Artist Open Studios

Maggie Kendis

20 Pompey Hollow Rd.
Ashford, CT 06278

After graduation, from the University of California, Irvine, with a BFA in Art focusing on printmakings, she lived in Mexico where the artist studied batik, ceramics and silk-screening. The negative space in batik, really resonated in the way she thought in printmaking. There also was the element of surprise when the wax was removed after the last dye bath. Maggie worked in that medium for about 20 years, represented in galleries in Beverly Hills, Palm Springs, Maui, to Boston. The artist also did many commisioned works for the Bank of America throughout Southern California, as well as hotels and Disney throughout the country. Her batiks were very painterly, which she used both direct painting techniques of dye, then wax and then submersion of entire pieces in the dye bath. Her pieces were quite large as well, 36" x 46".

In 1980, Maggie got married, moved to Connecticut and continued to study printmaking, pastels, drawing and painting. Now single, she lives in Lebanon with her dog and cat.

Maggie has spent the last 20 years working in linoleum prints. She loves the immediacy, the intimacy with small spaces. Her work is inspired by her animals, animals of my friends, folk art from travels, nature and the small cameos of life and whimsy of nature around her. A new addition to her work, has been custom pet portraits made from photographs. These can be framed, or made into art pieces to wear as earrings, pendants or pins.

Another addition to Maggie's work is reminescent of Mexican folk art retablos. These are devotional paintings, found on the walls of many Mexican homes painted on wood or tin. Combined with the linoleum cut prints, Maggie borrows from these charming pieces, to create her very own version.

Artist Statement:

I work in linoleum cut printing, a process which is called relief printing. My ideas come from nature around me, my animals, my friends pets and birds, flowers and landscapes. After I have my idea, whether it’s a pet portrait or birds in the garden, I make a drawing. Then I trace it onto tracing paper and reverse the paper, taping and tracing over it, onto a blank linoleum tile. It’s as if you are looking into a mirror, as the image seems backwards. Only after you print, does it revert to the original drawing form, like when you take a stamp and use a stamp pad. After my drawing is completed onto the tile, with carving tools I cut away everything I don’t want to print. When that is done, I use a roller to apply the ink onto the tile. Next I lay a piece of rice paper onto the tile, and with a clean brayer, roll across the backside of the paper, and I transfer the print onto the paper. Then I peel away the print. Because I like color, I scan my original black and white print onto a heavier stock paper, and hand paint with watercolors.