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About McKinzie

Baltimore City

McKinzie Lefstein's picture
Born in 1980, McKinzie has lived in Baltimore since she was 7. She graduated from Towson University in 2003 with a Bachelor's of Art in Illustration. She has shown in several galleries, including The Museum of American Illustration in New York City. She created the logo and illustrates t-shirts for the new online company Awkward Turtle Tees: http://www.zazzle.com/awkwardturtletees/gifts Awards: -John Blair Mitchell Printmaking Award (2003) -Three Arts Club of Homeland - Mr. And Mrs. Robert L.... more

Prints

These are my newest prints done this past fall, 2010.

"Boy on a Swing" is a companion piece to "Girl on a Swing", which was the first print I ever did.

"Year of the Tiger" and "Year of the Rabbit" are part of an ongoing series illustrating the Chinese Zodiac signs.

"Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" is an addition to my building nursery rhyme collection.

My "Whodunnit?" series depicts the characters of the classic board game Clue.

Prints

I find that the process of linoleum block printing always results in interesting, bold, and subtly dark images. Because of this it has become my medium of choice. Whether they be black/white or accented with color, my works shows my love of detail and storytelling.

"Year of the Rat" and "Year of the Ox" are part of an ongoing series illustrating the Chinese Zodiac signs.

Linoleum Block Prints

Vibrant colors, bold images, and an acute attention to detail are common elements I like to play with in my work. I am interested in presenting images of subtle fantasy, surrealism, and whimsy as well as presenting a story or narrative.

"Girl on a Swing" was selected for the Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship Competition Exhibition in May 2003, a group exhibition juried by leading members of the Society of Illustrators. It was exhibited at The Museum of American Illustration in New York City. Over 4000 college students entered the competition, but only 100 pieces of art were selected for the annual exhibition and catalogue.

The Dream

This series was inspired by a dream I had when I was about 5 years old, the first dream I can remember having. In these paintings I use bright colors, crosshatching, scratching, and layering techniques to create the little girl's dream world. I like to explore a child's world on an innocent level, but at the same time distort that view into something mysterious, odd, and maybe even a bit creepy, thus creating a dream world where anything goes, for example, by frequently playing with perspective and details. I enjoy looking at and making art that the viewer has to examine closely and that brings us back to a childlike state of awe and wonder.

McKinzie's Curated Collection

View McKinzie's favorite works from other Baker Artists