Luminous "Lumina" Poster

Kate Horvat

Interns Kate Horvat and Kai Cannon Hill were approached by Lumina Theater to design and print a poster for their annual gala. The finished piece is a watercolor and screenprint variable edition of 30.

Kate remarks: "The quote is from a Midsummer Night's Dream, and David Minton, who commissioned the piece, chose pansies because it was his late wife's favorite flower. Kai did the drawing and we collaborated on the design/printing. It is a 4 color print with a transparent white flat for the petals. We wanted the flower and petals to almost flutter down the page, and we chose watercolor because we thought that it reflected the nature of pansy petals."

We love the palette of blues, plums, crimson with the pop of the orange yellow detail and the radiant, random watercolor. Great work!

Collaborator Kai Cannon Hill prepares to print transparent white pansy petals.

Seeking Screenprinting @Artomatic, Part II

Elizabeth Brown screen prints on dollar bills in her Title 18, section 333. ("I'll Be Back") 

One of the benefits of exhibiting at Artomatic, DC's own mega-museum now on in Crystal City, is the chance to scour the scene for screen printing. Our last post unearthed some fine examples, but more was waiting to be discovered. First up, a simple yet surprising application of a basic black halftone on real dollars, is part of Elizabeth Brown's assemblage work, found on the 10th floor. Next, Frank C. Pappas' El Gran Gallo—Great Frederick Fair (a very dignified rooster) combines acrylic with "Seriograph", another name for screen printing. We have a hunch the expansive yellow background—a challenging feat—is the acrylic part. Not to be missed, the the 7th floor standout is Sargent Thamm's woodblock/screenprint portrait series. Faces of the famous—from Edie Sedgewick to Johnny Cash—are a masterful mix of printmaking media.