About The Artist
Hi, my name is Olivia Wilkins. I am an Indy based artist who works primarily in various forms of printmaking. I was born and raised in Indianapolis and attended the Herron School of Art and Design to receive my BFA in printmaking in 2022. I currently work in retail and do commission art work on the side while I continue to look for a more permanent job opportunity that involves the arts. The Hulet’s are family friends and knew I loved to work with botanicals in my art so when Lynette and Sarah approached me about the idea of having my work on display in their flower shop it seemed like the perfect union. I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity and their desire to help local artists like myself
All of my work featured at Flowers by Sarahlynne will be for sale. More information about me and my work can be found on my instagram, @livs.prints. For information about other prints for sale and commission work, contact me via email at olivia.wilkins.art@gmail.com..
Artist Statement
For as long as I can remember I have always been fascinated by nature. Its beauty and variety have been a source of inspiration for me since my very first art project at 8 years old to the body of work I curated through my college career. I am drawn to nature's complex and delicate forms and work to highlight the beauty that surrounds us every day which we so often take for granted. One of my favorite artists, Georgia O’Keeffe once said, “I decided if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore it’s beauty.” This quote has always stuck with me and while I may not use scale to highlight the beauty of nature, I aim to capture the smallest nuances of shape, color, and form to be an amplifying voice for it. Our world today is filled with so much darkness and negativity. I want to have the opposite effect with my art and instead bring light and joy with the things I create. It’s often hard to be optimistic and see the good in the world but there is so much beauty that surrounds us everyday, all you have to do is be willing to look.
Process
Printmaking is my preferred medium of choice and one that most people are unfamiliar with. I didn’t originally intend to study printmaking but fell in love with it during my sophomore year of college. There are many forms of printmaking. The ones I primarily use in my work are lithography and etching. The main allure of the medium of printmaking is that it allows for duplication and the ability to print variations of the same image without recreating the entire thing. Essentially in each printmaking process the artist creates a ‘matrix’ on which the main image exists. For etching, you first start with a thin plate of copper which is coated in a waxy film and cured to the plate. The artist then scratches their image into the wax using a variety of tools. The plate is then placed into a vat of acid where the image is bitten or etched into the copper by the acid. The wax is removed, the plate is rolled up in ink, paper is placed over top, and everything is rolled through a press so that the inked image transfers onto the paper. So the idea is that you have the matrix- the copper plate with the etched image- which you can then use to print the same image over and over again. Or print it in different colors or on different materials or make changes to the plate so the opportunities for variety are endless.
Process
The other main method that I use in my work is lithography. In this method the artist begins with a slab of limestone that is grained down until there is a smooth surface. An image is drawn onto the stone using a waxy crayon. After the image is complete, the stone is treated with a variety of chemicals which essentially burns the drawn image on to the stone. The chemicals make it so that when ink is rolled onto the stone, the ink will only stick on the areas that have been drawn on and the ink will repel in the blank areas. The stone is rolled in ink, paper placed on top, everything is rolled through a press, and the inked image transfers onto the paper. Again the artist can print endless copies of the same image in an endless amount of variations. Printmaking has been an ideal medium for me to create the ultra detailed botanical images I love to create the most. It allows for delicate lines, smooth shading, and bold color. The ability for variety within the medium reflects the endless variety that nature has to offer.
