Hasenyager, Shirley

Shirley grew up in southeastern New Mexico. She attended Abilene Christian College, and the University of New Mexico. She and her husband met and were married in Albuquerque and moved to Hawaii in 1963. She took art classes at UNM but did not pursue art until settling in Hawaii.
“In watercolor, I first took from Dodie Warren. An influence was Jade Fon from California. I attended workshops of his both in California and in Hawaii. In printmaking, my first influence was Ron Kowalke, professor at U.H.” Shirley etches on zinc and copper. An acid resistant ground is painted on the metal. Then a pointed etching needle is used to draw through the ground, exposing the metal plate. It is then put in acid (different acids used for zinc and copper) and the acid bites into the drawn areas. Lines are light to darker depending on the length of time in the acid. The plate is then cleaned of the ground, ink is applied and the surface is wiped clean with tarlatan (like a stiff cheesecloth). A series of wipings is required to leave the correct amount of ink on the plate and in the lines. The plate is then placed on an etching press, and a dampened rag paper is placed on top. A series of three felt blankets are lowered onto the paper and the plate is rolled through the press. The felts are lifted and the paper removed. The prints are numbered. Decision on the edition is made based on durability of the image. Some plates do not hold up as long as others, depending on the method used to do the image.
Shirley still works in watercolor, mixed media and colored pencil, though she is drawn to etching because of its detail. “I have never been a real spontaneous painter and etching is definitely not spontaneous.”
Shirley has received many awards and has been in over 250 juried exhibits. She has had l0 State Foundation purchases and is represented in several corporate collections.
Shirley and her husband live in Honolulu and have a cabin in Volcano.
“I really love the Volcano area and a lot of my work in recent years has been inspired by that fascinating imagery. My interest is strictly landscape, flora and fauna.”
Never hang any art work in bright sun. Prints need to be protected from moisture. Etchings are oil based ink, but paper does mildew. All framing materials should be acid free.