Founding Member Spotlight: Nina’s Journey as a Printmaker … in her own words
This past summer, at the age of 80, my son took me back to Rome—where I lived and studied in the late sixties. At that time I was a senior at the University of Maryland, engaged to be married, but I followed my deepest desire: to study art in Rome.
The Accademia di Belle Arti may not have been the most prestigious school, but it was nestled in the heart of the city. Wandering the streets is where I got my real education—Bernini, Bellini, Michelangelo, and ancient Roman ruins surrounded me, offering inspiration at every turn.
“La Vecchia” - 1983, 16”x20,” Etching (NFS)
As it happens, and to my great astonishment and delight, I was promoted to a printmaking class with the famed Professore Barriviera! He was at the time an elderly man with boundless energy and enthusiasm. He taught me etching the old-fashioned way: zinc plates, sugar lift, and hand-wiping the ink. My first print was La Vecchia (right), an image of an old lady in Trastevere. From that moment on, I was hooked.
Revisiting the academy this summer felt surreal. I walked the same hallways, still lined with plaster casts of Roman horse heads, and saw the same mix of foreign students lingering in the corridors. It was as if time had folded in on itself.
Since my days in the eternal city, my technique has evolved. I now work exclusively with non-toxic materials, having developed a method using acrylic and carborundum that mimics the richness of traditional etching without the health risks. My subject matter has shifted too—from family figures to close-ups of flowers, landscapes of my second home on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and travel memories. But the passion for the medium remains unchanged.
I recently completed the monoprint of Trastevere (pictured below), the very place where I found the old lady decades ago. It’s a tribute to Professore Barriviera, who taught me to capture what’s around me and helped launch my lifelong journey in printmaking.
“Trastevere” - 2025, 8”x10”, Monoprint (Available unframed $350)
That journey led me to become a founding member of the Washington Printmakers Gallery 40 years ago. Since then, I’ve had 12 solo shows at WPG and exhibited in retrospectives at the Austrian Embassy and the Katzen Center at American University. My prints are held in collections including the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Library of Congress, and the Museum of Modern Art in Buenos Aires.
I continue to teach and share my love of printmaking through workshops like Tetrapak engraving, where we transform juice cartons into printing plates! It’s a joy to help others discover the magic of this medium. This October, I’m teaching a beginning watercolor workshop, please join us!
This blog was written by Nina Muys, Founding Member of The Washington Printmakers Gallery. Her work is currently on view in the Fortieth Anniversary Exhibition up through the end of September.