The Print a Fish Project is a collaborative art exchange and social sculpture dedicated to the transformative art education practice of printmaking.
The Elevator Pitch: A Fish Print Exchange!
The Print A Fish Project is a free art exchange. The idea is simple: You create a piece of art (in this case, a print with a fish as the subject) and get a piece of art in return (one of my fish prints).
How does it work?
Create a print with a fish as the subject.
You can use any printmaking technique. (Not a printmaker yet? Here is a tutorial, but there are so many on YouTube!)
Make sure to sign your work. (Here are instructions for how to sign a print.)
Keep your print to 11 x 14 or smaller in size.
Right now there is no deadline, since projects will continue to come from this exchange. If your work is submitted by March 2026, it will likely be incorporated into my Fall 2026 sculpture.
Send your print to me.
Mail it to:
Lindsey Frances Jones
135 Erie Street, Suite 309
Jersey City, NJ 07302
Please include your full name as you would like it to be included for attribution. You can write it legibly on the back of the print or on a piece of paper inside the envelope.
Get a fish print in return.
If you provide a return address, I will send you one of my fish prints in the mail.
Have your fish presented here with attribution & incorporated in a future project.
Why a print exchange?
Two reasons:
First, I want to encourage people of all skill and ability levels to try their hand at printmaking. Learning how to create prints has been transformative for me, and I love sharing the craft with as many people as possible.
Second, I want to create a space for collaborative artmaking. With permission and attribution, I would like to use the prints you send me to create something new and share it with the public. (More on this below!)
Why a fish?
I am drawn to fish as a subject of my art because they symbolize our mysterious life on Earth. They are an integral part of the mystical, creative, spiritual, and visual languages that cultures worldwide employ.
Plus, anyone can draw one!
What will you do with the fish prints you receive?
My goal is to use the fish prints I receive to create a repeat pattern that will be incorporated into a public sculpture that I am currently working on. The final form of the sculpture is still taking shape. Still, I see this as an opportunity to create something new and collaborative—between my work and your fish—that will swim into an entirely new artistic direction.
My sculpture will be installed in New York City in the fall of 2026. Stay tuned for more information!
Why printmaking?
Printmaking is the artistic process of transferring an image from one surface to another. From stamping intricate patterns on fabric to creating letterpress protest signs, printmaking studios and artisans represent a craft that dates back to some of the oldest known art forms. The earliest humans created prints of their hands deep in caves. Those mystical relief stenciled prints of our ancestors’ images are embedded in our DNA as modern humans.
Printmaking is also a dynamic art form that bridges the realms of fine art, graphic arts, and craft, uniquely well-suited for those with diverse visual arts experience—or no experience at all! You don’t need to be a trained artist to begin as a printmaker. I first discovered printmaking online during the pandemic in my apartment, where I relied on YouTube videos and Instagram tutorials.
Through my artistic journey, I also discovered that printmaking can be almost like meditation. It is a practice and a process we can call on whenever we need it, similar to mindfulness meditation. Printmaking asks us to notice, simplify, follow along, and ultimately find a way to do it on our own in the presence of our lives. It asks us to reckon with the essence of an idea or image, not just the image we are trying to make.
As I’ve progressed in my artistic endeavors, I’ve also become interested in introducing others to the medium. I’m passionate about creating work that bridges the space between printmaking works, both mine and others', transforming them into new pieces that combine the collaborative and individual aspects of our art.
Have questions?
Contact me at madebyfrances@gmail.com