Jill Kramer, 47, of Oak Park was announced as this year’s chosen artist for Downtown Oak Park’s commission for its promotional materials. She answered a few questions for the Oak Leaves on April 15.
Q: What’s your medium?
A: I’m a printmaker. I got my Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking. I dabbled in fiber arts, but I’ve always come back to printmaking. I always tease my husband that printmaking was my first love, and he’s second to that.
Q: How long have you been involved in printmaking?
A: About 25 years.
Q: What do you most enjoy about the process?
A: Everything is a puzzle. I love the challenge of working backward. I like the unexpected nature of printmaking.
Q: How did you come to enter the DTOP contest?
A: My friends saw the call and sent me the information. I got really busy but put my things together the day before it ended. So it was kind of serendipitous. There’s a lot of people, especially in Oak Park, a community of artists that are always looking out for each other.
Q: Your three DTOP scenes showcase Lake Theatre, Prairie Bread Kitchen and a portion of North Boulevard. What was your process like?
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A: I spent a very cold, wet morning walking around downtown Oak Park, took a lot of photographs. I wanted things that would be recognized but could be seen in a new light. It was very hard to pick because there’s so many great spots.
Q: How long does it typically take to make a print?
A: Each piece is a bit different, depending on size, of course. In general, one day to draw and cut the image in the linoleum, one day to print the images, three days to dry and then one day to hand-color the image.
Q: How does it feel to be this year’s chosen artist?
A: When someone is choosing your artwork over others or selecting your work from a pool of very talented people, it’s really flattering. I almost felt like Sally Field saying, you really do like me! … It’s a nice way to feature your local community of artists. Everybody has such different takes. It’s really interesting to see how we all interpret a similar scene
Caitlin Mullen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.