KENT — Newtown artist Roberta Shea will be among those to have their original art included in a Kent Art Association exhibition next month.

Shea’s monotypes will be part of “Printmaking Invitational,” to be presented June 13-19 at KAA Gallery, 21 South Main Street (Route 7) in Kent.

An opening reception is planned for Friday, June 13.

Regular gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday, 1-5 pm; and Sunday, 12-4 pm.

Seven additional regional artists have also been invited to participate in the show: Sally Frank, Melody Leary, Nancy Lasar, Ellen Lazarus, Joan Macfarlane, Pat Warrick, and Nancy Zarider.

The monotype, says Shea, “is the most painterly method among printmaking techniques. It is a unique form of expression. Throughout history, dating back to Rembrandt, painters have often used monotypes in their preparatory sketches. The immediacy, the endless mark-quality, the colorful inks, the variety of papers, and the range of values are attractive to contemporary painters today.

“The monotype allows me to work in a natural way in painterly strokes,” she continued. “Basically, there are two ways of applying materials to the plate’s surface. The plate can be metal, plastic, or glass.

“With the additive approach, ink is applied with brushes or rolled on the flat surface with brayers. The opposite approach or reductive approach is working from a dark background and removing ink with stiff brushes, wedges, Q-tips, or fingers. To print the plate, paper is placed over the plate and pressure is applied by using a press or by hand.”

For the KAA exhibition, Shea used the monotype to inspire her art making process.

“Because the monotype is spontaneous and technically less demanding than other print processes, it allows me the freedom to experiment with new and creative forms on paper without investing in expensive canvas,” she explained.

“The element of surprise is what I like most about monotypes when the print is lifted off the plate in reverse. Working in the studio with other printmakers also encourages me to try other forms of expression and to grow more creatively. Finally for the viewer, the monotype pulls back the curtain and allows you to see behind the scenes and actively participate in this creative process.”

For “Printmaking Invitational,” KAA invited artists to submit original wood blocks, linoprints, and hand-pulled prints (ie, monotypes, etc). All work is original, available for purchase, and has not previously been shown in the KAA Gallery.