Bobbi Kittner

Instagram: http://instagram.com/bobbikittner/

I share my connection with the world and the significance of a place, an object, or a memory through my art. As a mixed media artist, I combine paint, paper and a variety of mark-making mediums to create my work. I often pay homage to my career as a print graphic designer by using lines and abstract grid patterns in the background. Scratching, tearing, scribbling or sanding my work can often be part of my process. And although I usually start with a sketch, I eventually let the work itself inform my hand. It’s a push and pull dialogue that builds with each layer. Using the collage format and altering it with various methods is one of my favorite ways to create art.

I've developed a body of work using the structure of an inushuk. I'm fascinated with stones and have collected and stacked them since I was in grade school. The inushuk was an ancient way the inuit people communicated with one another. These structures told stories, acted as guides, and marked watering holes and hunting grounds. For my rock altar work I create each "stone" from handpainted papers. These papers are then collaged onto a painted wood panel board. From there I use a variety of materials and processes to create my story. I typically carve botanics from linoleum and print these as one of the final layers softening the stones and making them feel as if they are embedded in nature. Sometimes the cairn or rock altar is obscured by layers of paint and paper which is also part of the story.