In the Studio with…
Kaethe Kauffman, Honolulu Branch

 

Meditative Ink Drawing

I use layers of organic lines to build up energetic darks and lights, denoting texture and density. My subject is nature, in both the outside world and within an individual’s interior, as seen in meditation.

Kaethe Kauffman - Blowing Tree
“Blowing Tree, ink (15×20) ” by Kaethe Kauffman.

For my ink drawings, I start with a ballpoint pen and draw tiny ink lines, creating an overall energy field. This is automatic drawing, done without looking at the paper. I draw while on the phone with loved ones. (The process doesn’t work for me with stressful calls.) Each ink drawing is different, recording the unique energy of that call.

Kauffman Blind Drawing 2 different phone calls

Kauffman Blind drawing with ink and brush

Kauffman Black and White Collage of Palm ink

Kauffman Purple Palm ink 16x20
Above, from top, the process: blind drawing, two different phone calls, ball point pen; blind drawing with ink and brush; black-and-white collage of palm (16×20), ink. Bottom photo shows the result, “Purple Palm” (16×20), ink. Left, “Autumn Tree” (20×16), ink.

Kaethe Kauffman - Autumn Tree

After several weeks of drawings, I spread them all out and gaze at them. I see images and designs visually emerge. I cut them out and rearrange them to create collages.

I photograph the collage and open it as a digital file in Photoshop. I make sure the lines are crisp, gain a new perspective, and accentuate the lights and darks. I may make minor changes to the basic design. I digitally add a layer of color. A professional art printer prints the image on thick, high-quality, acid-free paper using archival ink-jet pigments.

Using the professional print as substrate, I draw on it and add layers of color using high-quality, undiluted acrylic inks to finish the piece.

 

About the Artist

Kaethe Kauffman received her Master of Fine Arts in studio fine arts from the University of California, Irvine, having previously studied at universities in England, Yugoslavia, Spain, and Mexico. Her art has been exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Berkeley, San Francisco, Australia, and Europe with a solo exhibit in Prague, the Czech Republic, and a recent group exhibit at Hofstra University in New York.