Work samples

  • The Skin of Water II
    The Skin of Water II

    The Skin of Water II, right side, sculptural installation of repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, artificial light, natural light, Academy Art Museum, size variable, 2025.

  • Skin of Water II, view II
    Skin of Water II, view II

    The Skin of Water II, sculptural installation of repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, artificial light, natural light, Academy Art Museum, size variable, 2025.

  • Soak/Scorch (Goucher Phase III)
    Soak/Scorch (Goucher Phase III)

    Soak/Scorch (Goucher Phase III) was the third stage of an evolving installation at Goucher College. Repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, plastic, canvas, ink mural, dimensions variable, 2024.

  • Tomorrow's Storm (Redux)
    Tomorrow's Storm (Redux)

    Tomorrow's Storm (Redux), installation of repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, 18' x 18' x 3', Art on Paper, 2023

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About Caryn

Baltimore County  

Caryn Martin is a Baltimore-based multidisciplinary artist and educator. She received MAT and MFA degrees from Maryland Institute College of Art, and has taught color theory, drawing, two-dimensional design, and introductory time-based media classes at various institutions. Caryn has shown her work at the Academy Art Museum,  Art on Paper, Catalyst Contemporary, Maryland Art Place, Creative Alliance, the Baltimore Fine Art Print Fair, St. John’s College, Anne Arundel Community College,… more

View Caryn's Resume
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Waves/Current

Water, used as subject, medium, and change agent, is an important element of my studio practice. After intense storms and flooding near my home, I began focusing on shifting bodies of water as a metaphor for forces beyond human control, while also considering the emotional impact of intense weather events. The large scale of these installations is integral to the work, as seen in “The Skin of Water" and "Water's Edge."
 

  • The Skin of Water II
    The Skin of Water II

    The Skin of Water II, right side, sculptural installation of repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, artificial light, natural light, Academy Art Museum, size variable, 2025.

  • Skin of Water II, view II
    Skin of Water II, view II

    The Skin of Water II, sculptural installation of repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, artificial light, natural light, Academy Art Museum, size variable, 2025.

  • The Skin of Water I (view I)
    The Skin of Water I (view I)

    The Skin of Water I, view I, sculptural installation of repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, ink mural, 9' x 36' x 10', 2024

  • The Skin of Water I (view II)
    The Skin of Water I (view II)

    The Skin of Water I, view II, sculptural installation of repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, ink mural, 9' x 36' x 10', 2024

  • Body I (Shift)
    Body I (Shift)

    Body I (Shift,) ink monotypes on tracing paper, clothing rack, natural light, dimensions variable, 2025

  • Body II (Submerge)
    Body II (Submerge)

    Body II (Submerge), repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, dimensions variable, 2025

  • Aerial
    Aerial

    Aerial I, sculptural installation of repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, size variable, 2025

  • Slipstream
    Slipstream
    Slipstream, ink monotypes on tracing paper, 10.5’ x 11’ x 1’ at outer edges, 2021
  • Water's Edge view I
    Water's Edge view I
    Water’s Edge, View I, ink monotypes on tracing paper, size variable, 2022, site-specific exhibition at Waddell Gallery
  • Water's Edge Walk-through
    https://vimeo.com/768635102
    •

    • Fire/Water

    In my paper installations, I am interested in bringing form to the intangible. These large-scale sculptural installations shift between intention and improvisation as I construct layered, atmospheric composites of works. The installations are contained but also break the traditional frame; they feel both unified and divided, heavy yet light.

    This interest in dualities has driven the "Fire/Water" body of work, informed by the contrasting weather patterns and water levels across the United States. My siblings live in areas of the country that experience fires and devastating drought, while I tackle storms and tornado warnings on the east coast. These experiences, coupled with images of forest fires, storms, and flooding, have influenced the installations you see in this series. Whenever possible, I utilize repurposed materials–allowing one piece to fuel the next.

     

    • Soak/Scorch (Goucher Phase IV)
      Soak/Scorch (Goucher Phase IV)

      Soak/Scorch (Goucher Phase IV) was the forth stage of an evolving sculptural installation at Goucher College. Repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, plastic, canvas, ink mural, dimensions variable, 2024.

    • Extinguish
      Extinguish

      Extinguish, sculptural installation of repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, artificial light, size variable, 2025.

    • Pull
      Pull

      Pull, site-specific sculptural installation of repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, Baltimore Theatre Project, Resonant Currents, size variable, 2025

    • Twist
      Twist

      Twist, installation of repurposed monotypes, canvas, acrylic paint, rope, wire, plastic, approximately 5' x 8' x 2', 2025.

    • Drip/Singe
      Drip/Singe

      Drip/Singe, repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, canvas, plastic, ink mural, 9' x 30' x 1', 2024

    • Detail, Drip/Singe
      Detail, Drip/Singe

      Detail, Drip/Singe, repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, canvas, plastic, ink mural, full installation: 9' x 30' x 1', 2024

    • Falls to Flames
      Falls to Flames

      Falls to Flames, monotypes (repurposed from Water’s Edge) and ink on tracing paper, 9’ x 33’ x 3’ at outer dimensions, 2022

    • Detail, Falls to Flames II
      Detail, Falls to Flames II

      Detail, Falls to Flames II (Trawick Finalists Exhibition), Gallery B, Bethesda, 2022.

    • Island
      Island

      Island, installation of repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, approximately 5' x 4' x 6", 2024

    • Soak/Scorch I (2022)
      Soak/Scorch I (2022)

      Soak/Scorch I, ink and acrylic on tracing paper, 9’ x 7’ x 3’, 2022

    •

    • Storm

    The 2023 installation "Tomorrow's Storm" was inspired by our climate's unpredictability and a fear of future storms. This installation at the Baltimore Fine Art Print Fair was impacted by the shifting light throughout the day: the reds of the translucent window panel were more evident in the morning, while the dark values in the piece became more prominent by mid-day. By early evening, the intense late-day window light broke through all layers of this immersive installation. Ultimately, "Tomorrow's Storm" reflected a balance of apprehension and hope.

    Its second iteration: "Tomorrow's Storm (Redux)" was created by repurposing and reconfiguring the works from the original installation. This version, displayed at Art on Paper 2023, was designed to create a sense of weight above the viewer.  The overall impact was one of opposing forces: fleeting and frozen, fluid and solid. 

     

    • Tomorrow's Storm (Redux)
      Tomorrow's Storm (Redux)

      Tomorrow's Storm (Redux,) installation of repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, 18' x 18' x 3', Art on Paper, 2023

    • Detail, Tomorrow's Storm (Redux)
      Detail, Tomorrow's Storm (Redux)

      Detail, Tomorrow's Storm (Redux), installation of repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, 18' x 18' x 3', Art on Paper, 2023

    • Detail II, Tomorrow’s Storm (Redux)
      Detail II, Tomorrow’s Storm (Redux)

      Detail II, Tomorrow's Storm (Redux), installation of repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, 18' x 18' x 3', Art on Paper, 2023

    • Tomorrow's Storm (12:00 pm)
      Tomorrow's Storm (12:00 pm)

      Tomorrow's Storm (12:00 pm,) site-specific installation at the Baltimore Fine Art Print Fair, ink monotypes on tracing paper, 10' x 27' x 17', 2023

    • Tomorrow's Storm (7:00 pm)
      Tomorrow's Storm (7:00 pm)

      Tomorrow's Storm (7:00 pm,) site-specific installation at the Baltimore Fine Art Print Fair, ink monotypes on tracing paper, 10' x 27' x 17', 2023

    • Tomorrow's Storm (7:00 pm, back)
      Tomorrow's Storm (7:00 pm, back)

      Tomorrow's Storm (7:00 pm, back) site-specific installation at the Baltimore Fine Art Print Fair, ink monotypes on tracing paper, 10' x 27' x 17', 2023

    • Tomorrow's Storm (7:15 pm)
      Tomorrow's Storm (7:15 pm)

      Tomorrow's Storm (7:30 pm,) site-specific installation at the Baltimore Fine Art Print Fair, ink monotypes on tracing paper, 10' x 27' x 17', 2023

    • Tomorrow's Storm (7:45 pm)
      Tomorrow's Storm (7:45 pm)

      Tomorrow's Storm (7:45 pm,) site-specific installation at the Baltimore Fine Art Print Fair, ink monotypes on tracing paper, 10' x 27' x 17', 2023

    •

    • River/Rain

    "Along the Garonne" was completed during a three-week residency in 2023 at Moulin à Nef, VCCA's studio center in France. The paper installation, created on site, was inspired by the reflections along the river and the local weather patterns.  

    The second iteration, "River/Rain," was installed in Kohl Gallery at Washington College as part of "The Weather Within and Without" with Stephanie Wolff, on display during the winter of 2024. And after subtle color adjustments, these prints have been repurposed once again in "Current" (2025.)

    In all three iterations, the use of tracing paper and provisional placement reflect the fragility and ephemerality of our natural world.

    • Along the Garonne
      Along the Garonne

      Along the Garonne, installation of ink monotypes on tracing paper, size variable, 2023

    • Along the Garonne II
      Along the Garonne II

      Along the Garonne, view II, installation of ink monotypes on tracing paper, size variable, 2023

    • Along the Garonne III
      Along the Garonne III

      Along the Garonne, view III, installation of ink monotypes on tracing paper, size variable, 2023

    • River/Rain I
      River/Rain I

      "River/Rain," view I, repurposed ink monotypes on tracing paper, size variable, 2024.

    • River/Rain detail
      River/Rain detail

      "River/Rain," detail, repurposed ink monotypes on tracing paper, size variable, 2024.

    • River/Rain II
      River/Rain II

      "River/Rain," view II, repurposed ink monotypes on tracing paper, size variable, 2024.

    • Current
      Current

      Current (view I), repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, 9' x 22' x 3', 2025

    • Current (view II)
      Current (view II)

      Current (view II), repurposed monotypes on tracing paper, 9' x 22' x 3', 2025

    •

    • Air/Ice

    This body of work was created while in residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in 2022. As I installed these pieces, I was interested in creating a sense of movement overhead, while also focusing on the translucency of the materials. Heavy clouds, unpredictable weather patterns, and melting glaciers were on my mind as I slowly transformed the space.

    • Drift/Slip
      Drift/Slip
      Drift/Slip, site-specific installation, size variable, repurposed monotypes and ink on tracing paper, 2022
    • Adrift
      Adrift

      Adrift, sculptural installation of repurposed monotypes, size variable, 2022

    • Drift/Slip view II
      Drift/Slip view II
      Drift-Slip view II, site-specific installation, size variable, repurposed monotypes and ink on tracing paper, 2022
    • Drift/Slip view III
      Drift/Slip view III
      Drift/Slip view III
    • Detail I, Drift/Slip
      Detail I, Drift/Slip
      Detail I, Drift/Slip
    • Detail II, Drift/Slip
      Detail II, Drift/Slip
      Detail II, Drift/Slip
    • Heavy Skies
      Heavy Skies

      Heavy Skies, site-specific paper installation, size variable, 2022

    • Overhead
      Overhead

      Overhead, site-specific paper installation, size variable, ink and tracing paper, 2022

    • Drift/Slip walk-through
      Video documentation of Drift/Slip
    •

    • Stratus

    For the past five years, I have been experimenting with installations that appear to push off the wall, as though they are resisting their own boundaries. While sculptural forms are my ultimate aim,  printmaking begins the process. As I start, a plexiglass plate is inked once using marks that imply patterns and forms found in nature. I then add water in multiple stages and pull many prints until the ink is fully removed from the plate, resulting in monotypes that appear to evaporate into the atmosphere. The paper is allowed to curve, curl, wrinkle, and warp as it responds to the water and ink.

     

     

    • Pour/Tear Triptych
      Pour/Tear Triptych

      Pour/Tear Triptych, ink monotypes on tracing paper with cut-outs, each approx. 9' x 2' x 1', 2023.

    • Vista (2:00 p.m.)
      Vista (2:00 p.m.)

      Vista (2:00 p.m.) site-specific installation of ink monotypes on tracing paper, dimensions variable, 2023.

    • Tempest
      Tempest
      Tempest, ink monotypes on tracing paper, 9’ x 8’ x 5” at outer dimensions, 2021
    • Monuments and Rivers
      Monuments and Rivers
      Monuments and Rivers, ink monotypes on tracing paper, 10’ x 17’ x 2”, 2020
    • Monuments and Rivers view II
      Monuments and Rivers view II
      Monuments and Rivers view II, ink monotypes on tracing paper, 10’ x 17’ x 2”, 2020
    • Stratus III
      Stratus III
      Stratus III, monotype remnants mounted to unstretched canvas, 63” x 108” x 3”, 2020/2021
    • Stratus II
      Stratus II
      Stratus II, monotype remnants mounted to unstretched canvas, 72” x 46” x 3”, 2020/2021
    • Detail, Stratus II
      Detail, Stratus II
    •