(Herington, Kansas, 1944 - 2005, Shelter Island, New York)
1969
Screenprint and pochoir on paper
18 1/16 x 17 7/8 in. (46.0 x 45.5 cm)
Collection of the Akron Art Museum
Gift of Mrs. Galen J. Roush
1970.6 f
Shields based his first print, 'Lonely Night,' on a watercolor drawing. Unsatisfied with the results of the screenprinting process, the artist sprayed paint on each printed sheet of paper and ran them through a sewing machine, perforating the surface and leaving behind a grid pattern. “I have liked the lines that sewing machines make ever since I had a pair of overalls with three yellow stitches in a row down the sides,” the artist commented. “All the color came out of the denim, but the yellow thread just kept staying yellow.” This type of embellishment was unusual at the time, and Shields would later become known for his experimental printmaking techniques.