OWOSSO ARTIST and instructor Linda J. Beeman, along with the Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce, hosted a holiday open house event of her artwork at the Armory on Tuesday, Dec. 10 in downtown Owosso. Beeman is a mokuhanga print artist – mokuhanga is Japanese for wood print. In short, this watercolor-based art form involves carving a separate block of wood for every color. Overlapping areas on a print actually create secondary and tertiary colors. The process is quite labor-intensive, but Beeman’s expertise is obvious in the quality and diversity of her work.
Beeman is shown holding “November 11th,” a print inspired by a photo of her grandfather, William I. Kaltrider, as he was waiting for the train on his way to serving in France in WWI. Some of her prints are figural, but most of them are inspired by nature, including an entire series she completed on the Shiawassee River. The tonality shown in her printmaking and design methods elevate the simplicity of natural elements and the colors are a treat for the eye.
Just recently, Beeman was awarded a Professional Development mini-grant from the State of Michigan Council for Art and Cultural Affairs. She was chosen to do a residency at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. National Park residencies are difficult to obtain, but Beeman’s talent won her the opportunity. She shared that the unusual landscape and rock formations in the park reminded her of the “moon mixed with Mars.”
More on Beeman’s artwork can be found at Lindajbeeman.com.
(Independent Photo/Karen Mead-Elford)
