JL Carothers Printmaker / Painter
Artist's Statement
I am driven to portray my love for nature and organic forms. My focus is to explore related elements inherent in defining my subject beyond visual description. My passion for printmaking lies in the endless variety of techniques for manipulating materials to express my ideas. Varied subjects may be handled as traditional tightly drawn etchings or abstract landscapes and figures in painterly monoprints. Textures, color layers, and embossing are achieved by natural materials and found objects applied to collagraph plates; often incorporating hand-made papers to add dimension to my prints, My processes in the studio are "GREEN" (ecologically and artist friendly!)
My recent acrylic paintings are abstract colorscapes exploring flowing color fields juxtaposed with earthy textures. My oils on canvas are plein air of rural landscapes, garden scenes, and historic architecture.
My early influences in printmaking are Rembrandt, Degas, Kollwitz, Jim Dine, and painters Cezanne, Monet, Rothko, Frankenthaler, Diebenkorn.
I am a signature member of the Philadelphia Watercolor Society for my water-based monoprints. I am certified as a Conservation Picture Framer from the Professional Picture Framing Association. My framing is a creative extension in completing the art display.
My artwork and framing designs are exhibited regularly in National and International Juried Exhibitions and in several private and corporate collections.