Hello!  I am Monalisa Bagby. As an artist, every mark I make attests to the contact of my world to The World. Through my artwork, I literally scratch the surface of ideas concerning the pursuit of Beauty and our assured, entangled involvement with the Industry of Living. It sounds high falutin but my efforts, though I do my best, are no more than pebbles skittering across the surface. I wonder who do I think I am taking on such abstractions? All I can say is that it is an organic process that propels me toward the foggy yonder of such expansive ideas. Sometimes, the results are beautiful. Channeling my thoughts through art-making is a voice of which I have no choice but to follow. And my imagery, whether a comment on the beauty of an oak leaf or a sonnet about balancing the books, is a moment of my reality. It can be a wide open wow or a pursed squeak. 

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The confluence of my artistic expression is found in the processes of printmaking: etching, relief printing, letterpress and in drawing. The rich selection of materials and techniques engage me. It includes listening for the sticky sizzle of ink across the pallet, the reflection of polished copper, the rough texture of tarlatan, the weight of the brayer, the sound of the press in motion, the scratch of the pen. As I am interested in the layering of perception all of these, and more, are my vehicles of expression and meaning. My hope is that it translates into something meaningful for you.

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With each discipline there are inherent guardrails and technicalities to consider. They have a hand in awakening me to my limitations. And yet, these technical challenges and nuanced materials also inspire and foster creativity. They build creative muscle that plays with the ever present persona of chance -

the pinball game ricocheting across my landscape. Ah!

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​So, you see, it is a process that totally engages me. If I can contribute a moment on paper that resonates, poses a question or inspires, well then, the marks that I make can be considered

good marks. Thank you.

m.lisa.g.bagby@gmail.com if you have an interest in my images.

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