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The wattage of Bonnie Blitstein's shy smile increases tenfold when conversation turns to her favorite topic - printmaking. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York, Bonnie,has been creating artwork all her life. In high school she was the Honors Art student, creating set designs for plays and other special projects. In college, she experimented with all kinds of techniques, from pattern painting to costume design to lifesize mannequins made from papier mache, and for the last 17 years or so has focused her artistic interests on printmaking techniques. In particular, she prefers to create linocuts and silkscreens.

What is a linocut?

A linocut is a flat sheet of linoleum into which an artist has carved a design. The linoleum is then inked, paper is pressed to it, and a print is made. Many prints can be made from a single linocut, and interesting variations can develop as the linoleum disintegrates and ink applications fade through "generations" of prints. "It's exciting to see the little ripples and shapes come our that you didn't expect," Bonnie says. "They make the prints more unique."

What is a silkscreen or serigraphy?

It is usually a color stencil printing process in which special paint usually acrylic water-based or sometimes oil basedis forced through a fine screen or mess onto the paper beneath. Areas which do not print are blocked with photo sensitive emulsion that has been exposed with high intensity lights. A sheet of paper is first inserted under the screen, and special paint is poured along the edge of the frame. A squeegee is then pulled from back to front, producing a direct transfer of the image from screen to paper. A separate screen or stencil is required for each color.

The screen materials most commonly used in the process are fine silk, nylon or polyester stretched over a wooden frame.

This technique is extremely versatile and can create effects similar to oil color, transparent wash, as well as the gouache and pastel.

Bonnie says she gravitated toward linocuts because of their tactility and toward silkscreen because of color. "I like the feel of the materials in my hands," she explains. "It's also something you can do at home on a small scale, with inexpensive raw materials." For large-scale linocuts, she used to go to a studio/workshop called Ruth Leaf Studios, where there were big printing presses available, and people to help maneuver the linoleum sheets.

Her favorite theme is nature and the cycle of regeneration. A fervent animal lover, she tends to include monkeys and chimpanzees in many of her works.

Although she's been creating art for most of her life, Bonnie just started showing her work professionally about four years ago. She has already won several awards. The latest, shown in the accompanying photo, won the First Prize in Graphics (a cash award) at a show sponsored by the Alliance of Queens Artists: "Today's American Artists." But although the recognition is nice, she admits, she would be creating prints even without them. "An artist has to create," she explains. "Awards are certainly significant as a validation of your work, but then again, they're just a matter of a few people's opinions. If a person sets out to create artworks to get rich and famous, they're doing it for the wrong reasons."

To Bonnie, the process is more important that the product -- the act of creation is what makes her want to keep doing it, not just seeing the finished pieces. "When you're creating art, you're in an altered state. It's almost like being possessed," she says. Driven to pursue new projects by this passion for creation, Bonnie has studied for years under Master Printmaker Ruth Leaf, who describes Bonnie's output as "a wonderful synergy between work technique, imagery and talent."

With a glowing recommendation from her mentor, Bonnie has qualified for the Keyholders Program at the Manhattan Graphic Center, a workshop with printing resources. As a Keyholder, she receives unlimited printing services (a prized position for any artist) in exchange for some administrative assistance. The next step in her artistic progress includes a foray into color printing, which involves the creation of several different plates for one image. Bonnie is happy to talk about art and her work. "I can talk about art for days - don't get me started unless you really want to know," she kids. But she's also very sincere. If you're curious about printmaking, or would like to see more of her work, send her an email - you'll be glad you did.