Swimming Hats

"Swimming Hats" is an 11" x 15" monotype print. It is an original piece of art, double matted under glass with a black metal frame. Wired and ready to hang.

My inspiration for this composition is an odd-shaped vintage ceramic bottle I found in a second-hand shop years ago. It has become a sort of muse that I have also used in some of my other projects. Sometimes it represents a woman's figure, but sometimes it seems masculine to me.

The monotype process creates only one print, instead of multiples. Ink is applied directly onto the plate, which in this case is plexiglass. The plate is pressed against the paper to transfer the ink and creates a mirror image of whatever I’ve created on the plexiglass. I love how this allows for lots of experimentation and variations with layers and “ghost prints”. (After the first print is pulled, there will be some ink left on the plate for a second, fainter ghost print.)

I glued onto the print cut-outs of hats that I'd previously printed on another sheet. They "float" on top of the print, that is what caused me to think of the name "Swimming Hats".