Monotype is a printmaking technique in which the artist paints oil-based ink onto a plexiglass plate, and an impression is made from the ink onto paper.

For all of these, I started the same. I would tape off a rectangle on the plexiglass measuring 4” x 5”. Then I rolled a flat layer of black ink into that area. After removing the tape, I would start bringing out the whites of the image by wiping away ink with Q-tips and rags. I’d go back and add more ink with a paintbrush. When I was satisfied, I lay the piece of cotton paper onto the plexi over my painting and run it through the press.

Monotype Portraits

(2013-2016)

The president monotypes (excluding Trump) were created at the Cleveland Institute of Art Printshop in 2013.

I went in order and didn’t give myself a second try if one didn’t turn out quite right to me. I “pressed on.” I noticed that as I reached presidents who were captured in photos and videos, I would spend more and more time working on their likeness.

I have no plans at the moment to fix the elephant in the room, which is the current absence of Joe Biden in this series, but that might change. I created monotypes of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump during the summer of 2016.