Jonelle Johnson

Jonelle Johnson is a Washington-based artist that utilizes the process of monoprint to develop her abstract imagery. The flow of calligraphy, the movement of birds, and the environment surrounding her are deep influences on her final artworks.

There are a variety of reasons why printmaking is Jonelle’s prime medium. One reason is that printmaking slows down the creative process. As the artist prepares plates and paper to run through the press, she has time to contemplate what comes next. There is time for images to be digested and decisions can be made. Making monoprints offers opportunities for spontaneous expression. A printmaker can make fresh images because marks or shapes can be easily wiped away from the plate when changes are needed. Many images are not preconceived, but present themselves simply because of the nature of transferring ink from plate to paper. Jonelle uses these unexpected images to build on and develop. The backgrounds in her work consist of multiple layers of thinned, transparent, oil based ink, poured on the printing plate. She waits until solvents are evaporated from the plate and then prints one layer at a time.