ARTIST STATEMENT
Why Plein Air Monotypes?
I’m a painter, and thanks to a simple process, I’m also a printmaker. To make my monotypes, I do an oil painting on a piece of plexiglass, dampen a sheet of paper, and transfer that painted image onto the paper using a press or a palm press. The process is exciting because there’s are constant surprises. When transferred, the image is squished, changing my brush strokes and paint placement into something very different than what I applied to the plexiglass. Also, the image is reversed, which is always a surprise. Making monotypes always adds energy and freshness to my painting experience.
Why Sheep?
The sheep series started with a painting retreat to a farm in central Pennsylvania in the summer of 2001. I went to paint cows, but couldn’t take my eyes off the sheep. They were Jacob’s sheep, an ancient breed that dates back to biblical times. I found their huge curved horns, fluffy spotted coats and spindly short legs extremely captivating. They’ve become my primary source of imagery, allowing me to explore paint application, surface texture, composition and color in a way that satisfies me.
BIO
Carolyn Letvin is a resident of Marlboro, Massachusetts. She has exhibited in the New England area since 1990. She is an accomplished landscape painter and also creates stylized feline and farm animal imagery. She works on-site and from photographs.
She has won many awards through the years including the Top Award at the 18th Annual Faber Birren National Color Award Show, an Honorary Mention/Sakura Award from the United Pastelists of America/Oil Pastel Association and a second place in the 2014 Blanche Ames National Juried Exhibition. Currently, her work can be seen at Lauren Clark Fine Art in Great Barrington, MA, Hudson Art & Framing in Hudson, MA and Galatea Fine Art, Boston, MA. She is a board member for the Monotype Guild of New England and board president at Galatea Fine Art.
