ARTWORK | Art by Lorraine Ava

The Artwork

creatures of the amazon

Earlier this year I discovered a new trend in the art world and that was embroidered canvases. I thought it was so interesting and knew I wanted to expand my own art skills and imagination, so I decided to adapt that trend and use amazon birds as my inspiration - since they have such an important cultural significance for me.

Washington d.c. series

Inspired by my Brooklyn Bridge print series, I explored the idea of creating a series based on my own hometown - Washington, D.C. I carved a few iconic monuments and buildings that make Washington D.C, D.C. Within this ongoing collection, you will find the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Reflecting pool (stay tuned) among the background of contrasting colors and flowers. These gems are just some of the symbols of this magnificent city.

Baseball stadium mini series

After the Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series, I was on cloud nine. That series, or more specifically that third out of the 10th inning, was a magical moment. That World Series win and the resulting bliss will be the best sports event I ever witness. In the post-World Series win, I began creating baseball themed paintings, starting out with 'The Wrigley field' painting of course.

brooklyn bridge series

When I visited New York City in the summer of 2017, it was the first time I actually walked around the city (I know). My friends took me to see a few of the iconic spots— such as Central Park, Times Square, and the Brooklyn Bridge— that make New York City, New York City This print series was born out of my experience walking across the Brooklyn Bridge.

monoprints

In my Introduction to Printmaking course during the Spring 2017, my class and I were assigned to create a series of monoprints. We were asked to use all types of suitable household objects to play a part in creating dimension, texture, and color contrast in our final pieces. Searching throughout my house, I found various stamps, stencils, rubber gloves, rubber bands, plastic rings, mesh, and lace. Additionally, the compositions were up to us, so I tried to make each monoprint embody a theme. You will see below that I have a baseball theme, a floral theme, and an animal theme.

Intaglio printmaking

Jazz Craze (2017)

Ink on Rives BFK Paper

5 x 7 inches

Intaglio printmaking refers to a process in which an image is cut into the surface of a copper or zinc plate (referred to as a relief). There are five processes of intaglio printmaking: aquatint, drypoint, etching, engraving, and mezzotint.

The materials I used in this project were a copper plate, mark making tools (specifically an etching needle and a scribe), intaglio ink (water-based non-toxic ink), tarlatan, and rives BFK paper.

The concept of this print was inspired by my Senior year Spring Break trip to New Orleans. In the city, it is evident that jazz is a cultural staple. When my friends and I ran into this saxophone player on the street (in the video to the right), I was in awe by his musical performance and the scenic view surrounding us. This project was to transform an image into "the abstract and the surreal." What better way to transform a photo of jazz players than into a surreal, dream-like state with dancing and instrument playing musical notes, to fully capture the fun of New Orleans.