Media: Acrylic, Serigraphs
Email: jbhstudio @charter.net
Website:
Studio Number: Associate Member

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About The Artist:

Jenny Bishop Heaton, artist and poet

Making art is close to the top of my list of happy adventures, only behind playing grandmother, a relatively recent role in my life. From early childhood I have had fun and success making art.

I attribute this success to more than innate talent. Taking art classes throughout my public schooling helped to develop my skills and my love of art. As an adult, continuing to take art classes and workshops, visiting art exhibits, doing in-depth research, and producing art in a variety of media have expanded my knowledge and abilities.

I love to draw with any medium -- including wire. I enjoy acrylic painting and fine arts screen-printing. Creating digital art is also exciting. Often combinations of these media wind up in my collages.

At Auburn University, where I received a BFA, I studied both fine and graphic arts, and did a thesis in Fashion Illustration. My artwork has won awards and been shown in various venues, including Hudgens Center for the Arts, Mable House, LONA Gallery, Marble Festival, and at Dalton Creative Arts Guild where I had a one-person show. My work is in collections in Japan and here at home in the U.S.

Currently I am developing a blog to showcase my artwork and poetry, as well as the work and words of other creative people who inspire us all. I hope to have the site up and running by January 1, 2013. Please check back here for the link, or look me up on the web.

HOW I CREATE SERIGRAPHS
(also known as silkscreen prints)

Serigraphy is an exciting process with unlimited possibilities for creating one-of-a-kind, fine art prints. These prints may be developed into mixed media works of art.

Here are some processes I use to create unique serigraphs.

First I tightly stretch and fasten a fine mesh screen to a wooden frame.

On to the surface of the screen I create a design by blocking out areas and leaving other areas open. At this point my imagination is already at play.

I place paper below the surface of the screen and using a squeegee I pull acrylic, silkscreen printing ink(s) across the screen forcing the ink through the screen and onto the paper. The ink only goes through the open parts of the design. I may use blended colors or vary the amount of pressure upon the squeegee and enjoy the surprise of seeing each newly pulled print.

By creating many designs and printing them layer up layer – sometimes selectively and sometimes randomly, it is possible to create innumerable one-of-a-kind prints. This process is serendipitous. The prints are called unique serigraphs.

Even though I occasionally consider one of these prints to be complete at some point during this building up (or layering) process, I usually do not consider the print finished until I draw and/or collage more details into these serigraphs. My favorite drawing instruments for this are colored pencils and metallic pens.

Occasionally I splash, brush or blot my papers with inks or paints prior to printing on them, thus each printing surface is a work of art in itself. By printing the same screen design on these hand-painted papers each work of art is unique. Here again, with this procedure I like to add additional details by drawing, collaging, or otherwise enhancing the artwork.

My prints receive hours of intense focus and love to become artworks that reflect my joy in creating them and that I am happy to share with others.