PRINT-MAKING: A FORMULA

If you walk into the Visual Arts Gallery before March 29, you will see vivid graphic art pieces by Edie Overturf, a recent addition to Mt. Hood’s art faculty, lining the walls.

Overturf currently has art work showing in three states, including Maryland, Texas, and here at MHCC. The school often displays the art of new art instructors, so she decided to showcase some pieces from as long ago as 2017, and produced just in 2019. 

Overturf began working at MHCC as the printmaking instructor in September, just weeks after moving to Oregon for the job. She had previously worked as a visiting assistant professor in printmaking and digital drawing at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she lived.

She received her bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, in 2003. She went on to earn a master’s degree in fine arts in 2006 from California State University, Chico.

Overturf said throughout her education, her focus remained on printmaking, but she enjoys experimenting with different art forms. She found neon art and sculpting with concrete to be especially fun.

Still, she always has come back to printmaking as her main art form. She theorizes that this could be due to her love of formulas and analytics. She said she almost decided to be a chemistry major, but ended up choosing the blend of creativity and analytics that come with print making.

Printmaking is a process involving a formula of steps you must follow, she noted. She likes the speed of it – it takes time and it isn’t quick or necessarily easy. Another aspect that draws her in is the graphic aesthetic that can’t be found in some other art forms, she said.

Mt. Hood has required an adjustment from Overturf’s previous job. She is getting used to the quarter system, since she was accustomed to having the same students for longer periods of time in Minnesota. 

So far, Overturf says that MHCC staff has been very welcoming and helpful. She is currently teaching three classes per term, including printmaking and two drawing classes. She encourages her drawing students to use their imagination in their art, and she enjoys seeing forms of art that are less common in a gallery, such as comics or ’zines (a small booklet of art), she said.

Overturf’s work will be displayed through March 28. The Visual Arts Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.