Laura Yamanoha prepares pieces for the showing at The Fairmont Orchid Hawaii. (Courtesy photo)

MEDIA RELEASE

The Big Island is an exotic haven that nurtures creativity and The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii taps this wellspring of talent by partnering with the Pacific Island Printmakers to showcase local artists, starting with an artist reception 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17 in the Luana Lounge Art Gallery.

The fourth quarterly showing will feature monotype, relief print and mixed media ranging from hand carved wood blocks to lithograph prints of Big Island Artists Sue Mailander, Margaret Barnaby, John McCaskill, Irene Laudan, Nora Yamanoha and Lisa Louise Adams.

“We have chosen the theme of ‘Double Joy’ as it represents the joys of giving and receiving during the holiday season.  As artists we also have the pleasure of making the artwork and knowing that the pieces will enrich someone else’s life” Sue Mailander said.

Mailander’s work includes both rich woodcuts of tropical foliage and complex stitched collages.

Margaret Barnaby and John McCaskill also create original prints from a series of hand carved woodblocks that are inked and printed in succession.

While Barnaby generally uses an etching press to print her works, McCaskill has turned to the subtleties of hand printing. Using a variety of wire and bristle brushes, he presses the paper into the cut blocks to create soft textures and color variations.   Symbols and representational elements, such as birds and fish, are carved into linoleum and old cabinet doors and then printed over the rubbed textures.

Irene Laudan employs many techniques in her botanical prints. The delicacy of etching and lithograph contrasts with the bold qualities of woodcut. As with the other artists in the group, her work is largely drawn from her surroundings on the Big Island.

Nora Yamanoha interprets her impressions of landscape and light in abstract monotypes. She makes one of a kind prints working into a layer of rolled ink with her fingers and other implements, producing floating forms, color gradations and subtle textures.

“I try to capture a sense of movement in space and time,” Yamanoha said.

Lisa Louise Adams works in many media, but returns time and again to the unlimited possibilities of printing. She focuses on simple relief methods, combining her love of color, line, and texture.

Whether a multiple edition or one of a kind monotype, relief print or mixed media these artists have in common their love of the printmaking process and their desire to interpret their experiences of nature and life’s mysteries through those techniques.

The show is on display through March 14, 2010.