On some of my earlier pieces I applied aquatint or spray paint as in the 'Phantasmagorial Journey' and 'The Family Unit' and on my last three etchings I dipped an uncovered portion of the plate into an asphaltum water bath resulting in an interesting contrast between abstract swirls and contrived lines as you can see on 'The Late Arrival of Bird Flu Vaccination.' If you draw directly onto the plate there is always the risk that the final image will come out looking slanted or facing in an unintended direction (because etchings print out in reverse). Eventually I learned how to keep a centered focus and draw down the middle of the plate. 'The Return of the Quetzalcoatl' and 'Aztec Cryogenics' are good examples of holding a compositional balance while etching spontaneously.

 

Ordinarily, I made no preliminary drawings or transfers as I chose to randomly place the etching needle into a blank plate and begin but this was not always the case. 'The Stone Water Fortress,' 'The Patron,” and the bottom part of the 'Pigs on Carts,' I rendered from Peter Brueghel’s engravings. With the etching 'Seven,' I took parts from many Brueghel pieces, added a few characters of my own, and put together an homage, or collage, of imagery. This etching is always a favorite and very approachable when blown up to poster size. For 'Medusas Child,' I transferred a preliminary drawing and I used the same demon for 'The Temptation of the Common Woman' as was taken from 'The Temptation of the Common Man.'  

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Applying pressure to the etching needle creates a sensation of light carving, or even digging, which intensifies the feeling of drawing and allows for crisp results. I liked the old style workings of the printmakers’ studio along with the unique anticipation that the pulling of every new print brings to an edition. It is a process with a medieval feel to it. Wearing an ink-smeared apron with black fingernails has a special appeal and when not in the studio you might be mistaken for a mechanic.  I always felt like I was accomplishing something when I was wearing a dirty ink-stained apron.

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From the days when I started making prints until now the technical advances in reproducing images have been amazing. The digital ink prints we are offering from my etchings are sharp, clean and crisp and can be blown up to any size. The textured etching paper and the way the ink toned beveled edges reproduce make for a very realistic etching feel. For a more detailed inspection of the etchings go to the store.

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Concerning these prints feel free to email me at MuleseumInfo@gmail.com