During her visit to Manneken Press in February 2017, Brenda Zappitell created twenty seven monotypes. This was the first foray into printmaking for Zappitell, a painter known for her use of exuberant colors and vigorous brushwork.

Zappitell synthesizes her observations of nature, the concept of Mindfulness or awareness of being in the present moment, and life experiences with aspects of automatism and action painting to form a hybrid abstraction for the 21st Century.

The artist began each print with a plate rolled in a uniform color ground. Working intuitively, she brushed on silver ink, which functioned as a neutral tone, to establish initial forms and then embellished them with additional colors and gestures. Many of the prints were complete only after multiple passes through the press, creating a layered richness of color, and the "ghost image" left on the plate was often utilized in subsequent impressions. Metallic particles added to certain inks impart a shimmer to the finished works.

Zappitell's monotypes are grouped into four different themes, titled Bloom; Embody; Premise; and Lemon Yellow; and three sizes: 42 ¼ x 29 ½”, 32” x 32” and 29 ½” x 21”.
 

Two of Brenda Zappitell's monotypes can be seen in  Recent Prints and Projects from Manneken Press, on view now through March 30th in Bloomington, IL at Illinois Wesleyan University's Wakeley Gallery. The exhibition surveys prints published by Manneken Press over the past two years, and includes prints by nine different artists.

Brenda Zappitell's monotypes are the first project published by Manneken Press in 2017. An exciting roster of artists is scheduled to come over the next several months, so stay tuned...