Lisa Steffens "Violet Night" Monotype

From a series of monotypes made by the artist in collaboration with Obee Editions in 2024. Monotypes are an intimate and direct method of printmaking. The artist paints and draws directly on a substrate or plate, adding ink and wiping it away with a selection of materials, producing a variety of textures and tones. The plate is then put through a press to transfer the image to paper. The result is a mirror image of the original painting. Intuition plays a big role in this exciting process as the artist working in reverse cannot know completely what will be revealed when the print is pulled. Unlike other forms of printmaking, Monotypes yield a single result with the possibility of a satisfactory second image that is quite different and paler in value. They are both considered unique, and consequently, the pieces from this process are as precious as any original painting. The immediacy of the monotype process has been a gift for me. A further gift would be to share this beautiful, painterly process with the viewer.