An art teacher for many years, Liz Lyons Friedman used to demonstrate the printmaking process in her driveway during Open Studios, but stopped as more people coming meant more mess and a greater chance of ink-stained shoes.
Shoes—they’re a big theme in her work, as is wine. Conversation flows freely in her airy garden studio and her lively prints alike. Friedman has been called “the poster child” for Open Studios, and this year the title is literal. As the artist chosen to create this year’s 25th anniversary poster and the only artist to show every year since it launched in 1986, Friedman embodies much of what Open Studios is about: sharing with the public the practice of creating original art. Though her days of live demos are over, Friedman still makes a point to show the work involved in the work of art, displaying newsprint proofs and linocut blocks along with the framed, hand-colored prints.
Printmaking is a lengthy process: “carve, ink, proof, carve, ink, [repeat],” says the certificate Friedman pastes to the back of every finished piece. Of all the steps involved, carving is both her favorite and the most time-consuming: 60-plus hours to carve the Open Studios poster alone. Accidents do happen (“I keep my tetanus shots current, believe me!” she says), and the process is unforgiving of mistakes. “I’ve knocked off a lot of wine stems,” she admits. “I get carried away, I’ll just keep carving.”
All art is narrative in the sense that we, the viewers, complete the story according to our own experience. In Friedman’s prints, the narrative lies close to the surface, suggested by titles such as In for the Night and Wine Lovers. It’s the process of their making that she wants to make more visible, and Open Studios allows for the kind of casual-yet-meaningful interaction that Friedman so obviously values.
“Do you ever feel afterwards that you need to reclaim your space?” I ask. “No,” she says, smiling. “I just need a rest. I like people.”
I like her, too, and stay longer than I’d intended to. As I leave, she hands me several greeting cards printed with her trademark celebrations of wine and shoes, and I promise to bring her a bottle of homemade red. Along with a stemless glass, and a pair of black heels. Just in case.
LIZ LYONS FRIEDMAN shows her work Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 2-3, as part of the 25th Annual Open Studios Tour. Commemorative calendar and map, which serve as a guide to the tour, are $25 at various locations around town; learn more at www.ccscc.org.
