Ray 🌟 Hermes
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rehermes.bsky.social
Ray 🌟 Hermes
@rehermes.bsky.social
430 followers 100 following 61 posts
Painter & Printmaker based in Kansas
Just your average alien girl making art ✨️

Streaming 🎨 at twitch.tv/rehermes 👩‍🎨

✨️prints✨️stickers✨️originals✨️⤵️
rachelhermes.com/shop
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rehermes.bsky.social
A print from the other night that I'm proud of. Made it for my workshop on intaglio with chine-collé and monotype. 💗

#art #printmaking #intaglio #monotype
Photo of an intaglio print depicting a young white woman looking up at a total solar eclipse. Copper line etching printed in black ink with a layer of tan paper under the face and head, blue paper for the moon, and a light blue monotype background.
April 8, 2025 at 3:39 AM
rehermes.bsky.social
More trace monotype experiments from the other day 💖

#printmaking #art #monotype
An array of trace monotype prints printed on translucent kozo paper in a gradient of pink to black ink. The prints feature figures interacting with stars and the Sun, and there is also one of a common wood sorel.
March 28, 2025 at 9:26 PM
rehermes.bsky.social
Trying trace monotype today ✨️ working with some recent-ish sketches

#printmaking #art #monotype
Photo of a glass tabletop with dark purple and fuschia ink rolled out in a gradient, and two pieces of kozo paper featuring trace monotypes - prints made by drawing on top of the layer of ink. One of the prints depicts a nude white woman with long hair sitting on one knee, with hands facing up in front of her. She gazes up at a star in the sky, and a fluid stream of light drips down from it into her hands and onto the ground below her. The other print is a pattern of fluid-like abstract lines.
March 27, 2025 at 4:59 AM
rehermes.bsky.social
Kansas sunsets 🤌✨️
Photo of a fiery orange and pink sunset above a field of grass, with some houses and trees in the distance.
February 3, 2025 at 3:38 AM
rehermes.bsky.social
Here are some early progress pics ✨️ plus a sketch
Sketch in colorful gel pens on white paper. A girl, white with long wavy blue hair, sits with her knees bent on the grassy ground. She is nude, and she bends her head to one side, gazing at the viewer, while reaching her right arm down to the soil. Yellow roots shoot down from where her body makes contact with the ground. The background is yellow, pink, and blue. There is a crescent moon and stars above the figure's head. Dim photo of an acrylic painting on canvas. The lower 1/4 of the canvas is still white, with some red scribbles indicating roots. In the center is a figure, posed as in the sketch, but with light teal hair. Some colors have been blocked in - green grass, sunset-colored sky, and peach flesh. The artist, Rachel Hermes (young white woman with pastel green hair and wearing a pink fuzzy sweater), stands next to her painting in progress at a live-painting event. In this photo, the figure has been fleshed out a little more, the ground beneath the figure is filled in with deep green, and layers are beginning to be built up. The figure now has a somewhat melancholy expression and gazes in to the distance past the viewer.
January 29, 2025 at 3:58 AM
rehermes.bsky.social
Had a little art event yesterday. Had a great time and got to reconnect with old friends which was really special. Plus there was live music which is always 🤌✨️

Sadly this is the only pic I have 😅
Photo of Rachel Hermes wearing a black turtle neck sweater and burnt orange velvet pants standing behind a table with some of her art displayed. She is smiling and holding up two peace signs.
January 27, 2025 at 6:18 AM
rehermes.bsky.social
Made some cute color versions of this print and other tiny plates ✨️
An array of small copper plate etchings laid out on a table. Many are the repeated image of a girl kneeling with her head down beneath a radiating solar eclipse. Some have color added: pastel pinks, purples, and yellow. Other prints visible are of a group of mushrooms, and a portrait of a girl looking up at an eclipse. Close up of 3 prints of "The Chosen One" showing 3 color variations.
January 27, 2025 at 4:27 AM
rehermes.bsky.social
Posting this sketch as encouragement that you don't have to be trapped by despair. Creation is an act of resistance. Make your art, spend time outside, engage with community, blast music & dance. Yes things are terrible. Feel all of that and find a way to channel it into something. Anger is a gift.
Photo of a sketchbook with color pencils scattered around it. The page is filled by a color pencil sketch of a profile of a woman standing and holding glowing light in her hand. Her hair is raised above her in tendrils, and glowing sparkles surround her. Background is shades of blue and the figure is primarily tan and chartreuse.
January 23, 2025 at 8:07 PM
rehermes.bsky.social
Some process pics 💖 I like to do tiny etchings sometimes to work out ideas
Sketch, graphite transfer, and final print of a 2x3in copper etching. It shows a girl hunched over, kneeling beneath a powerful radiating solar eclipse. Etched copper plate Copper plate with black hard ground during the etching process where some of the lines have been drawn through the ground with a needle tool. Electrolytic etching setup is visible in the background.
January 22, 2025 at 2:52 PM
rehermes.bsky.social
"The Chosen One"

Originally inspired by the partial solar eclipse in Oct '23. The flames were a last minute decision - she was going to be covered in foliage. I think it's more fitting that she be radiating energy, somewhere on the edge between despair and power.

#copperetching #printmaking #art
Image of a 2x3in copper line etching depicting a girl with long hair kneeling in the grass with her head hung forward. Above her in the sky is a giant looming total solar eclipse. Lines radiate out from the eclipse, and flame-like shapes surround the figure. Printed in warm black ink on white paper.
January 22, 2025 at 1:25 AM
rehermes.bsky.social
"Longing to Connect II"
acrylic & mixed media on canvas, 36 x 48", 2024

#art #painting #acrylic #traditionalart
Acrylic painting depicting a nude white woman with long wavy teal hair kneeling on the grassy ground beneath a neon-colored sky with a crescent moon shining down on her upturned face. Her pose is somewhat tense and uncomfortable, as she both leans towards and bends her face away from the moon. Her right hand reaches down to the soil, where roots descend into a ground mixed with found objects both natural and artificial: glitter, stickers, insect wings, a snakeskin, etc.
January 17, 2025 at 5:13 PM
rehermes.bsky.social
"Queen of the Wilds", multiplate copper etching, 2023

I would love to do more experiments layering plates and processes. This one is 3 plates, 2 line etchings and 1 aquatint plate.

#art #printmaking #copperetching #traditionalart
Image of a 3-layer intaglio print depicting a nude white woman with long hair laying on her side, viewed from above, in a relaxed fetal position. Her hair obscures her face. The linework of the figure and hair is most prominent, printed in dark brown ink. There is a soft magenta background which also provides some shading to the figure, and underneath that is a layer of abstract hair-like lines in yellow which cut through the image, appearing in the lighter areas and nearly disappearing underneath the magenta. Underneath the image area is written in pencil, "V/E 2/2" (variable edition 2/2), "Queen of the Wilds", "Rachel Hermes" (signed).
January 15, 2025 at 3:42 PM
rehermes.bsky.social
"Held by a Thread"
Electrolytic copper etching ⚡️

With this piece, I was really testing how fine of detail I could achieve and have it show up in the print. I have to print on high quality gampi paper to pick up the tiniest lines. 🖤

#electrolyticetching #printmaking #copperetching #b&w #art
Copper line etching printed in black ink on cream paper depicting a vertical mass of wisteria vines, dense and narrow at the bottom and spreading outward on top. There is a female figure curled up within the vines.
December 2, 2024 at 6:57 AM
rehermes.bsky.social
#arttrain ✨️
QRP with your sketch vs final artwork!

This one was fun because I used a laser engraver to transfer the sketch to the top layer of hard ground on the copper plate, which ended up working really well.
Pencil sketch of a woman standing with her arms wrapped around her torso. Her body is surrounded by and entwined with vines and branches. Pieces of trash litter the ground around her. Copper line etching with drypoint and monotype of the same image but with much more detail. The vines surrounding the figure form the shape of a coffin. The background is soft shades of green, blue, and peach.
November 20, 2024 at 12:37 PM
rehermes.bsky.social
Some process pics because copper is just so beautiful ✨️🥲
Etched copper plate depicting a girl looking up at a total eclipse with birds flying sporadically in the distance. Cutting mat with thin plastic sheets cut out in the shape of the girl and the shiny part of the eclipse. Part of the process of printing a multi-layer etching with monotype. This shows the press bed with a sheet of plexiglass coated with gold ink, layered over with the cut-out shapes coated with neon pink ink to add color to the copper line etching.
November 19, 2024 at 12:31 AM
rehermes.bsky.social
Somehow this is the only photo I have of the plate itself 😅 the lines are hard to see
November 16, 2024 at 12:56 PM
rehermes.bsky.social
Value test on a line etching, prepping for aquatint. This plate is a little too big (12 x 18") for my press, so it's been on the back burner for a while.

#copperetching #printmaking #art
Photo of a copper line etching printed on white paper with values painted in with blue alcohol ink. The illustration depicts the profile of a girl with long braided hair, looking down at her hand. Her body and hair are entwined with leafy vines. The background is dark blue with 3 white sparkle shapes.
November 16, 2024 at 2:16 AM
rehermes.bsky.social
Recent experiments, etching with monotype and chine-collé ✨️💙
Need to get back to printing!

#printmaking #art #wip
Portrait of a young woman gazing upwards at a total solar eclipse, with sparkles in her eyes. Background is dark teal, and the figure is light yellow with brown lines. Monotypes printed on translucent kozo paper layered over each other. Two of them of Teal, brown, and gold, and two are neon pink and gold. After all layers are printed, the kozo is cut to size and mounted to sturdy cotton rag paper. Close up of face. Close up of eclipse - the moon is dark blue with swirly lines.
November 15, 2024 at 3:59 AM
rehermes.bsky.social
This painting went through a bit of a transformation (again) as I was panicking trying to prepare for my show. Well it's in the gallery now so 🤷‍♀️

I'm trying to include more whimsy and graphic elements in my work. It's always a fun challenge to try new things 💜✨️

#art #portfolioday #traditionalart
Photo of a 48x48" acrylic painting on canvas. It depicts an overhead view of a young woman laying down wearing a yellow/pink cardigan, a white crop top, and dark green shorts. The surroundings are mostly abstract but contain a few stuffed animals and foliage ground cover. The color pallette is vibrant with some areas of darkness. Photo of the same painting with some changes made to it: the figure now has lilac hair, and there are more light, subdued tones in the background.
February 22, 2024 at 1:31 PM
rehermes.bsky.social
✨️copper✨️

I really want to get back to printmaking but in the meantime going to post more process pics from previous etchings 💗

#art #traditionalart
Photo of a hand holding a 4 by 7 inch copper plate. Light hits the top half of the plate, revealing the image etched into the copper: a seated female figure with long flowing hair.
February 11, 2024 at 10:50 PM
rehermes.bsky.social
Bluesky's open, quote one art to promote yourself
"Convincing Myself It's Real" Mixed media on paper, 22 x 30" Artwork depicting the upper back and head of a female figure with her head tilted toward her shoulder. Surrounding the figure are abstract explosions of color and texture, primarily teal, yellow, purple, and black. It is made with traditional art materials as well as stickers and glitter.
February 11, 2024 at 9:06 AM
rehermes.bsky.social
Working in the garage and it's 37°F right now lol
Selfie holding a paint brush in front of a large oil painting. I am wearing black rimmed glasses, a mauve knitted hat, black fleece jacket, and a white apron. I'm smiling and there is warm evening sunlight.
February 10, 2024 at 11:49 PM
rehermes.bsky.social
WIP that's driving me a little crazy.

New painting based on an old drawing/etching. It turned out to be such a challenge revisiting past work, so a couple weeks ago I basically scrapped the underpainting and started fresh.

Oil on canvas, 48 x 72"

#art #oilpainting #traditionalart
Photo of a 48 x 72" canvas on an easel depicting a bed of lotuses wherein a female figure wearing a plain white dress lays with one arm draped across her obscured face. Her body is angled with her upper body away from the viewer, and her dress is bunched up at the abdomen, below which there are only bones.
February 10, 2024 at 5:45 AM
rehermes.bsky.social
Bsky's open, quote one picture of your cat to promote your cat!

Fog is my best little bud 💗
Photo of a gray and white short-haired cat curled up and looking very cute.
February 10, 2024 at 4:56 AM
rehermes.bsky.social
I love seeing the work behind an artwork - reply with your process pics!

Copper etching progress✨️
I always fall in love with etchings before I ever print them because the copper itself is so beautiful. Sadly that doesn't always translate to paper as well as I would like 😅

"Held by a Thread", 2023
Photo of a copper plate coated with black hard ground. A graphite transferred image is on the hard ground: the preliminary drawing for "Held by a Thread." A hand is poised over the plate holding a needle point etching tool. Photo of the copper plate etching (in progress) on top of a sketchbook page showing preparatory sketches for the piece. The plate is 5 by 7 inches. Close-up photo of the in-progress copper plate etching, showing areas where the hard ground has been scraped away to reveal the copper underneath to be etched. Twisted vines, leaves, and a spiderweb are central to the image. Photo of the final stage of the copper etching before the hard ground was removed to be printed. The image, shown in bright copper against a dark ground, depicts a dense mass of wisteria vines growing upwards with a figure curled up within.
February 10, 2024 at 3:20 AM