Monique Wales

Lives and works in Oakhurst, CA

‘My work is a labor of love and an exercise in patience.”

Monique Wales’ work rewards careful looking and detailed observation. Since her first introduction to the medium of printmaking, she has been entranced by its many different methods and forms. She seeks out its meditative, time-consuming and intricate nature, allowing the image to take shape slowly as she works layer by layer. Printmaking involves nearly all the senses, from the tactile carving of the wood in a relief print, to the sound of the needle working a copper etching, the smell of the studio when mixing up the ink, and of course, the visual revelation as the image slowly emerges on the paper, layer by layer, through the work of the press or by her own hand-held baren.

Wales’ artwork is largely nature-inspired, particularly by the magnificent mountain areas in and around her home near Yosemite. Through her work, Wales hopes to bring awareness of the importance of wild spaces, unique and special habitats and their increasingly threatened occupants. She strives to impart to her audience the feelings of peacefulness, serenity and wonder she experiences when witnessing the world outside our walls, whether it’s found deep in the forests of the Sierras, along the rugged California coast or on her travels to other parts of our beautiful planet.

For more information about the artist or to purchase art work, please visit Red Tail Studios on Etsy: redtailstudios.etsy.com


BIOGRAPHY

Working primarily as a digital artist in marketing for nearly 20 years, Monique began working as a fulltime printmaker in 2012, founding Red Tail Studios. While mostly known for her reductive linocut relief printmaking, she also enjoys copper plate etching, Japanese woodblock (Mokuhanga) and encaustic painting. She has studied in both California and Japan and is currently experimenting on combining her innovative reductive linocut techniques with centuries-old Mokuhanga traditions.


This exhibition is presented by the Fresno Yosemite International Airport Arts & Culture program, which aims to welcome travelers to the Central Valley and showcase original works by artists who call this vibrant and diverse region home.