Artist Spotlight
Jennifer Garrison
Garrison is a South Carolina-based textile designer. She has participated in BIG INK on multiple occasions over the years, most recently at the McColl Center.
Life In the Arts
I’ve been interested in the arts and creativity my entire life and have been engaged in some form of creative pursuit in both my corporate and artistic careers since college. I discovered printmaking as a freshman at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC, and that was the epiphany I needed. Printmaking resonated with me because it combines the physicality of working on the plate, the visual thinking of creating a graphic image, and the skill of producing a well-executed print. The materials provide some boundaries, but the opportunities within those boundaries are vast. I am currently working in textile design as my day job and producing fine art work in my home studio in my free time.
Printmaking and Process
I enjoy working with etching and screenprint, but relief printing has my heart. Woodcut printing, for me, is a meditative process. I will draw the image several times before the carving begins; by the time I start cutting into the block, I will be intimately familiar with my image and understand where each mark needs to be made. Since returning to woodcut, I have made relief printing the core of my art practice, and now teach relief printmaking in Charlotte.
BIG INK
I revived my printmaking practice about 8 years ago, when I first heard about BIG INK. I had always loved the process of woodblock printing, but I had stopped making many prints. A friend sent me the link to apply for BIG INK in Lynchburg, VA, and I signed up to give myself a deadline and expand my circle of printmaking friends.
The Carving Journey
I have always preferred working with large-format images, so the scale of BIG INK is comfortable for me. I have printed with BIG INK several times, and over the years have had to relearn some basic printmaking tenets – make sure your tools are sharp, dull tools don’t cut well; don’t add tons of detail to your design at the last minute; pace yourself when carving and do a little each day, instead of trying to do all of the carving in a short time.
The Meetup & Printing Together
One of the reasons I first signed up for BIG INK is also the reason I keep coming back – the community of printmakers. I have met so many other printmakers and artists through this event, and have formed friendships with them. I have printed with BIG INK six times in several different cities, and each event has featured a group of artists who collaborate to ensure the experience and prints are stellar. Every artist has a unique way of working, and there is always a lot of discussion about how a mark is made, how it prints, what we could do differently in the future, and other printmaking conversations. I have also received advice on tools and paper, which I have incorporated into later projects.
The Final Print & What’s Next
The experience of pulling a print off the press is unique. Usually, I do not print my newest carvings ahead of the BIG INK workshop, so sometimes there are surprises. On the last two prints I made, Lyell suggested we print them as ghost images. He printed the block and then turned it 180 degrees and printed it again to create a second layer. The results are stunning, as the lines and shapes overlap and intertwine.
On The Horizon
One of my woodblock prints, Anemone, is currently on view at Luca Studio and Gallery in Fort Mill. There are two other BIG INK prints in that show, along with smaller work. I am also preparing for BIG INK at the McColl Center in Charlotte on October 18-19.
Discover More