The monotypes in this series deal with chronic pain. Making this work has been a challenge, a relief, and sometimes an oasis. I have found that a loose yet repetitive and predictable process is one of the best ways for me to reach a flow state, sometimes the only break I get from pain that is otherwise a constant companion. The decisions I make while working seem small, but compounded they produce a wide range of imagery.

My studio practice begins with reviewing prints I worked on the previous day. I set aside a few prints as “finished,” separating them from prints that I will add to or rework. My mark-making process is intuitive and improvisational. It is constantly evolving as I make small adjustments to my technical practice. I work on many prints simultaneously, responding to an image and its “siblings” in parallel. I reuse plates, stencils, and compositions in an iterative process that often spans multiple prints.

www.estherswhite.net
estherswhite@gmail.com
Northampton, MA