The Newburyport Art Association played host to 10 local printmakers in their second annual printmakers show from June 29 to July 13. As with last year's inaugural, the bar was set high.
Ten voices spoke the same language of ink but with a wide range of dialects. From the traditional woodcuts of Mark Phillips and Marc Cote, to the cutting edge of Susan Jaworski-Stranc's mixed media computer image/collagraphs, the stories they told explored landscapes of personal expression. 
    Jaworski-Stranc creates collagraphs (prints taken from masonite board with collage material glued to it) and then runs them through her Epson Stylus 3000 printer, overlaying images she has altered in Photoshop. The result is exciting and intriguing: familiar forms and shapes from photographs combined with abstract patterns and muted depths of color. Her fresh approach provided a good outer limit to the show's reach, creating a new medium from two older techniques.
    Also pushing boundaries, though this time her own, Mary Tuttle's new "Bike Ride Series" represented a departure from her usual work and reached back to her roots by referencing the first technique she learned, carving lithoplates with an electric engraving tool. The result is a series of "foggy day" prints from around Portsmouth featuring a bicycle.
Most of the artists in the show were not pushing the boundaries of their craft, but reveling in it. All 10 had brand new work on display, making a great show even for those of us who had seen their work before. Catherine Green had a number of 2005 pieces, including the peaceful "Oasis." South Berwick resident Mark Phillips presented "Industrial Area #7" and, close to the hearts of all Portsmouth residents, "Market Square" featuring the old Eagle Photo building, now but a memory.
    Glenn Szegedy, a new face this year, showed a set of traditional lithographs, black and white, with a variety of subjects, including "The Jester," which had an almost medieval feel, flapping crows and jaunty poses at the fore. Also in the traditional vein, Judy Brenner's lithographs were highlighted by a diptych of sorts, "Her Majesty" and "King of the Henhouse," focusing on the regal chicken. Bedford, Mass., resident Elaine Insero's pronto etch plates included the haunting "Quiet Corner," whose gauzy lines and classical face leaves much room for viewer interaction.
Three artists displayed primarily monotypes: Barbara Kedesdy, who works in the subtractive method; Mary Pollak, out of Ipswich, Mass., who "enjoys the element of surprise in lifting the print and the challenge of working in reverse"; and Marc Cote, who likes to combine monotype and woodcut to create "tension between the two disparate processes." 
While the work in "Making an Impression" fell comfortably within the definition of printmaking, the variety of work was astonishing. Don't wait for another year to go by before seeking out these artists; seek them out at local galleries, where you'll likely find work from one or more of them on display.

The Newburyport Art Association's Sargent Gallery (65 Water St., Newburyport, Mass.) is open Monday- Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.  and Sunday noon-5 p.m. Call 978-465-8769 for more information.