By Timothy Behuniak EBS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
BOZEMAN – For most, it’s
difficult to recite the alphabet backwards. But, have you ever tried thinking
backwards? For printmaker Sarah Angst, this is a daily, artistic routine, as printmaking
requires that every etch, imprint, design and alphabetical character to be laid
out in reverse.
Despite the challenge, Angst’s
passion for artistry compels her to continue to hone her craft with each new
piece.
“Since I was a little kid, I’ve
always loved creating and selling things,” Angst said. “I’ve always just loved
color, design and composition.”
Angst was born and raised in
Winnipeg, Canada, although she attended the University of Minnesota Duluth in
order to be closer to her grandparents. Although she graduated with a BFA in
Art Education, Angst initially disliked printmaking when introduced to the craft
in college.
“I took one printmaking class
and hated it,” laughed Angst. “There were too many different styles of
printmaking that were squished into one quarter class. But then I went to an
art fair and there was this man – Ken Swanson – and I fell in love with the
graphic qualities of his work.”
Finding inspiration in
Swanson’s work and in the satisfaction of creating multiple pieces from a
single image, Angst dived head-first into printmaking. “I’ve always had a hard
time departing from that one, original piece. But as an artist that needs to
make money, you have to separate yourself from that idea a bit,” Angst said.
After a period spent teaching
and traveling after graduating, Angst returned to Minnesota. “There are quite a
few printmakers in Duluth, so it’s nice to be exposed to that,” said Angst.
While living in the Land of
10,000 Lakes, Angst worked on a project for a small town and its centennial
celebration. She didn’t win the contest, but brokered a deal to create artwork
for a calendar, her first time selling work after college. However, meshing the
business and art worlds was an intense learning experience, said Angst, but a
necessary one.
Soon after, Angst and her
husband moved to Bozeman to pursue a passion for outdoor recreation. In
Bozeman, Angst was able to balance her work with raising a family, all while
enjoying her beautiful surroundings. “I
love the accessibility to the trails and wilderness,” said Angst. “It’s really
exciting to be a part of a community that’s growing and thriving.”
There’s a lot of time and
effort dedicated to the period between the conception and sale of a piece. To
get to a final product, Angst starts with a sketch from an idea or from
inspiration sourced on the Internet. Then, she transfers the drawing onto
linoleum – a rubbery material. She’ll then work with knives and gouges to
remove negative space. “When there’s text, there’s definitely been times where
I’ve had to start over because the letters are reversed,” laughed Angst. Next,
she’ll roll black ink onto the remaining raised edges and stamp the linoleum onto
a piece of paper. It’s like making a big stamp, Angst described.
“I really like the vibrancy of watercolor,” Angst said. “So I’ll print the
black outline, then hand paint each original with watercolor inks.”
This technique differs slightly
from a more commonly-practiced printmaking method called reduction, where
artists roll over their linoleum plate with a different color with each press
and create final pieces this way. Though, because Angst paints in between her
lines with watercolors rather than stamping with different colors, her pieces
tend to have a graphic quality with extremely bright and vivid hues, which
separates her work from the others’.
When looking at the
printmaker’s work, it’s obvious she draws inspiration from nature. Although her
portfolio contains depictions of snowmen and inanimate objects like stockings
and bicycles, it’s mostly comprised of alpenglow-covered mountains or wild
animals roaming the land. If there are two traits that unite all of her pieces,
though, it’s the simple, yet strong compositions and vibrant colors.
“I love the way a black outline
makes colors pop,” said Angst. “I really love having some sort of complimentary
color within a piece – it provides a rich quality.”
Most of Angst’s work is a small
size, averaging between 3-by-5 and 10-by-12. Painting and carving bigger pieces,
anywhere from 12-by-24-inches to 2 feet by 3 feet can be quite difficult and
extremely time consuming, “but I want to expand on bigger work with different
techniques,” Angst said.
In addition to being a talented
artist, the printmaker also thrives in conducting business. Merging the two is
often the most difficult part of executing a career in art, but Angst revels in
the challenge.
“I have a passion for the
business side,” said Angst. “It can even provide new ways of thinking about
what to create, how to market your work and how to grow and move forward.”
Growing and moving forward
might as well be the mantra of Angst’s creative pursuits. For someone who
initially loathed printmaking, she’s done pretty well for herself. Her greeting
cards are currently available in 300 stores nationwide, and she regularly produces
and sells made-to-order prints through her website.
Angst’s work is slotted for
display at Bozeman’s Altitude Gallery beginning in May. Owned and operated by
Amy Kirkland, the gallery features fun, contemporary pieces, which can be
challenging to do in a region saturated with talented, Western-themed artists.
“Amy and I are really good at collaborating and trying out different ideas,” Angst said. “It’s the ideal place to hang my work.”
