Ellen Von Wiegand
Art is an essential part of who I am. I have known this for as long as I can remember. It is perhaps the only thing that I have ever known for sure. But to arrive at the point where I felt worthy of expressing myself I had to wait until it was unbearable not to.
You see, I am a shy introvert, and I struggled to put myself out there for many years. But early on I felt that my desire to make art and my insecurity were in complete conflict. However this creeping urgency to create art became hard to ignore. Finally during a trip to Paris, following a day visiting art galleries, I broke down crying in front of the Eiffel Tower and decided it was time to make art a part of my life.
My images reverberate with this search for self assurance and serenity. Female nudes engaging in quiet introspection dominate my work. This is reflective of my way of operating in my own life. I spend a lot of time working in solitude, developing my thoughts, and making peace with myself and the world through turning inward.
Through my prints I hope to inspire others to do the same. In a world filled with so much chaos, our best hope is to get quiet, appreciate moments of stillness, and connect with ourselves more deeply.
As opposed to digital prints, lino prints celebrate the long tradition of handmade editioned art that has been practiced for nearly two millennia. While woodblock printmaking goes back thousands of years, linocut was popularised by artists like Picasso in the early part of the 20th century because of the wider availability and softer texture of linoleum. All parts of my process are done by hand, from the original drawing, to the carving, and final printing, which is achieved by applying pressure to the back of the print with the use of a spoon. In order to produce a work in multiple colours, separate blocks need to be carved and printed for each hue. As a result creating a limited edition of colourful prints is quite time consuming and requires a great deal of patience. And while there are multiple prints created from the same plates, each one is truly an original work of art.
Find out more about the artist: www.ellenvonwiegand.com