::: an artist's process, erin o'shea :::

i'm featuring this amazing artist / illustrator on my blog after i had the opportunity to spend time photographing her during the many, many stages of her process. okay it's my uber-talented sister erin, she has chosen to use a handcrafted, time-intensive, textile format which begins simply enough with a drawing...

then she transfers her drawings to tracing paper which she then backs with white transfer paper, allowing her drawing to transfer onto a linoleum plate.

next she uses various tools to carve out the different depths and lines of her image, then she has to cut away any plate she isn't using.

the next stage involves an entirely separate set of skills and tools as she goes to the press and calibrates the pressure, readies her ink and applies her chosen color onto the plate. the paper has been soaked then blotted dry and is ready for printing with the carved and inked plate. my images show just a glimpse into the multi-stage process, the piece is finished after it has dried and she's painted the final colors.

the illustrated series photographed here is inspired by the myths and insight from the incredible book "Women Who Run With The Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. You can see this series and additional illustrations by erin o'shea in Fullerton at the CSUF West Gallery starting at 6pm this Saturday April 23, 2011 "Anlage: That Which Will Become" is a showcase of the cumulative works made during her time in the Master of Fine Arts Program at Cal State University Fullerton.