Midge Black

"I love to draw and I love surprises; printmaking allows me to enjoy both of these pleasures in one medium. A drawing rendered as a woodcut or an etching changes its form but keeps its soul. My drawings, prints, monoprints, and paintings explore themes of nature contrasted with technology, and figures in patterns of color and value."

A fine art print is different than a copy; it is original art made from an array of materials. A single original print goes through many creative states until it satisfies the artist and is printed in final form. A print can be thought of as a painting done backwards.

Printmaker and painter Midge Black carves basswood blocks and prints them on a Whelan press. Her prints are made from two or more blocks and printed on Sekishu paper, a lightweight but strong paper made from naturally acid-free kozo fiber. She also works in copper etching, using traditional as well as photographic techniques. Her etchings are notable for their soft color and use of pattern.

Black began drawing and painting early and studied art at Bennington College. She later earned a certificate in illustration from Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles and a B.F.A. in printmaking from Southern Oregon University.