Kim VanSomeren























"Compoself 1- Fresh" Intaglio etching/
aquatint, softground, chine colle. 2004

"Compoself 3- Decay" Intaglio etching/
aquatint, softground, chine colle. 2004










There is a battle going on inside me between my demon and myself. My demon refuses to be defeated but I am determined to manipulate him and destroy him. Printmaking is a way I can do this. My demon is my innermost self that I am determined to bring out into my work. I found Kim VanSomeren to be an inspiration because of this reason.
Kim's prints seem to capture extreme raw emotions. At first glance of her prints I was captivated and as I continued to stare at them they invoked such a strong emotional response. I have never had such a stronger reaction to anybody else's work as I did with hers.
In the above prints, Kim has combined a use of Inaglio etch, aquatint, softground, and chine colle. With each of these processes Kim seems to achieve a raw effect that overall, creates a unique effect on the onlooker. Kim really has pushed her plates to the limit. Her values and content are extreme. In the studio we are always encouraged to push our limits in regards to value. I think that Kim is a great example of this.
This semester I started out with a print that was overrun with organization. I also had a hard time starting to print in color. I was so anxious to print in color, but once I did I was not happy. I found myself printing in black instead. One day not too long into the semester I covered a plate in asphaultum and ran a piece of paper over it before it was cool. I ripped the paper off, tearing away asphaultum with it. I then took my needle and created a very loose drawing and etched it for fifteen hours. The whole process was quick and exhilarating. It was just what I needed to get back on track. Just as that print was a refresher and a reality check, so were Kim's prints. The expression level she has reached in her prints encourages me to further explore extreme possiblities with my plates.