Printmaking as a practice of repetition, labor, and becoming
My work is rooted in storytelling and guided by a deep relationship with the natural world. I use a symbolic, intuitive visual language and anthropomorphic figures set within surreal environments to explore internal conflict, instinct, and transformation. Through these narratives, I examine the parallels between human and animal behavior, particularly how individuals respond to hardship and relate to their surroundings.
Printmaking is central to my practice. The repetition, discipline, and physical labor inherent in the process mirror the slow formation of new habits and ways of being. The pressure required to transfer an image, along with the limited number of impressions a single plate can produce, reflects vulnerability, patience, and change. Each print serves as a record of time, effort, and intention.
Elements of the natural world—animals, landscapes, and mythic symbolism—form the emotional and conceptual foundation of my work. Nature acts as both subject and guide, offering a bridge between personal experience and shared instinct.
A female deer (doe) appears throughout my work as a recurring personal motif and often functions as the central figure within a composition. While the surrounding environment holds meaning, the emotional presence of the character takes precedence, anchoring each piece in a specific state of feeling. Initially, the doe represented sadness and vulnerability, shaped by personal hardship and my trauma response of fawning. Over time, this symbol has evolved into one of resilience, awareness, and respect for survival. The doe now stands as a marker of growth—acknowledging that transformation is inseparable from struggle and rooted in the ongoing process of adaptation.
Meet the Artist
Raven Grey Higginbotham is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nashville, Tennessee. She works primarily in printmaking, with an expanded practice that includes sculpture, drawing, and oil pastel. Introduced to drypoint engraving at the Nashville School of the Arts, her early work earned her selection to the 2018 Tennessee Governor’s School and a Silver Key from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
Higginbotham holds a BFA from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, where she was a recipient of the Presidential Scholarship and the Alumni Senior Thesis Award. She currently lives and works in Nashville, maintaining a privately owned studio and operating her artistic practice.
A little bit about Etching
Traditionally, etching is a process where designs are engraved onto a metal plate—such as copper, zinc, steel, or aluminum—using acid or ferric chloride. The plate is first sanded smooth and coated with a protective layer like wax. The artist then draws into the surface with a needle-like tool, exposing the metal beneath. Acid bites into these exposed areas, creating incised lines that are later filled with ink and pressed onto paper using a press bed to produce the final image.
