Mica Knapp

Under Pressure

Inspired by: Unknown artist, Yellow Amber Beads

mixed media drawing

19″ x 25″

2023

I was initially drawn to the beads themselves, so simple and elegant. But upon reading that amber’s source is fossilized tree resin and that the amber can encase and preserve insects, I became fascinated with amber’s formation. The mere fact that these beads origin could be 40 million years old stopped me in my tracks and made it difficult for me to start drawing. So I spent time looking at pictures of amber and learned that the oldest flying insect, still living, the mayfly has been found in amber. Also the resin heals breaks in the trees themselves. May that be how human cultures started regarding amber as a healing stone? The images I saw of amber inspired me finally to draw. Throughout the process I found myself feeling a kind of melancholy that these ancient processes that create such mystery and beauty could end. We would lose so much!

Mica Knapp

Syrians Crossing the Mediterranean

Mixed media drawing

31″ x 31″

2019

In 2018 and 2019, news photographs of boats over crowded with Syrians attempting to cross the Mediterranean took my breath away. I felt compelled to makes images of what I imagined their experience might be, perhaps one of desperation, grief and hope. A series of five resulted and this is one of them.

Mica Knapp

Black and Green

slate, mixed media

9″ x 12″

2022

The initial impulse for “Black and Green” came from a desire to somehow put together old roofing slates and wool fiber that I’d spun. How would these two unlike media talk to one another? I was amazed to find what a wonderful surface slate was to work on. As I learned of its possibilities I was reminded of an artist friend who, when we were discussing how we chose media, said that in his experience favored media had to give back to the artist. For me, slate keeps giving and giving.