Metamorphosis Mandalas
My Metamorphosis series repurposes work from over 45 years as a printmaker into new art which is environmentally friendly with as little waste as possible.
Using my photos as reference, I draw the butterflies on blocks of softoleum or lino and cut the design using gouges. I ink the blocks using oil based ink leftover from other projects and print them on my proofs and surplus etchings, woodcuts and paper based art. I cut out the butterflies with scissors and paint the edges with black watercolour. Then I sew together the scraps of paper left from cutting out the butterflies to make backgrounds for them and also use the offcuts to make other art in this series.
In the bigger mandalas with multiple butterflies, the stitched backgrounds look like a spinning, out-of-control earth. The zagged edges suggest that the earth is exploding.
In some of the mandalas, fragmented images of the original art tell a story since they were part of a Family History series. The fragments mirror the precarious nature of families both human and in the insect and animal realms.
I used my studio proofs of the late Dubravko Budic's work in the "Tribute" pieces. His "In the Name of the Future" portfolio, which we co-published, is a series of etchings depicting strange hybrid man/bird figures.
For information about each piece, click on the thumbnail.
