I’m Maren, an artist based in Western Washington working in collage and gel plate printmaking. My creative journey started when I learned to sew in my late 20’s. Then after falling in love with gel printing, I started to combine the mediums by sewing on my prints. Even though I work in a variety of styles, I am still influenced by quilting patterns and love incorporating stitches in my finished pieces.

My printmaking tools are found objects, such as tape spools, plastic gift cards, and cardboard. The unexpected marks introduced from stamping or scraping these items on a gel plate are some of my favorite printing experiments.

When not in the studio, I enjoy time with my family and spend as much time as possible walking along the beaches of Western Washington gathering inspiration and occasionally finding objects that might become printing tools. To make sure I get a little creative time each day, I’m usually heading to the studio first thing in the morning, still in a bathrobe and with coffee in hand, creating before the sun comes up and my two kids need to get out the door for school.