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Beth Kerschen |
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Handcrafted Urban Landscapes – I use a unique blend of techniques using photo-illustration and printmaking to make urban landscapes that celebrate the great creativity, personality and culture that evolves in urban centers.
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Etchings - Multi-plate Scenes
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ShopPortland, Oregon Handmade Letterpress Note Card - 4.00 (USD)Men's Portland Icons Hand-printed Silkscreen Tee - 24.00 (USD)Women's Portland Icons Hand-printed Silkscreen Tee - 24.00 (USD)ON SALE - Women's Hawthorne District Silkscreen Tee - 19.00 (USD)ON SALE - Women's Alberta District Silkscreen Tee - 19.00 (USD)
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statement
About My Artwork
In my work, I blend architecture, urban details, and fleeting moments to tell a richly layered story not possible individually. I have always been fascinated with buildings; from my travels abroad to the historic skyline of my longtime home in Boston. More recently, I have been attracted to the city details around us: restored retro signage, the oddly painted door, or the outdoor cafe made from an old bus. These are expressions of human creativity; this is the essence of what I am trying to capture in my work. With printmaking, I use an etching technique called solarplate intaglio to translate photographic elements into printed form and then combine several plates into a single scene. These composite scenes build a narrative that represents how I experience the world in an attempt to create a feeling of nostalgia, permanence and personality.
Process
To start, I make 3-4 trips through the area I want to capture. I take many photos and walk with a heightened awareness; staying open to all that is around me. I walk up and down all of the key streets to thoroughly take in the area and capture what seems to be unique to the area. Once in my studio, I start the long process of editing the photos. I hone into the images of buildings, people, signage, etc, that best represent what I want to express. I finally select a set of images and isolate them from the background so they are stand-alone objects that can be placed anywhere in a scene.
Next, the most time consuming part, I slowly compose a scene. I try many different iterations; seeing which objects fit best together visually. I focus on scale, depth, and what should stand out. This is one of the most exciting steps for me; I feel like I am solving a complex puzzle. I know I am close to done when everything seems to start falling into place.
Etching Process
Once I am happy with the scene, I break up the scene into different plates and print out each section onto transparency film. I am now ready to make plates. I place the transparency film on a photo-sensitive etching plate (in my case a Solarplate) and shine U.V. light through it. Then the plate is placed in water. This etches the light exposed areas and leaves grooves that match the image I want to print.
To print the image on paper, I rub ink into the plate and thoroughly wipe off the excess. I lay damp paper onto the plate and roll both together, under pressure, through an etching press. Most of my scenes contain at least 5 different plates and so I use a registration sheet to keep the composition together. I lie the registration sheet down on the press and build the complete scene a couple plates at a time. I place the background elements first (send them through the press) and then the foreground images. A final piece can take up to four passes through the press.
Bio
Beth Kerschen is a multi-disciplinary artist using photography and printmaking to express a unique vision. She graduated with a Bachelors in Fine Arts from Colorado College with a focus on photography, photo illustration, and printmaking. After college, she moved to Boston and worked for Polaroid; expanding her extensive photographic and digital imaging knowledge. She worked for 10 years as a graphic designer with several creative firms in Boston; eventually moving to Portland, Oregon in 2008. The move to Portland was part of a career shift back to photography, photo illustration, and printmaking. She uses a unique blend of photography and printmaking to create her images.
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stores
Cards/Shirts:
Powell’s City of Books - 1005 W Burnside, Portland, OR 97209
Tender Loving Empire - 412 SW 10th Ave. Portland, OR 97205
Prints:
Framing Resource - 1301 SE Stark Street, Portland, OR 97214
Crafty Wonderland - 808 SW 10th Ave. in Portland, OR
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commissions
- Creating Custom ScenesWhen I first started showing my work to people, I immediately got questions about making personalized, custom pieces. In seeing my composited work, people could imagine a piece that incorporated buildings and objects that represented their neighborhood, their home, or a special event in their lives. So, I have a couple of pieces in progress and am excited about doing more. If you are interested, contact me and we can talk about what you are looking for and I can provide a quote. Pricing depends on the size and complexity of the piece.
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Posts
- May 08, 12
Crafty Wonderland is a big spring bash of handmade goodness! (and a perfect place for finding your Mother a last minute Mother’s Day gift.)
New Cards: I will have four new postcards I just designed and will have my “Portlandmark” note card on chipboard which was just printed a couple months ago.
Bookmarks: I couldn’t resist, there was room on the press and they were so fun to design. I will have two designs available for the show.
New Prints: I have been getting requests for more etchings of key landmarks in Portland…so I will have some fun single prints of Voodoo Doughnuts, the Hollywood theater and a number of others.
I will also have my tee-shirts there (some at a reduced price) and…if things go extremely well, I will have some fun tote bags available. Much of the products will be available on Etsy after the show.
Here are the details:
CRAFTY WONDERLAND SUPER COLOSSAL SPRING SALESaturday, May 12th at the Oregon Convention Center
777 NE MLK Jr. Blvd, Exhibit Hall D11:00 am to 6:00 pm
All Ages * Free Admission
* Goodie Bags for the early shoppers *
- Apr 11, 12
I am excited to account three new pieces I have created in the last 3-4 months. The bridge piece, “Crossing the Willamette” and the Alberta piece, “Captured by Alberta” took a considerable amount of time. I really wanted the Bridge piece to give you that feeling when you drive over the 405 Bridge and you get an amazing view of multiple bridges with the Portland Skyline all at once. It took some work. Then, I just love the Alberta District and there is so much to pack into one scene. It was a challenge to get this much in, much less put in everything I wanted to.
Well, they look much better in person and they can be viewed at the Guardino Gallery until April 24th!
- Mar 26, 12
Announcing my show with Jerri Bartholomew. Opening is on Last Thursday, March 29th and it shows all through April! Hope to see you there!
For more information, go to guardinogallery.com
- Mar 08, 12
Ohh…I have been busy. I thought I could rest this winter! But, I can’t complain at all….
First of all my little postcards are in a fancy-shmanzy museum display! They are part of a series from Portland Open Studio artists, and I just love everything that is on display. The work is in The Lab at the Museum of Contemporary Craft in the Pearl District in Portland. It is a joint project with PNCA, where A number of the artists will be doing demos every Saturday through April 28th.
Also, my cards and tee-shirts are now at Tender Loving Empire. This über cool store in downtown Portland that carries all local, handmade goods. It is also a silkscreen shop where they make their own great designs and they sell music from local bands. They are on SW 10th and Stark….check it out!
Coming up…my show at Guardino Gallery on Alberta Street – the opening is Last Thursday in March.
- Jan 19, 12
Many of you have heard me talking about it already…I am excited to be working on a postcard for the lovely Historic Balch Hotel. It is a gorgeous hotel in sunny Dufur, Oregon that is just over 100 years old. It feels like hidden get-a-way and it is also in the middle of all sorts of wonderfulness…not far from the Columbia Gorge, Mt Hood, and Maupin where there is some amazing rafting on the Deshutes River. It is a perfect wedding spot as well, it is open, pretty, quaint, has an classy, cosy inmate feeling that is just right for such a family event. Well…I am tasked with trying to pack all this (at least the essence of it) into one postcard. Love it! Ironically, when I take photos of a place for my artwork, the practicality of what I need often overrides my desire to take compositionally interesting single photographs. But, a few nice ones can pop up, so I thought I would share this one that I liked.
- Dec 31, 11
This has been an amazing year. I want to thank all friends, family and colleagues for being so supportive, helpful, and inspiring. This year I worked the hardest I ever had in my life, but it made me realize that you can’t do anything with significance alone. I have received so much crucial help from so many people – I am extremely thankful. At this year’s end, I am reflecting on the success and lessons of the past year, how my past was an important bridge built to take me to the present, and where I’d like to go into the future. I can’t wait for 2012!Thanks again and I wish you all the best in the coming year.
- Dec 16, 11
I am proud to be in this years Willamette Week’s Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide! You can also see it online >. The whole guide is really well done with amazing, locally made products. I recognize a number of the Printed products from artists that were at the Portland Bazaar organized by DesignSponge, which makes me even more flattered to be in the mix. For those of you still shopping, Sunday the 18th I will be at the Formal Holiday Artisans Fair on Alberta with cards, shirts and prints (more info>). Also my cards and shirts are on Etsy >. Those of you in Portland, it only takes a day to deliver a package to you! So, you last minute shoppers can make it happen!
- Dec 06, 11
Tis the season for Holiday Fairs!! There are so many going on, I can’t keep track of them all. But, I am going to be a two of them!
December 11th (11am-5pm): Crafty Underdog Sale at the Mission Theater (1624 NW Glisan). They are going to have tons of great artisans, live music, cocktails, beer, movies…it is going to be a blast. Here is more info: http://thecraftyunderdog.com/2011/11/23/the-sound-line-up-is-on-for-dec-11th/
December 18th (11am-5pm): Formal Holiday Artisans Fair at the Acadian Ballroom (1829 NE Alberta St.). It is going to be an elegant affair with live classical music, holiday cocktails, wonderful handmade gifts….and I will be dressed up cocktail style. A rare sight indeed! (I still have to figure out what to wear). Here is the info: http://www.handmadenw.com/events/index.php
At these events I will have my Portland etchings, letterpress cards and silkscreen tee-shirts (with PDX Icons, Alberta and Hawthorne scenes).
All Free Admission!
Hope to see you there!
- Nov 22, 11
Well, so much has happened since Portland Open Studios, I have been too busy to post all that is happening. Portland Open Studios was a great event. I had fun opening up my studio, I met a lot of great people and made some great connections. Two of which have generated leads for custom postcard designs for two Hotels. The details are still in the works, but I will write more about this soon because these are really exciting projects.
Then, I contacted Powell’s Bookstore here in Portland to see if they would be interested in selling my cards and….placed an order and wanted them right away! So, they are carrying all three of my postcards and the holiday card. I am also in the process of getting tee-shirts printed with the same designs and they were interested in selling a set of those as well! So, as of today, Powell’s has my tee-shirts available at the Pearl District Location in the Orange Room in the Gift corner and they have my Post Cards in the big card section on the “Portland/Oregon” themed rack. I believe the holiday cards will be set up soon on a Holiday Themed rack in the same card section. This is just so exciting! I am printing other tee-shirt designs and they will be ready soon, so I will post more later about them and their availability. In the meantime, head to Powell’s!
- Oct 13, 11
I got a spot in this week’s (October 12th, 2011) Willamette Weekly in the “I Made This” section covering my new Portland Postcards that just came out for Portland Open Studios. I can’t remember the last time I was mentioned in a paper! So, come check out the new work at Portland Open Studios this weekend. And for those of you who can’t make it out, I also have my new cards available on Etsy.
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Tweets
- @laurenhenkin Gorgeous.
- Going to have totes in time for the Crafty Wonderland fair! http://t.co/ODttYHVS
- love to be in a magical world where the weeds are picked, toilet paper replenished, towels always clean, & dirty dishes picked up for meMay 10, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- New Letterpress Cards, Bookmarks & Etchings for Crafty Wonderland Fair this Saturday @ PDX Convention Center http://t.co/kxkj3C8R
- Inking up new plates for prints I am selling at the Crafty Wonderland fair on Saturday! http://t.co/QIjZrwVe
- Working on three new Portland, OR postcards...work...work...work...May 02, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- @Apple I am convinced the 4S uses more data. I am cruising through my data usage and I have been cutting back. Sure is more $$ for At&t.May 01, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- @joshturiel No! The wifi was great (and many free) when I left! There was a crackdown at the coffee shops since I have been gone!
- “@JimGaffigan: Not having wireless is a great way to tell me, "I don't want you to ever come back here."” felt this way in Boston
- Sets of 6 Available! Portland Oregon Handmade Letterpress Notecard by BethUrbanCraft http://t.co/njzCiBxd via @Etsy
- Three weeks go by fast...Last chance to see my Porltand Series and a bit of other news: http://t.co/ixK0WlLU
- I have Three Brand-New Print Pieces showing at Guardino Gallery with my entire Portland Series: http://t.co/mvwEmM0y
- @nfarina I got the impression it was a concept in the works and, IMHO, they should have Meridian as part of the development project.Apr 05, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- @GalCallaway Awesome!
- @BuckmanArtShow So excited to be a part of the show!Apr 04, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Proud to be part of the Photolucida's Then Here Now slideshow showing First Friday with Critical Mass artists: http://t.co/ALukvIrVApr 04, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
