I've been experimenting more with scratchboard lately and just finished a more challenging composition. I used a linocut tool again, which meant hours of carving and a sore neck and hands by the end of it. For my next piece — a moth composition — I finally ordered the proper scratchboard tools from Dick Blick. (Much easier. I’ll share more about that in a separate post.)
Scratchboard piece by Kendra Shedenhelm
Working in Scratchboard for an Art Exhibit Submission
I love the rich black and white of scratchboard, so I wanted to try it again for an upcoming art exhibition submission.
I’m still winging it (no pun intended), but I enjoy the process and the look of the medium.
I haven’t been accepted yet, but if I am, I’ll post more details about the show. Stay tuned!
Woman With Barrette, etching with chine colle by Kendra Shedenhelm
Woman With Barrette at the Local Color 2025 Show
My etching Woman With Barrette (with chiné collé) is part of Local Color 2025, the annual members’ fine art show and sale hosted by the Croton Council on the Arts. She’s available for $120, beautifully framed, and hanging now at Symphony Knoll in Croton-on-Hudson.
This is one of my favorite local shows—it brings together artists from around the area in a relaxed, welcoming setting. There’s always a great mix of work, from painting and printmaking to sculpture and photography.
Show details:
📍 Symphony Knoll, 15 Mt. Airy Road S, Croton-on-Hudson
🗓️ November 8–9 and 15–16, 12–6 PM
🎉 Opening reception: Sunday, November 9, 3–6 PM
Chickadee I, monoprint on archival paper
Chickadees at Ghost Gallery: Small Original Monoprints in the 19th Annual Holiday Mini Art Exhibit
My Chickadees pieces for the 19th Annual Holiday Mini Art Exhibit at Ghost Gallery sold within minutes of the preview going live—and I’m stoked.
This is my fourth year showing with Ghost, and I always love working with them. They curate such a strong mix—so much cool, original work from artists all over the country.
Both Chickadee I and Chickadee II are monoprints on archival paper, each created using a 3×5 Gelli plate. Each print is a one-of-a-kind original, framed to 5×7 and ready to hang.
You don’t have to be in Seattle to check it out—the full show is online and keeps updating throughout the week. The exhibit runs from November 14 through early January, with receptions on Nov. 14 and Dec. 12, both from 5–9 pm.
I’m Scared Too at Bethany Arts Community
My piece, “Stitch” (shown above), is included in I’m Scared Too, a juried exhibition at Bethany Arts Community in Ossining, NY. The show runs from October 4 through November 1, 2025, with an opening reception on Friday, October 10, from 6–8 PM.
Bethany Arts Community
40 Somerstown Road
Ossining, NY 10562
The exhibition asks a simple question—what does it truly mean to be scared? It brings together 2D and 3D works, sculpture, film, and soundscapes that explore what we try to hide in the dark: the strange, the bleak, the freaky, and the weird.
My work in this show turns that question inward. The stitched mouth and skeletal collar suggest the ways fear can manifest as control—how we contain what threatens to spill out. It’s part of my ongoing exploration of transformation, fragility, and the uneasy beauty of what lies just beneath the surface.
For more information or visiting hours, see Bethany Arts Community – I’m Scared Too
IRL (In Real Life), A Recent Show at the Town Hall
I’m so pleased to see my art featured in a local paper!
They chose my “Queen, Urchin” piece, and it’s one of my favorites.
You can read more about the show at patch.com
Artwork: Rabbit and Rose, 2024, Collage transfer on birch plywood.
Show Prep & The Process Behind My Collage Portraits
With my upcoming show approaching, I’ve been focused on framing, organizing, and making final decisions on what will be included. It’s always a mix of logistics and reflection—figuring out what fits together and seeing how the work holds up as a whole.
For both BEFORE AFTER BETWEEN and TRANSFORMATIONS, I’ve built each collage portrait from antique and vintage imagery sourced from Flickr’s extensive royalty-free archives. Old book illustrations, forgotten photographs, scraps of text—things that once had meaning to someone but have since been untethered from their original context.
None of these images were ever meant to be together, but now they form faces, expressions, and identities that feel whole. It’s a lot like memory—disjointed details coming together into a story, even when they don’t quite belong.
By searching, choosing, and assembling these pieces, I create new connections between them. Each fragment carries its own history, but together, they become something else. In a way, the work is about giving them a second life—letting these forgotten images take on new meaning now.
More soon as the show gets closer.
Group Show at Arbor Gallery, "New Growth"
Extremely proud to announce my fresh-off-the-press intaglio print has been accepted to a group show at Arbor Gallery in Carmel, NY.
This piece is part of a brand new body of intaglio etchings that I’ve been experimenting with, focusing on memory, memories, and the grasping to keep hold of one’s story.
The show runs from January 16, 2024–February 18, 2024, with an Artist's Reception on January 21 from 12pm to 3pm. Please reach out to me or Kelly at Arbor Gallery for more information. I’d love to see you there!
"People And The Planet" Show at Touchstone Gallery, Washington D.C.
“Sprout”, from my recent Transformations collage series, is featured in the People and The Planet exhibition at Touchstone Gallery in Washington D.C.!
The show opens this week with a reception on Saturday, August 5 from 4-7 pm.
www.touchstonegallery.com/people-and-the-planet
www.touchstonegallery.com/gallery-events/people-planet-reception (Eventbrite, Facebook, email RSVP options)
*Please note that my collage is part of the virtual exhibition at Touchstone Gallery. The physical piece is for sale at Ghost Gallery in downtown Seattle. Feel free to reach out with any questions!
“The Storyteller” collage portrait now showing at Core Art Space in Denver, Colorado
I'm thrilled to announce that The Storyteller (aka Wrap) from my Transformations collage series was selected for the group show in Denver, titled "Once Upon A Time."
It's an honor to be part of this exhibition, juried by the incredible artist, @valeriesavarie. The show is up through July 30, 2023 @coreartspace.
If you're in the Denver area, please grab a friend and check it out.
This piece is also FOR SALE. Printed on fine art glass by the incredible team at POV in Los Angeles, this collage portrait is reminiscent of the ambrotype, with layers of antique papers and fleur de lis, to tell the story of The Storyteller. The glass is 11”x14” and is inset in a ornate frame.
To purchase, you can contact me or get in touch with the folks at Core Art Gallery. Priced to sell at $400 and ready to ship or pick up after July 30th.
Croton-on-Hudson's 125th Anniversary Art Show
Last Saturday, on May 20th, my town celebrated its 125th Anniversary Art Show, and the turnout was incredible!
The event showcased an array of stunning artwork by local artists, attracting a large crowd of art enthusiasts. It was truly heartening to witness such overwhelming support at an art opening.
I proudly contributed two pieces from my latest Transformations series, specifically my "printer's proofs," to this remarkable exhibition. In the following paragraphs, you'll find the statement I prepared for this weekend's local show...
In the collage portrait series, “Transformations,” my goal was to evoke a sense of hidden secrets beneath the surface. While deeply personal in nature, I hope these portraits inspire introspection, speculation, and a connection to the enigmatic past.
During the creative process for this exhibition, I experimented with two distinct techniques to explore the essence of antique portraiture. The first piece, titled “Octopus,” was crafted on fine art glass, reminiscent of the classic glass plate photography found in antiquity. (Subsequently, the entire series of sixteen portraits was produced using this method and is on display in Seattle, WA.)
In the case of “Collar,” I employed a traditional etching process combined with photogravure. The piece was inked with sepia inks and printed by master printer, Kathy Caraccio, on an intaglio press. (Keep an eye out for an exciting spin-off series this summer that will exclusively feature this exquisite technique!)
“Collar” from the Transformations series. Photogravure etching, Copyright Kendra Shedenhelm 2023.
“Octopus from the Transformations series. Collage on glass, Copyright Kendra Shedenhelm 2023.
"Transformations", Solo Art Show at Ghost Gallery, Seattle
Last weekend, I attended my gallery opening at Ghost Gallery in downtown Seattle!
This was my first solo show outside of the NYC area, and my husband and son joined me for the adventure to the West Coast. The show was hung beautifully by the curator and owner, Laurie Kearney, and we had a wonderful time in Seattle seeing old friends.
In a discussion with Laurie, I realized my focus for this series…
"I wanted something reminiscent of glass plate negatives from antique photography. I find it rich and intriguing (and a little creepy) how the process seemed to trap the spirit of the subject within the plate itself.
Additionally, not only am I hoping each portrait has a bit of the spirit of the transforming humanoid-creature, I'm hoping the viewer might also ask ‘Who took this portrait, and why?’
And, ‘Who loved them enough to keep it?’”
Promo for the “Transformations” art show at Ghost Gallery, Seattle
The show is up through June 5, 2023. If you can’t make it in person, there is an online preview (with purchase options) here: https://ghostgallery.org/collections/kendra-shedenhelms-transformations-a-collage-story . You can also see some cool videos on the Ghost Gallery IG page, such as this one: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr6_3iRpH8U/
New Tiny Art Show Opens Today!
Today is an exciting day for me as my artwork is being featured at the Tiny Gallery in Montclair, NJ!
There’s a great story about this new gallery in northjersey.com with pictures of the structure and its brilliant founder, Francesca Castagnoli.
If you’re in the Montclair area, be sure to stop by the Tiny Gallery Montclair and check out my work. You can also visit the website at https://www.tinygallerymontclair.com/artists/kendra-shedenhelm.
Please let me know if you get a chance to see it in person!
