Ami Zanders is an artist who has followed her heart in developing a unique and personal style.

That style is seemingly linked to cubism and expressionism, thus avoiding the pretty picture cliche that infects much of the Bermuda art scene.

The past couple months have provided a unique opportunity to see the work of Ami Zanders, for she is having two separate exhibitions in Hamilton, in addition to having won a $2,500 award in the Charman Prize Exhibition. I cannot recall at any other time, a local artist having two separate show at the same time. This has to be a first for Bermuda.

Her two Hamilton exhibitions are at Rock Island, where she is showing her woven tapestries and Common Ground, where she is exhibiting her original prints. For this review I will concentrate on her prints.

An original print is the designation given a print, when the plate or print matrix is made entirely by the artist. Once the plate has come to the stage where the artist approves of it and has "pulled" an artist's proof, a professional printer will often be given the responsibility of producing an edition. In the case of Ami Zanders, she has been responsible for the entire process, from beginning to end. An original print is considered to be an original work of art that is much valued.

The Common Ground exhibition consists of 16 prints of varying techniques. The typical techniques used in making these prints are: the relief print, such as woodcuts, wood engravings or linoleumcuts. then there is intaglio or the etching, engraving process. This includes, additionally, the mezzotint and aquatint. The lithograph, which is chemically much more sophisticated then the historically earlier techniques just mentioned was invented in 1796 by Alois Senefelder. It is based upon the principle of oil and water not mixing.

Finally, during the 20th Century, another technique that has become popular, is the silk screen or serigraph. Ms. Zanders, for this exhibition, has made use of the intaglio process, as well as silk screen. Her prints are of modest size, which is appropriate, given her intimate subject matter of such as the human head, still-life, bottles, door etc. In one instance she has depicted the human head as if we could see inside to what is bei! ng thought; in this instance, a boat.

I have known Ami Zanders ever since she was a student at Bermuda College back when I was teaching there full-time, before my retirement in 1999. Back then, as an art student, I concluded that she was the gifted artistic type who wanted to express her feeling and pour out her soul on canvas, but at least one college administrator was bound and determined that she would become a graphic designer. It was all I could do to get this individual to back off and let her follow her heart. This she has done and with considerable success.

The Ami Zanders exhibition is sponsored by Select Palette Art. For additional information call 505- 4290.

The exhibition ends on Thursday, so you will have to hurry to see it but it is well worth the effort.