Shanna Compton
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shannacompton.bsky.social
Shanna Compton
@shannacompton.bsky.social
1.3K followers 870 following 520 posts
Artist printmaker & poet.🦻Getting inky in Blue Hill, Maine. 🖼️ S.N.O.W ‘25 at Sidle House (Nov) + Landscapes of the Heart at Craignair (Nov–Jan) 📚 Freelance book designer & cover artist for small presses. // See also @bloofbooks

www.shannacompton.com
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shannacompton.bsky.social
40 down. But it’s rainy & cold so they are being very slow to dry. [Linocut covers for a poetry chapbook coming from @bloofbooks.bsky.social]

I love having art hanging from the rafters in here. But it’s also all over the walls, stacked on the shelves, etc. I need a big flat file in the worst way.
October 16, 2025 at 8:39 PM
shannacompton.bsky.social
Screen res:
Break the Rule! No Kings (free shareable graphic by Shanna Compton)
October 14, 2025 at 3:52 PM
shannacompton.bsky.social
The nor’easter is blowing in. No rain yet but the Old Man’d Beard knows.
October 13, 2025 at 9:38 PM
shannacompton.bsky.social
Framing stuff for my last 2 shows of 2025. Riverwalk will be at Craignair in Spruce Head, Maine. (🥂opening 11/19.)

I love this beautiful custom frame, but I think I’ll cut a roomier mat window to show the signature line, or float mount to show the deckled edges?

#Collagraph #PrintSky #Printmaking
Riverwalk, collagraph (itaglio ink on cotton paper). 10 x 8 image + frame. © Shanna Compton, 2025. Two tones of ink—a very dark blue-gray at the top and a dark wine red at the bottom—create variations in a semiabstract scene with branching river and paths, an industrial building in the hills, and several large suns or moons.
October 13, 2025 at 8:32 PM
shannacompton.bsky.social
If you happen to be near Blue Hill #Maine this week, my friend Caroline Sulzer and I will be sharing poems & artwork at the Blue Hill Public Library on Thursday.

Come say hi? We’re going to read some poetry, show some slides, and talk about how our poetic and artistic practices are interrelated. ✨
Announcement graphic with yellow and white text of event details on teal background, with the two poet/artist’s book covers in the center. Shanna Compton & Caroline Sulzer Poems + Pictures Thursday, September 18 at 7:00 p.m. Blue Hill Public Library Howard Room, 2nd Floor 5 Parker Point Road Blue Hill, Maine
September 15, 2025 at 4:31 PM
shannacompton.bsky.social
Some random pages from the book…

#Collage #VisualPoetry #ArtistBook
(BOTH SIGHING) a handmade collage from Deep Whoosh by Shanna Compton. Two hooded figures stand in front of a giant red poppy. The title is in the form of a closed-caption sound effect from a movie, styled in all caps within parentheses in a dark box, positioned the lower portion of the piece. (SCREECHING, FLAPPING WINGS) a handmade collage from Deep Whoosh by Shanna Compton. A pensive-looking woman in pale grays is surrounded by vibrant pink flames and fronds. Behind her a large green cabbage and yellow half moon. The title is in the form of a closed-caption sound effect from a movie, styled in all caps within parentheses in a dark box, positioned the lower portion of the piece. (POWER WINDS DOWN) a handmade collage from Deep Whoosh by Shanna Compton. An abstract arrangement of pieces includes a leafy green half moon or planet, rising from a torn strip with an ominous looking man’s face. In a black and white photo, two rural buildings and a large water tower and smaller power line. The title is in the form of a closed-caption sound effect from a movie, styled in all caps within parentheses in a dark box, positioned the lower portion of the piece.
September 2, 2025 at 3:44 PM
shannacompton.bsky.social
Another #collagraph. I also did one w/ chine collé which I thought I’d like better, but the 2 ink colors and a more neutral overall look are pleasing me more at the moment.

I don’t know how many impressions I’ll get from these before they start to break down. (I’m not sealing them.)

#printmaking
An abstract collagraph print by Shanna Compton in payne’s gray at the top and a warm red mixed from quinacrodone magenta in the lower half. There are collaged shapes from the plate taking more and less ink, and some dry point lines and scratches.
August 31, 2025 at 2:47 PM
shannacompton.bsky.social
I keep forgetting to post over here. I sent an INKY newsletter on Thurs, and so far I’ve spent most of the long weekend in the studio, painting & making collagraphs, but also taking daily hikes. (My spouse’s family is coming later this week + work is about to get way busy. Gotta get it while I can!)
Collagraph detail of one corner of a larger print. The shapes are all in a single color of ink in varying values, with some dry point line work. A different section of another print from the same collagraph plate, inked with the same Payne’s Gray. But this section also has some yellow chine collé. Part of a collagraph plate in progress. There are peeled sections from the cardboard and various textures and shapes of paper added, with some dry point lines.
August 31, 2025 at 11:46 AM
shannacompton.bsky.social
I napped most of August. Needed it.
An abstract painting on paper by Shanna Compton. Six abstract paintings on paper by Shanna Compton.
August 28, 2025 at 2:01 AM
shannacompton.bsky.social
From the weekend, got in a little studio time, catching up on orders and carving the cover for the next @bloofbooks.bsky.social chapbook. Hope to proof the block today. It will have some variable inking. Edition of 150.

#printmaking #bookarts #bloofbooks #poetrychapbooks
A linocut block stained with magenta ink and with the design traced on, ready for carving. A black Sharpie, a Pfeil gouge, and a Japanese hangito knife sit nearby. The linocut block has been carved and is ready for proofing. It’s a cover for a hand-printed poetry chapbook called “dwellswarm” by Reagan Louise Wilson. The design is a series of hexagons with central text set on a wavering baseline (to indicate swarming movement). Four Pfeil gouges sit above the block. To the right two copies of another printed chapbook cover and interior booklet for “I Want You to Come Now!” by Kristin Lugn are ready for sewing. ©Shanna Compton for @BloofBooks, 2025.
August 25, 2025 at 10:44 AM
shannacompton.bsky.social
poem on IG (they don’t work here)
Altered book with Prismacolor drawing of yellow flowers and leaves on left page and goldenrod flower dangling over the right.
August 22, 2025 at 12:11 AM
shannacompton.bsky.social
Gaslit by my bedtime tea lol
A mug of tea on a nightstand next to a glass of water. The tag on the tea bag says “Without the storms and rain, life would cease to be.”
August 21, 2025 at 2:07 AM
shannacompton.bsky.social
Destroying a corporate memoir called The History of Equitable. (There’s a poemlet with this on Instgram.)
Altere book page, crop. Colore pencils layered over the text. In the lower right the words “how much source material” are boxed in yellow.
August 20, 2025 at 12:09 AM
shannacompton.bsky.social
TX will not let me leave. Been in this gawdforsaken airport since 8:30 a.m.
Airport carpet Screenshot of music app playing Briano Eno & Beattie Wolf’s Shhh. A still from the Simpsons animated series. Mr. Burns stand to the left of a sign, emphasizing the message with his hands and grinning evilly: “Don’t forget. You’re here forever.”
August 1, 2025 at 1:48 AM
shannacompton.bsky.social
And the mixed green section 🌱🥬
From the bottom: kale, collards, chard, various lettuces both red and green, arugula…growing in raised bed boxes next to the cedar shed inside a black wire critter fence.
July 10, 2025 at 8:11 PM
shannacompton.bsky.social
If you need me, I’m in the garden encouraging the tomatoes
Oblong heirloom tomato in a very green phase, but getting sizable. My fingers are in the shot for scale. A smaller classically shaped heirloom tomato in a very green phase, but a little bigger than last time I checked. My fingers are in the shot for scale.
July 10, 2025 at 8:07 PM
shannacompton.bsky.social
One of the few things to celebrate about this random collection of artificial shapes drawn on a map are the national parks, so we went to #Acadia today.

#Maine
Shot from the top of Eagle Lake, Acadia National Park.
July 4, 2025 at 11:07 PM
shannacompton.bsky.social
Check it out, pups
A boardwalk to a distant beach with a white shelf contraption next to it labeled DOG LIBRARY in blue capital letters. The peg shelves are loaded with fetch sticks of various lengths and types, with more in the grass in front, and the bottom of the shelf box offers several yellow tennis balls.
July 1, 2025 at 1:35 AM
shannacompton.bsky.social
The Rancho Gordo Runner Beans + Asparagus salad with the Ayocote Morados was just the thing for a cool, mostly raw dinner in this heat wave.

We’ve had the beans before, but not like this. (Mine is a vegan version.)
Bean and asparagus salad at the front of the plate, and a bowl of gazpacho in the back, topped by olives, parsley and some avocado.
June 24, 2025 at 11:55 PM
shannacompton.bsky.social
Thanks to everyone who has turned out to see my #collage #art #exhibition, Room Tone, this month—especially everyone who came to the reception/book party on Saturday. Means a lot to me, still feeling new here after almost 4 years in #Maine. ❤️

Show runs through June 30, next Monday.
Shanna Compton in the right lower corner, reading from her book Deep Whoosh, with 8 of the 12 collages displayed on the wall behind her.
June 23, 2025 at 4:29 PM
shannacompton.bsky.social
Full page ad in NYT 6/22/25 by the Onion. Designed to look like the front page, the large headline under a picture of the Capitol building reads “Congress, now more than ever, our nation needs your cowardice.” See source: https://www.thehandbasket.co/p/exclusive-the-onion-nyt-ad-congress-cowardice
June 22, 2025 at 2:20 PM
shannacompton.bsky.social
Mine’s painted, but if you want the digital one, feel free! It’s 12x12 inches at 300 ppi. It’s the only art I’ve made in weeks. (Free for personal use. Please don’t sell it. 🙄)

I’ll put the link in the next post. ❌👑
Break the Rule! No kings. Protest poster design © Shanna Compton, 2025. Free for personal use. Commercial use not permitted. Link to download 12 x 12 at 300 ppi: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/m4riygc1bwcxrenybqutb/BreakTheRule_NoKings.JPG?rlkey=uwqb1aqdeavms2zocf43b1plt&st=ltaaxlpa&dl=0 The painted sign, based on the digital drawing. Acrylic on cardboard. Break the Rule! No Kings. A large broken gold crown at the top behind the words. The painted sign in action, based on the digital drawing. Acrylic on cardboard. Break the Rule! No Kings. A large broken gold crown at the top behind the words. Small town Maine turned out, all ages. Lots of honking from passing cars & a good spirit throughout.
June 14, 2025 at 9:56 PM
shannacompton.bsky.social
🐌💌📬
#linocut #collage #printsky #maineartist
Postcards for my exhibition ROOM TONE at Anodyne in Searsport, ME, running June 1–30. The reception is June 21, 5–7. You’re invited. The postcard features a collage of s linocut house with a pink sky and full moon. The role of postcard stamps is several years old, but “forever” postage is a good deal, because I buy too many stamps. (Don’t you love them? The eider duck is my favorite.)
June 11, 2025 at 9:02 PM
shannacompton.bsky.social
What a world.
An ad for “Nursery Steins,” Sloane’s New Group of Children’s Rugs, based on the illustrations by Clement Hurd (Goodnight Moon) from Gertrude Stein’s children’s book The World Is Round. “They’ll clean like lambs.” Three rugs at the top depict overlapping animals (a lion, elephant, giraffe, and bird) a lily pond surrounded by trees with tiny owls in them, and. Rose sitting on top of a hill surrounded by clouds.
June 5, 2025 at 11:59 AM
shannacompton.bsky.social
💌📬🌕
USPS Goodnight Moon stamps. The show 8 repeated scenes from the classic children’s book by Margaret Wise, illustrated in vivid green, red, blue, yellow, and black by Clement Hurd.
June 5, 2025 at 2:02 AM