Ralph Dashner

Printmaker

I fit best in the “American Realist” category.  I like works that have a basis in the world around us, with particular features emphasized to create a compelling design.  Realism has a power to evoke personal thoughts and feelings, because it echoes the scenery that surrounds us throughout our lives.  Good design creates a moment of heightened awareness, the moment that makes you say “wow, look at that”.  I hope to create works that are compelling enough to pull people in and allow them to find their own story.

 

I am a printmaker because I like making prints.  I like the moment when an idea crystalizes into a design.  I like wrestling with composition and understanding how the layers will come together.  I like coating screens, polishing plates, mixing colors, and working the equipment.  The studio is a happy background buzz of technical talk, the smell of ink, and the sound of art in progress.  Then there’s the moment when I actually pull the print and find out if I can pull off the magic trick.