Born in Detroit, Michigan, Patti Jacquemain was raised on a
ranch in Santa Barbara, California, where she developed a great
love of the outdoors. Upon graduation from high school, she
attended the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles on a
scholarship. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Painting
from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1964 and a
Master of Fine Arts degree in Printmaking from the same school in
1974.Patti began her career by concentrating on drawing, painting, and etching. She was introduced to the woodcut in 1974 and has worked principally in the relief process ever since. Most of her prints are made from wood and linoleum blocks are are often inspired by her watercolors.
The subject matter of Patti's prints are a reflection of her travels and experiences worldwide. For two years she explored the eastern seaboard while working and living aboard a 44 foot sailboat, creating the series of prints "To Port and Starboard." The imagery of her experiences and the moods of the sea continue to be reflected in some of her current work.
Every print created by Patti is an original. She alone creates
the print, from conception to completion. Working from watercolor
studies, sketches, and imagination, she carves her images into
wood or linoleum using tools and techniques similar to those used
by artists in early centuries. A separate plate is carved for
each color. She then applies a mixture of oil-based colored inks
onto the surface of the plate with a roller or brayer. Next,
imported printmaking paper is carefully placed over the inked
plate using a registration system which allows subsequent
impressions to precisely match. The plate and paper is then
slowly compressed between the steel rollers and the bed of a
large etching press to produce an inked impression. This process
is repeated many times depending upon the number of colors in the
print and the number of prints in the edition. From about ten
artist's proofs, one will become the prototype in coloration for
the edition to follow. Editions usually number between 40 and 90
prints. Each print is numbered and signed by the artist before
being distributed to galleries for sale. 