Printmaking is an interesting and time consuming process. It affords you the ability to easily (most of the time) and inexpensively (again, most of the time) way to reproduce (or in some cases mass-produce) your work. I have done several forms of print making, all of which have been a very manual/hands on process.
I have done a several forms of plate printing, some of which include copper plate etching and aluminum plates (lithography), much like those used today in offset printing (newspapers, magazines, etc.) Both present interesting results and challenges. However, unlike printing form a single copper plate etching, the aluminum plates allow you to print multiple colors and layers.
Each of my prints started with a composition drawn in pencil on paper. From there the images were transferred to plate, etched on copper plate, or hand carved in linoleum and pressed into unique editions. In some instances other mediums were used after the print was pressed. I enjoy both the additive and reductive process in everything I create. Printing on watercolor paper affords me the freedom to go back into the work and add color or other detail. Many of my works contain watercolor, crayon, or pencil added to the finished print. I use a variety of paper including watercolor paper, newsprint and rice paper.
I studied printmaking under the tutelage of Professor Douglas DeVinny at the University of Wisconsin Parkside. Most of the work I have done represented individual compositions that I felt needed to be represented in several different variations. My goal was to create prints that, while produced in the same edition, contained their own unique and individual image. It is easy to mass produce your own work which I feel cheapens the artists individual creation and underlying composition. By recreating each image and later adding additional artistic elements, I feel the viewer can better appreciate the unique quality of each copy.
Ultimately, understanding the process and hours involved in creating the finished product is something that should be respected in it’s own right. There are several levels of artistry and technical craftsmanship, as well as patience that are required to create a print.
UWP Dates attended:
1989-1991
1994-1997
