Ephemeral/Eternal: Aquatint Etchings by Stephanie Martin

Stephanie Martin is a Santa Cruz printmaker and regular Open Studios artist. Plants and birds are persistent images, and her work pays homage to their diversity and fascinating design.After a career in education Stephanie began taking art classes and fell under the spell of etching (aka “intaglio” printmaking). She draws plants and birds in botanical gardens, natural history museums and in the wild, and then winnows her sketchbook images, transforming the most arresting ones onto the printing matrix –a copper plate- using traditional etching techniques. It is a long and laborious process, but when a piece crosses the finish line, it is very rewarding. A member of the California Society of Printmakers, Stephanie has exhibited primarily in California, from Point Reyes to Yosemite to San Francisco Botanical Garden. Her etchings are in private collections around the world, as well as Stanford Medical Center, Kaiser Medical Offices and the Library of Congress, and can also be found in galleries in Carmel and Yosemite National Park (The Ansel Adams Gallery).

For Tumbleweed Found, Stephanie has printed some new etchings on ephemera such as nautical charts and vintage sheet music.