Draw. Carve. Print. Those are the three steps Milford and Mackinac Island artist Natalia Wohletz takes to create linoleum block prints. After carving her first block in fall 2014, printmaking immediately became her passion. She enjoys exploring printmaking’s place on the border between art and craft, and the challenge of flipping traditional positive-negative space techniques when creating her work.
Natalia’s block print designs are inspired by nature and often feature contemporary Michigan landscapes, buildings, and lifestyle. She utilizes a variety of carving tools to create bold patterns and intricate details, which are most visible in her black and white prints. When creating multicolor prints, Natalia either layers multiple blocks or paints the color in underneath (i.e. “Village of Milford”). Her final products are signed, matted and framed.
In 2017, Natalia earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics with a minor in studio arts at Kalamazoo College. Now she is the owner of Main Street Art in Milford in addition to continuing her practice as an artist, and is working to develop two Michigan centric arts businesses, Peninsula Prints, and Mackinac Memories. “