Amber Tyler-Elliott
Printmaking Work: 2017-Present
Artist Statement
I have a lifelong affinity for insects, particularly beetles. There are over 350,000 species and more are discovered every day. While many have a fear of insects I embrace how unique and weird they are Consequently, I incorporate as many different kinds as I can in my work. The art I make is strongly inspired by the natural world and my imagination, I often combine elements from the two in the formation of anthropomorphic creatures, focusing on beetles and sometimes bats. I’m also starting to explore more media beyond printmaking like painting, digital, ceramics and sculpture. I have combined printmaking techniques with sculpture that has allowed me to express my love for beetles and creating a little world for my “Beetle-Bat” creation that I want to pursue as a trademarked image. My current body of work is narrative with elements of illustration, consisting primarily of printmaking and drawing. The organization, structure, and patience I acquire in the production of my work facilitate the same characteristics in my life.
“Siouxsie’s Night Out” •Spring 2017, Wood Block •This was the first print I did using
the German expressionists style and based it off of Siouxie Sioux from the band Siouxie and the Banshees mixed with a snake.
“The Beetle-Bat” •Spring 2107, Wood Block •This print was originally made to be a monster mask, it is my combination of a beetle and a bat which creates this alien-like creature that has set the theme of most of my works.
“Late Night with David Larvaman” •Spring 2017, Polyester Plate Lithography
•This piece represents
procrastination and keeping yourself up. The Larva is supposed to be me as a lazy beast watching television late at night.
“Late Night with David Larvaman” •Spring 2017,
Polyester Plate Lithography with selective multi polyester plate coloring
“Self-Portrait” •Spring 2017, Dry Point on Plexiglass
•This is my self-portrait of me or my
mind as one of my beetle creatures, the circles behind me represent the obsessive tiny circles I draw in my sketch books covering the whole page.
“Baby Beetle-Bat 1” •Spring 2017, Wood Block
•This print along with the
next three are all based off of my original Beetle-Bat Woodcut and I created four little baby beetle-bats which all have their own unique characteristics.
“Baby Beetle-Bat 2” •Spring 2017, Wood Block
“Baby Beetle-Bat 3” •Spring 2017, Wood Block
“Baby Beetle-Bat 4” •Spring 2017, Wood Block
“Zorak” •Summer 2017, Lino Cut •I made this piece just for fun,
it is of Zorak from the show “Space Ghost: Coast to coast” which came use to come on when I was a child and I have a picture of Zorak saying “With Freedom Comes Nudity” that has been my desktop background for years.
“Beetle Buddy” •Fall 2017, Dry Point on Plexiglass •This piece is based on the Western
Corn Rootworm which is a beetle pest that in the larvae stage rise out of the ground in the spring and feast on the roots of Maize(corn). I tried to take a more realistic approach rather than illustrative and or cartoonish which I am more comfortable doing.
“The Beetle” •Fall 2017, High Impact Polystyrene Engraving
•This print is based off of a
nursery rhyme called “The Beetle” it goes… “Beetle, beetle up the tree, fly down and show your armor to me! Shiny brown, black, or green, you’re the toughest bug I’ve seen!”
“The Beetle Photographer” •Fall 2017, CMYK/ reduction Lino Cut •This piece is supposed to be based
on a conspiracy theory of beetles with cameras on their backs spying for the government but I liked my other conspiracy idea better which is that beetles are the real photographers of those macro photos of insects and nature.
“The Beetle-Bat with color background” •Fall 2017, CMYK Wood Block •This piece was all about
experimenting with different larger wood cut tools to make my multi colored background using various sizes of woodcut tools, a hole drill, and an electric woodworking chisel.
“Danse du dendroctone de la mort” •Fall 2017, Copper Plate etching with Aquatint
•This piece translates to “Dance of
the death beetle” and it depicts a large dancing beetle with a skeleton instead of it’s normal exoskeleton with little beetles dancing at his feet.
“Danse du dendroctone de la mort” •Fall 2017,
Copper Plate Etching with Aquatint on Homemade Paper.
“Beetle-Bat-Chesh” •Spring 2018, Stone Lithography with digital transferred image
•This piece is supposed to make you
say “WTF” and it is based of an image I took of a guy I know at The Aberdeen Fear Factory that I took on WTF night which instead of it being scary, it’s really weird. I adjusted the image in photoshop for a better transfer and drew around him and morphed him into a beetle-bat creature.
“Mr. and Mrs. Sawtooth” •Spring 2018,
Two Copper Plate Etchings with slight Aquatint on homemade paper.
“Mr. and Mrs. Sawtooth” •Spring 2018, Two Copper Plate Etchings with Aquatint
•These two prints are a set and are
based off of a male and female stag beetles, specifically the sawtooth stag beetles. I set them up in a vintage portrait style with human busts and beetle heads along with detailed framework. It could be assumed that this could be their wedding portraits.
“Mr. and Mrs. Sawtooth” •Spring 2018,
Two Copper Plate Etchings with Aquatint and color ink
“Bartok Doodle Stone” •Spring 2018, Stone Lithography •This piece became a practice
stone for me experimenting with different stone litho pencils and crayons and rubbing crayons. Its a collection of what I doodle when taking notes in class, etc.. along with the excessive circles I sketch.
“Goliath Beetles” •Spring 2018,
Two Zinc Etchings with Soft Ground on homemade paper
“Goliath Beetles” •Spring 2018, Two Zinc Etchings with Soft Ground
•These two prints are a set and
are of a male and female Goliath beetle with that indicated underneath each one. They are set up as if they were pinned and displayed in a decorative frame.
“Taxonomy Study” •Fall 2018, Stone Lithography on Cream canson •This piece depicts the five insects that I
purchased and have studied to create the print. Originally their scientific names were supposed to be under each one but there were difficulties in the etching process.
“Taxonomy Study” •Fall 2018, Stone Lithography on White canson
“Taxonomy Study” •Fall 2018, Stone
Lithography on Wrapping Paper
“Taxonomy Study” •Fall 2018,
Stone Lithography on Shimmer Metallic Paper
“Hercules Beetle on Tree Branch” •Fall 2018, CMYK Woodcut print on white canson
•This piece was made to get a
better understanding of CMYK printing and making sure it is registered correctly, it was a big trial and error process.
Instagram: @beetle.bat