Collection: Jean Gumpper - Recurrent Rhythms

As an artist, I am always drawn to water. Born in Hawaii, raised in Michigan surrounded by the Great Lakes, I now live in the arid west. My prints draw inspiration from the lakes, rivers, marshes, ponds, seeps and springs I find both far away and near my home. To me, these images become rich in meaning as they suggest resilience, renewal, beauty, and new life in a time of constant change.

My work hovers between representation and abstraction and often focuses on the edges between water and land. Walking, hiking, and looking are the beginnings of my prints. This contemplative, restorative practice is an intimate and direct approach to visualizing nature.

I’m intrigued with the rhythms of mark making and the possibilities of color, texture, and movement. I hope to capture the sense of being in the landscape, hearing the sounds, feeling the air. I work within a structure, the tradition of woodcut, which allows me to freely explore the layers and shifts within it. The limitations of process lead to unexpected paths.