The gallery at Plainsboro Public Library will host an art reception for printmaker Ingrid Davis, featuring her brilliantly colored white-line woodcuts, on Sunday, August 12, 2 to 4 p.m. The artist will be on hand to describe this unique and lengthy process, which is sure to fascinate artists and non-artists alike. The exhibit runs through August 31.
A unique art form that originated in America, the white-line woodcut involves incising a grooved line in the wood which separates each adjacent area of color. Printmaking paper is attached to the top of the block, and using watercolors, separate areas of the block are painted with a brush. The paper is then flipped on top of the block, and the back of the paper burnished with a bamboo paddle or spoon, transferring color to the paper. This process is repeated section by section until the print is completed. The watercolor gives the print a translucence, and incorporates the grain of the wood into the design. Each print made from the block has distinctive qualities. Davis is one of the few contemporary artists to thoroughly explore this specialized technique.
Raised in West Berlin, Germany, Davis moved to the U.S. as a young adult and worked primarily in oils and pastels. During a six-year residency in Japan, she developed an interest in rice paper collage. A course in etching sparked her interest in printmaking, and eventually led her to the white-line woodcut. She studied at the Art Students League in NYC, the Brooklyn Museum School of Art, and Parson’s School of Design.
She has had numerous solo and invitational shows, and has won a variety of prestigious awards. She has created original print calendar collections for institutions such as the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Georgetown University, National Museum of American History, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts. A resident of East Windsor, Davis practices her art locally and teaches in area schools.
Art Exhibit, Plainsboro Public Library, 9 Van Doren Street. Reception is Sunday, August 12, 2 to 4 p.m. 609-275-2897. www.lmxac.org/plainsboro.
