Graduating in 2009, Arielle Coupe continued her North Penn art career at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco and Oakland, California.

Currently in her junior year, Coupe is a printmaking major, focusing on these techniques, as well as the evolution of traditional printmaking.

Printmaking was not always Coupe’s main focus: “I came out of North Penn wanting to be an illustrator. My first semester, I took an introduction to printmaking class because I remembered Mrs. Harris telling me I would probably like it. With my work, I think in layers, which definitely lends itself to the printmaking processes. I really enjoy the amount of planning and physical work involved, specifically with stone lithography. With some stones, I have to use a machine to move it around the shop. It tests my patience and endurance. There’s something called a ‘happy mistake’ in printmaking, because a lot can go wrong during the processes. Working with the unexpected changes and letting go of my preplanned ideas has pushed me out of my comfort zone, allowing me to create some interesting work.”

Her work can be described as whimsical, surreal, minimal, “sci-fi-esque,” and even eerie. “Surrealism and minimalism are very interesting to me, but I’m mostly influenced by film and literature. This summer I went on a strange sci-fi reading binge. H.P. Lovecraft is classic, Jonathan Lethem, Haruki Murakami. Old horror films are great. Dr. Calagari, Hausu, the kitschier the better,” said Coupe of her stylistic inspirations.

Though Coupe’s work may sometimes be striking or odd to viewers, she still aims for it to be inviting to any who take the time to look at it: “I’m not quite sure [what the mood of my work is.] My work does have a specific mood, and it’s something very close to me. I often get, “Oh, that’s creepy Arielle” when to me, it might seem friendly or humorous. I guess it depends on the individual and their interpretation of the images, as well as their relationship to me. It is definitely spooky and foreign but overall, I want it to be inviting.”