First Friday ArtWalk - Jill Bergman

My artwork has always been closely tied to language and books. For the last few years, I’ve combined my love of printmaking, reading, writing, and imagination into these playful illustrations.

I am inspired by stories- those I’ve written, as well as books by other authors. Sometimes, even the vague idea of characters or a scene can be enough to get me started drawing. Once I have a drawing, I carve a relief print out of artist linoleum. When the carving is done it looks like a giant rubber stamp. I ink and print it on paper and when it’s dry, I paint it with watercolor.

My finished linocut illustrations are bright and whimsical. Each one tells a piece of a story.