image is made by dabbing ink through mylar stencils. The white text is text I wrote based on the combination of the original memory and the AI's version of events. It is printed using the letterpress, but instead of inking the type, I placed white transfer paper between the polymer text and the print. Over time and with more handling, the transfer paper pigment will disappear leaving only a slight impression, reminiscent of memories. Finally, the text at the very top of the image ("focus") was removed from the print. It acts as an intrusive thought snapping me out of my memory and back into reality.
In Loving Memory Of
"Hamiota altilis," 2021, Beth Sheehan. Handmade cotton paper from t-shirt fabric, stenciled pulp removal (blowout), handmade abaca paper, and trace monotype.
I was selected to participate in 2021 the printmaking exchange portfolio called In Loving Memory Of, organized by Anna Tararova.
The following is the abstract for the exchange portfolio:
Scientists estimate that 150-200 species of plant, insect, bird and mammal become extinct every 24 hours. The Earth is now going through its sixth mass extinction of plants and animals. Unlike past mass extinctions, caused by events like asteroid strikes, volcanic eruptions, and natural climate shifts, the current crisis is almost entirely caused by humans. Because the rate of change in our biosphere is increasing, and because every species' extinction potentially leads to the extinction of others bound to that species in a complex ecological web, numbers of extinctions are likely to snowball in the coming decades as ecosystems fall apart.
This portfolio exchange invites printmakers to create a memorial to one or more extinct species of their choice which have impacted the artists’ local ecosystems.
My piece celebrates the mussels and mollusks that were once abundant in the rivers of Alabama. Mussels and mollusks are an incredibly important part of the ecosystem, working hard to clean the rivers, but many can only survive in free-flowing rivers with rocky bottoms. By building dams on the Coosa River, mankind has dramatically changed the rivers' ecosystem, causing mussel populations to plummet.
My piece for the exchange portfolio uses handmade cotton paper made by recycling cotton t-shirts and handmade abaca paper that mimics the translucent body of the Fine-Line Pocketbook mussel. During the papermaking process, I used a stencil and spray nozzle to remove pulp from the cotton sheet (known as blowout), creating the shape and pattern of the mussel. Once the cotton sheet was dry, I then printed a trace monotype on each of the sheets by drawing the branches of the Alabama river system from memory using one continuous line. Finally, the base sheet was created by pulling a translucent sheet of handmade abaca paper, then removing portions of the sheet while the paper was wet to create the exaggerated deckle on the top edge, mimicking the unique shape of the Fine-Line Pocketbook mussel's body.
The following is the abstract for the exchange portfolio:
Scientists estimate that 150-200 species of plant, insect, bird and mammal become extinct every 24 hours. The Earth is now going through its sixth mass extinction of plants and animals. Unlike past mass extinctions, caused by events like asteroid strikes, volcanic eruptions, and natural climate shifts, the current crisis is almost entirely caused by humans. Because the rate of change in our biosphere is increasing, and because every species' extinction potentially leads to the extinction of others bound to that species in a complex ecological web, numbers of extinctions are likely to snowball in the coming decades as ecosystems fall apart.
This portfolio exchange invites printmakers to create a memorial to one or more extinct species of their choice which have impacted the artists’ local ecosystems.
My piece celebrates the mussels and mollusks that were once abundant in the rivers of Alabama. Mussels and mollusks are an incredibly important part of the ecosystem, working hard to clean the rivers, but many can only survive in free-flowing rivers with rocky bottoms. By building dams on the Coosa River, mankind has dramatically changed the rivers' ecosystem, causing mussel populations to plummet.
My piece for the exchange portfolio uses handmade cotton paper made by recycling cotton t-shirts and handmade abaca paper that mimics the translucent body of the Fine-Line Pocketbook mussel. During the papermaking process, I used a stencil and spray nozzle to remove pulp from the cotton sheet (known as blowout), creating the shape and pattern of the mussel. Once the cotton sheet was dry, I then printed a trace monotype on each of the sheets by drawing the branches of the Alabama river system from memory using one continuous line. Finally, the base sheet was created by pulling a translucent sheet of handmade abaca paper, then removing portions of the sheet while the paper was wet to create the exaggerated deckle on the top edge, mimicking the unique shape of the Fine-Line Pocketbook mussel's body.
Sound
I participated in the mail art exchange for March, 2021 called Sound, organized by Maria Welch as part of North American Hand Papermakers.
Environment
In-progress shot of my piece for the exchange portfolio. (Don't worry, I printed the edition properly, this is a proof.)
Exhibition photos courtesy of Lisa Beth Robinson.
I participated in the 2020 exchange portfolio called Environment, organized by Sarah Bryant as part of the College Book Art Association regional groups.
Extra Pulp
Detail of my piece "Borrowed," 2019. Inkjet prints embedded between linen and abaca handmade paper with blow-out.
I was selected to participate in the papermaking exchange portfolio called Extra Pulp, organized by Sammi McLean.
The following is the exhibition information for the exchange's first debut at IS Projects in Fort Lauderdale, FL:
A paper-forward portfolio exchange
On View: November 2019 - January 2020
Organized by Sammi McLean
While paper is the base for a majority of fine art prints, it is often overlooked in the conversation of contemporary printmaking. In an effort to expand and explore the relevance of paper in contemporary art, IS Projects has organized Extra Pulp; an exchange portfolio featuring handmade paper works by 20 prominent paper makers from across the east coast, which utilize paper as its own form of expression.
The included artists work experimentally within paper through painting with pulp, watermarks, inclusions and treating paper as an interactive object. While traditional methods of printmaking will be present, they are minimal and secondary to the handmade paper component, thus making pulp the primary focus for image creation. Whether recreating sacred spaces through ritualistic, hand-cut patterns, or using the surface treatment of pulp as a means to investigate emotional damage and repair to the body, each artist’s relationship to pulp breaks new ground in this exciting exchange.
Featuring works by: Anna Benjamin, Jazmine Catasus, Nicole Donnelly, Sue Carrie Drummond, Tatiana Ginsberg, Lisa Haque, Karen Hardy, Kyle Holland, Lucy Holtsnieder, Hong Hong, Amy Jacobs, Jeanne Jaffe, Sarah Rose Lejeune, Cara Lynch, Akemi Martin, Saul Melman, Ingrid Schindall, Beth Sheehan, Sarika Sugla and Anna Tararova
Photographs courtesy of IS Projects.
The following is the exhibition information for the exchange's first debut at IS Projects in Fort Lauderdale, FL:
A paper-forward portfolio exchange
On View: November 2019 - January 2020
Organized by Sammi McLean
While paper is the base for a majority of fine art prints, it is often overlooked in the conversation of contemporary printmaking. In an effort to expand and explore the relevance of paper in contemporary art, IS Projects has organized Extra Pulp; an exchange portfolio featuring handmade paper works by 20 prominent paper makers from across the east coast, which utilize paper as its own form of expression.
The included artists work experimentally within paper through painting with pulp, watermarks, inclusions and treating paper as an interactive object. While traditional methods of printmaking will be present, they are minimal and secondary to the handmade paper component, thus making pulp the primary focus for image creation. Whether recreating sacred spaces through ritualistic, hand-cut patterns, or using the surface treatment of pulp as a means to investigate emotional damage and repair to the body, each artist’s relationship to pulp breaks new ground in this exciting exchange.
Featuring works by: Anna Benjamin, Jazmine Catasus, Nicole Donnelly, Sue Carrie Drummond, Tatiana Ginsberg, Lisa Haque, Karen Hardy, Kyle Holland, Lucy Holtsnieder, Hong Hong, Amy Jacobs, Jeanne Jaffe, Sarah Rose Lejeune, Cara Lynch, Akemi Martin, Saul Melman, Ingrid Schindall, Beth Sheehan, Sarika Sugla and Anna Tararova
Photographs courtesy of IS Projects.
Between Tenses
Detail of my piece "Links," 2019. Handmade cotton paper, inkjet printed inclusions, stenciled pulp removal, and screenprinting.
I proposed and was selected to organize an exchange portfolio for the 2019 Southern Graphics Council International conference.
The prompt for the portfolio read:
The Between Tenses portfolio explores ideas of time and memory as connection to human experience and personal narrative. Memories are integral to a sense of self and how we relate to others. Through printmaking, participants are encouraged to investigate the influences of the past (personal or public) on the present and future. How does the perception of the past alter current experiences? How does time change experience? What is lost from our narratives with the malleability of memory? And what does that mean for us or the way we relate to the world?
“The individual events of your life will be transmuted into another substance called memory and in the mechanism something will be lost and you will never be able to reverse it, you will never again have the original moment back in its uncategorized, preprocessed state.” - Charles Yu
Participants each produced an edition of prints using two or more printing techniques where the primary printing technique is a more traditional, hand-pulled technique. The interaction between printing techniques acts as an additional framework for the conceptual play between past and present or present and future.
Participants include:
Shannon Bourne, Christa Carleton, Anastasia DeVol, Sue Carrie Drummond, Judith Gammons, Roni Gross, Serena Hocharoen, Emily Orzech, Diana Palermo, Kelsey Reiman, Ingrid Schindall, Jesse Shaw, Beth Sheehan, Hester Stinnett, Ani Volkan, and Lisa Wicka
The prompt for the portfolio read:
The Between Tenses portfolio explores ideas of time and memory as connection to human experience and personal narrative. Memories are integral to a sense of self and how we relate to others. Through printmaking, participants are encouraged to investigate the influences of the past (personal or public) on the present and future. How does the perception of the past alter current experiences? How does time change experience? What is lost from our narratives with the malleability of memory? And what does that mean for us or the way we relate to the world?
“The individual events of your life will be transmuted into another substance called memory and in the mechanism something will be lost and you will never be able to reverse it, you will never again have the original moment back in its uncategorized, preprocessed state.” - Charles Yu
Participants each produced an edition of prints using two or more printing techniques where the primary printing technique is a more traditional, hand-pulled technique. The interaction between printing techniques acts as an additional framework for the conceptual play between past and present or present and future.
Participants include:
Shannon Bourne, Christa Carleton, Anastasia DeVol, Sue Carrie Drummond, Judith Gammons, Roni Gross, Serena Hocharoen, Emily Orzech, Diana Palermo, Kelsey Reiman, Ingrid Schindall, Jesse Shaw, Beth Sheehan, Hester Stinnett, Ani Volkan, and Lisa Wicka
Exposed Strata
"Superposition," 2018. My piece for the exchange. Handmade cotton and abaca paper, inkjet printed inclusions, pulp painting, and letterpress printing.
I was accepted as a participant in the themed portfolio titled Exposed Strata, organized by Sue Carrie Drummond for the 2018 Southern Graphics Council International printmaking conference in Las Vegas, NV.
Abstract:
When we contemplate landscapes, we consider not only the scenery at which we are gazing, but also the layers that exist below our feet. We imagine the way in which the land has eroded and been reconstructed over time. Using that framework, this portfolio will examine the body and psyche as landscape, one in which the terrain alters in accordance and often as a direct result of experiences that are transformative. Whether as catastrophic as an earthquake or as minimal as a heavy rainfall, we have all encountered events that alter our personal landscape and dictate how we move forward. How are these events hidden by the passage of time or are they excavated and exposed? Participants will consider how their identity, memory, or community have been altered by the layers of their history and contemplate how that history continues to impact their present personal topography.
Using at least two different printmaking methods, contributors will examine the dialogue between past and the present narratives in one single image.
Participants include:
Stephanie Alaniz, Dustyn Bork, Elizabeth Castaldo, Sue Carrie Drummond, Leslie Friedman, Karen Hardy, Rachelle Hill, Dana Lemoine, Nichole Maury, Ross Joseph Mazzupappa, Emily Orzech, Beth Sheehan, Kevin Shook, Maria Welch, Catherine Wild, Tammy Wolfsey, and Erin Zona
Abstract:
When we contemplate landscapes, we consider not only the scenery at which we are gazing, but also the layers that exist below our feet. We imagine the way in which the land has eroded and been reconstructed over time. Using that framework, this portfolio will examine the body and psyche as landscape, one in which the terrain alters in accordance and often as a direct result of experiences that are transformative. Whether as catastrophic as an earthquake or as minimal as a heavy rainfall, we have all encountered events that alter our personal landscape and dictate how we move forward. How are these events hidden by the passage of time or are they excavated and exposed? Participants will consider how their identity, memory, or community have been altered by the layers of their history and contemplate how that history continues to impact their present personal topography.
Using at least two different printmaking methods, contributors will examine the dialogue between past and the present narratives in one single image.
Participants include:
Stephanie Alaniz, Dustyn Bork, Elizabeth Castaldo, Sue Carrie Drummond, Leslie Friedman, Karen Hardy, Rachelle Hill, Dana Lemoine, Nichole Maury, Ross Joseph Mazzupappa, Emily Orzech, Beth Sheehan, Kevin Shook, Maria Welch, Catherine Wild, Tammy Wolfsey, and Erin Zona
Negative Space in Handmade Paper: Picturing the Void
I was selected to participate in Hand Papermaking Magazine's 2014 exchange portfolio (Number 11), Negative Space in Handmade Paper: Picturing the Void.
A collection of 19 compelling artworks by 22 artists, this portfolio investigates an intriguing concept: Negative Space. Selected from an impressive pool of entries by a distinguished jury (Lesley Dill, Cynthia Thompson, Paul Wong), the work as a whole encourages viewers to ponder what is omitted.
Each piece in the edition explores the void, the interval, the point where what is negative becomes positive. To create meaning in the gap between form and non-form, some pieces trust abstract imagery and geometric forms; others evoke vacancy with devices like blowing sand or swirling fish nets or cellular microscopy; while others are representational: an empty chair, a cathedral window, an obituary. A variety of paper fibers are employed with techniques such as stenciling, blow-out, embedding, watermarks, multiple couching, pulp painting, papercut, silkscreen, collage, cyanotype, etc. Whatever the method, whatever the fiber, the finished artworks emphasize what would normally be thought of as “missing.”
Italicized text above was taken from the Hand Papermaking, Inc. website. See photos of all of the pieces in the portfolio here. Portfolio is available for purchase here.
A collection of 19 compelling artworks by 22 artists, this portfolio investigates an intriguing concept: Negative Space. Selected from an impressive pool of entries by a distinguished jury (Lesley Dill, Cynthia Thompson, Paul Wong), the work as a whole encourages viewers to ponder what is omitted.
Each piece in the edition explores the void, the interval, the point where what is negative becomes positive. To create meaning in the gap between form and non-form, some pieces trust abstract imagery and geometric forms; others evoke vacancy with devices like blowing sand or swirling fish nets or cellular microscopy; while others are representational: an empty chair, a cathedral window, an obituary. A variety of paper fibers are employed with techniques such as stenciling, blow-out, embedding, watermarks, multiple couching, pulp painting, papercut, silkscreen, collage, cyanotype, etc. Whatever the method, whatever the fiber, the finished artworks emphasize what would normally be thought of as “missing.”
Italicized text above was taken from the Hand Papermaking, Inc. website. See photos of all of the pieces in the portfolio here. Portfolio is available for purchase here.
Weather Reports 2012
Kyle Holland and I applied and were selected to be part of SP Weather Station's Weather Reports 2012 exchange portfolio.
SP Weather Station is an artist-run weather station located in Long Island City, Queens, NY. Every year, SP Weather Station organizes an exchange portfolio known as Weather Reports. In 2011, Kyle and I applied to be a part of the Weather Reports 2012 portfolio. We were among the artists chosen and we were given our first choice month: October 2012. At the end of October, we received our weather data which included the data for quite a few storms and ended with Hurricane Sandy. Because of our mutual fascination and obsession with storms, particularly tornadoes, our piece--a diptych utilizing letterpress printing, pressure printing, and suminagashi marbling--refers to the eerie warnings that can mean imminent disaster; from a swarm of birds taking flight to the subtle hints of changing colors in the sky.
The first 12 out of the edition of 30 portfolios are sent to the participants while the remaining find homes and exhibitions, thanks to Natalie Campbell and Heidi Neilson, the lovely ladies of SP Weather Station. In January 2014, the Weather Reports 2012 portfolio was exhibited along with the other Weather Reports portfolios at The Center for Book Arts. Thanks again Natalie and Heidi!
Photos courtesy of SP Weather Station.
To see the entire portfolio and to purchase a copy, follow the link below.
SP Weather Station is an artist-run weather station located in Long Island City, Queens, NY. Every year, SP Weather Station organizes an exchange portfolio known as Weather Reports. In 2011, Kyle and I applied to be a part of the Weather Reports 2012 portfolio. We were among the artists chosen and we were given our first choice month: October 2012. At the end of October, we received our weather data which included the data for quite a few storms and ended with Hurricane Sandy. Because of our mutual fascination and obsession with storms, particularly tornadoes, our piece--a diptych utilizing letterpress printing, pressure printing, and suminagashi marbling--refers to the eerie warnings that can mean imminent disaster; from a swarm of birds taking flight to the subtle hints of changing colors in the sky.
The first 12 out of the edition of 30 portfolios are sent to the participants while the remaining find homes and exhibitions, thanks to Natalie Campbell and Heidi Neilson, the lovely ladies of SP Weather Station. In January 2014, the Weather Reports 2012 portfolio was exhibited along with the other Weather Reports portfolios at The Center for Book Arts. Thanks again Natalie and Heidi!
Photos courtesy of SP Weather Station.
To see the entire portfolio and to purchase a copy, follow the link below.