Jim Powlan

Artist Statement

There are several reoccurring themes in my work, love, relationships, turning points in life and the Hawaiian Islands. I work with a reverence of traditional techniques and materials while pushing the boundaries of what they are and can be.

Color and texture have always attracted me. I create one of a kind etchings hand printed on silk as well as deeply etched copper that is painted and then clear coated with a UV Lacquer allowing them to be displayed outdoors.

My 2D work reads as a painting but as it draw’s you in there is much more. The combination of etching, painting, and or printing create a textural image that cannot be duplicated with any other mediums.

I start with polished copper plates which for me represent new life and how perfect it is. I then etch my plates in acid for 24 hours. This simulates the bumps and bruises, highs and lows of life creating deep relief images etched in to the plate. As in life itself each plate and print tells its own story.