Printmaking

Over the centuries many techniques have been developed for intaglio printmakers to erode the surface of copper plates: hard ground, soft ground, sugar-life ground, aquatint, white ground, spit bite, and dry point. I have become well versed with these techniques but I have added a new twist to the process: my use of paper.

Printmakers are very aware of the importance of the paper used. Among the elements of printmaking, color, inks, paper, technique, the choice of paper can radically affect the end result. I have an affinity for paper, starting perhaps from my Japanese cultural legacy, but also developed through my own artist-made paper work. My desire to experiment with paper and printmaking has led me back to Japanese paper with intaglio printmaking.

Traditional printmakers often use Japanese paper. When used in intaglio printmaking, backed by regular European paper, the process is called chine collé. What I have discovered is that I can print onto large sheets of lightweight Japanese paper without any support. The long-fibered, flexible paper allows me to overlap and layer images, taking many passes through the press with different plates without embossed plate marks. My favorite Japanese paper is one that has a hint of reddish earth tones. I find that this slight tone unifies the colors, whether subtle or bright.

recent series 2011

Letters to the Planet 2002