A collaboration with two artists is the featured exhibit at In-Town Gallery in August. Stained-glass artist Carolyn Insler and intaglio etching artist Linda Thomas are presenting a collection of their new work titled “Sea to See”, which explores the organic images of and around water. Visitors can meet the artists at the opening reception on Friday, August 5, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the gallery.
Thomas was drawn to Insler’s beautiful stained glass works that incorporated sea shells. The two artists then decided to develop bodies of work based on the organic images of water, without dictating the outcome of any final images. Each artist’s work has a distinctive look due to the intrinsic characteristics of her medium. The strength of the collaboration is evident in the contrasts between Insler’s translucent light forms and Thomas’ textural etchings.
Intaglio etching requires that the artist’s drawing be incised into a metal plate, leaving the
image to be printed recessed below the surface. The technique requires the use of sharp tools and acid-etch procedures to create lines and tonal effects. The incised plate is filled with ink, then the surface is wiped clean. Dampened paper is then positioned on top of the plate. Under pressure from the press, the paper is forced into the intaglio, where it picks up ink from the recessed areas and lines.
The prints are numbered in an edition. These are original hand-pulled prints, existing in
multiple impressions, each having a slight variation due to the gradual break-down of the plate after several passes through the press. When the edition is complete, the plate is destroyed.
In the Sea to See series, Thomas used various techniques which included aquatints, chine colle and hand coloring on antique book paper. “I use my drawings to create trial prints and experiment with inks and papers until the textures and values on the image are interpreted and re-interpreted to my satisfaction,” the artist explained.
Insler’s stained-glass work is eclectic. She combines many textures and colors, and enjoys working with flowing lines much like the Nautilus.
More than 35 years’ experience have honed Insler’s skills in the creative process of turning raw materials into functional and decorative windows, lamps, gifts and wall art. They are constructed using traditional stained-glass methods of copper foil and lead came. She has shipped her original works to 31 states, Japan, Greece and Australia. For the “Sea to See” collection she visited both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, gathering shells to incorporate into her new designs.
