Process Photos

	Outline drawn on plate

I begin with sketches to get my ideas on paper. I then make a line drawing on a zinc plate which has been coated with hardground.

The exposed lines are etched by submerging the plate in an acid solution for a brief timed exposure. I repeatedly draw and etch to achieve varied line depth, which gives the plate a variety of line quality and value. To print, I first clean the plate with solvent to remove the hardground.

Applying ink to the plate

Next, I spread etching ink over the plate, and use a dabber to push the ink into the incised lines. I wipe away the excess ink on the surface leaving ink in the incised lines.

	Wiped plate on press bed

The plate is place on the bed of the press. Damp paper is registered on top of the plate. Press blankets are placed over the paper and the etching is hand cranked through the press.

Print and plate on press bed

Once the plate with paper on top passes through the press, the paper is pulled from the plate and the etching is revealed. An etching plate is drawn into, etched, and printed several times before it is completed. The process is repeated over and over to produce richness of line quality and value.

Once completed, the edges of the plate are filed, beveled, and burnished. An “Edition” of etchings is designated, a limited number of fine prints made from a single plate. I sign title, date and give each etching an edition number.

A small number of Artist Proofs are printed on toned paper to which I add color, using watercolor and color pencil. The hand colored Artist Proof allows me to custom color and title an individual etching to produce a unique image. I sign, number and date each Artist Proof.

Each one of my prints is an original. The word print is also used to describe reproductions, which are copies made from an original, such as a drawing or painting. In Fine Print the matrix is in a plate, stone, or screen and is directly manipulated by the artist. The original image is fully revealed only when the printing process is complete and the inked image is transferred to paper by hand with a press or screen. With the word “print” taking on so many meanings, it is no wonder people are often confused. In reproduction prints there is only one original and it is used to mechanically reproduce virtually an unlimited number of copies. With fine prints, there is limit as to how many successful prints can be made. This is determined by the individual plate and how it is constructed or developed by the artist.

	Drawing and framing studio

In my etchings, I use drawing methods that are not so different from what a printmaker may have used 500 years ago. I draw using a variety of line, crosshatch, and stipple. It is a straightforward approach to convey my ideas and emotions about my subject. I am devoted to the medium of printmaking and etching. It fits in with the way I visualize my subjects and it allows me to produce line in a way no other medium will allow.

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