The Monotype is actually the perfect combination of painting and printmaking. It has the meticulous process of printmaking but also the expressive quality of painting. As the word implies, monotype is very different from every other type of printmaking because an artist makes only one piece, verse a limited edition.

The process of monotype is very simple: the artist applies ink on a plate of glass or plexi; than he/she puts paper on top of the plate; finally transfers the ink onto the paper by pushing the plate through a press or burnishing the paper. The common question is "Why not just paint directly on the paper?" The reason is that there are certain qualities an artist can achieve with printmaking and not with painting, and visa versa. For example, in printmaking, especially with monotype, an artist can attain a perfect color bleed from one color to the next, while the paintbrush has its own distinctive look. With the monotype, the artist can combine both these aesthetic looks, and others, by applying the ink onto the plate with countless tools: brushes, paint rollers, fingers, feathers etc.

Monotypes can be limited in an edition but each pieces is distinctive from the next. After the ink is transferred to the paper, a ghost of the image is left on the plate. The artist can use the ghost as a guide to paint the image on the plate again. Monotypes are incredibly useful if the artist wants to do a color study of a particular image or composition

42" x 47 1/2"

1989

Saura, Regina

Regina's style is accentuated with bold color and playful composition. Each monotype is individually embellished with various combinations of collage and pigment through paint or pastel. Often she blends her final varnish finishes contrasting matte, silk and glossy surfaces for a multi-textural quality. If one had to liken her art to any of the masters, one would call her a modern day Miro.