a year later i continued with my 2x2 plates ... both zinc like ‘waimea’.   once again i carried the plate around for a week to create the texture along with a line drawing.  never came up with a name for the peacock but called the african jacana ‘waiting’ because thats what he looked like he was doing when i observed him.  the 2x2s is a series i plan on continuing having cut about 10 plates this time around in the print lab . . . so there are more to come.

during my mfa i lived outside of san francisco but in between classes and before the last bart train out of the city i spent time in the print lab ... experimenting a lot.  i even have some unfinished plates which i may revisit.  all plates were copper this semester.  there are more plates  than those posted.  these are more influential and/or made it to a final print run.

the ‘penguinis’ was the first series i printed.  in fact i printed the plates at the same time.  they were also the first prints i sold.   these plates are a style that still drives me to this day.  the low contrast is representative of both the knowledge and the distance in which i have been able to observe my subjects.   originally after applying a soft ground on the plate i carried them for a week ... in my sketchbook.   that created the texture before i did a second acid bath with the drawing.  i did this again with 3 zinc plates in 2008-09.  currently i have three plates already textured awaiting a drawing .... 2 zinc and 1 copper.

the print run:  the plan was to print 5 sets but i only had time for 3.  one set was damaged over the years but there were 2 individual prints of each besides  the sets.  there is also a series of ‘scrap’ art ... unsigned working proofs on small paper printed while trying to get the inking of the plate just right.  the plates were never destroyed so i am reworking them just a bit and wanting to do a new print series with blue.  the plates are copper and 2 x 2 inches.

i named the plate ‘grace’ because the okapi as big and boldly striped as they are still have this air of grace about them.  i kept the plate polished except letting a few nicks and scrapes occur.  i created my first texture the softness of the body with a red sharpie and salt ... the shadow has both cross hatching and marker.  all but one of the ‘grace’ prints hasn’t found a new home.  i did not take care of the plate it has two big scrapes that do not lend grace to the print . . . . i guess you could say it was naturally

destroyed.

‘the greats’ is straight out of my sketchbook.   i printed it on vellum to give the feeling of age.  i did not like the look of the plate on white paper . . . i would say that was my artistic voice talking to me.   vellum

is a very difficult paper to print on . . . but have love the results. 

this was the beginning of experimental paper printing.

this plate continued my exploration of texture, line, and shadow in etching.  ‘school’ is representative of my visits to the aquarium at the academy of sciences. the details of the fish lost in the flurry of movement.  but a few bright yellows and deep blacks bringing detail of the fish back into focus.  as with most things i use line texture and shadow instead of color to tell my story.

i started the plate running it through the printing press with a soft ground and paper towel on top to imprint texture ... then the acid bath and line work.  this plate had short print runs and is finished.

these two are plates i never did an official print run but have lots of little print tests on scrap paper.  they both have subtle textures that i never found a consistency in inking the plate.  ‘howie’ i like because of markings that are on the plate as well as the softer shadow line around the manatee drawn with a soft pencil before the first bath.  once again my subjects are from my observations.  ‘howie’ is the name of my daughters

adopted manatee.

‘the zebs’ is the first plate that i reworked through the acid baths a multitude of times ... about five times actually before my final print run.  the initial image created most of the texture on the plate ... it actually looked like a fossil.  that initial texture was created like the penguins ... by carrying it around in my sketchbook.   i originally printed 2 series of 4 prints.  both were different variations of brown ink and on different paper.  the limits of school and the mass amount of plates i was working on didn’t allow me to go any further. 

CURRENTLY:  i am reworking the plate and bringing it back to life from a very tarnished and neglected state.  it’s part of the learning experience.  it was always a hard plate to ink with consistency .... or at least to my critical eye (even one that loves flaws).  i am currently wanting to print one last series between 6-10 prints before destroying the plate.  to date only working proofs exist as i test blues and black ink while looking for that consistency in my inking process.  i recently added some drypoint lines to the areas i want the darkest ... hoping they catch more ink ... but we will have to wait for that outcome till i step back in the studio.  that is if i haven’t already. 

my favorite thing about this plate is how the texture seems to reflect like metal

... with it’s blurs, sharp points and shine.

living in north san diego county the print lab was at mira costa college ... they even had stones for stone lithography. 

i literally crawled out of bed and walked up the hill to work in the lab.  you’ll see prints from this time in all three categories.

chickens are pretty domestic subject for me but these guys are from australia and hang out with an artist friend of mine while we skype.  i ran two print runs playing with color and two different papers.   besides my mom loves chickens !

‘t-1’  symbolizes top .... so ‘bottom’ is a bit more obvious .... the bottom.   trying out different animals in my early stages of playing with plexiglass i started working with a fish.   i was not pleased with it so i turned the plate over and starting working on an african crane.   when i got to the printing press and ran my first run of the crane  a ghost print of the fish appeared.  after the second run i decided i liked it so i ran a series of fish prints.    the catch is ... and the reason for the top and bottom naming .... i printed both at the same time.  it was tricky inking both sides  and trying not to ruin the ink on the other.  for some reason i had a lot of fun  printing this plate.

like ‘the greats’ i went for the sketchbook study composition while  still working on plexiglass.  i printed in a blue/black ink.

i was finishing up my  illustrations  for my children’ book ... my masters project that i sold to a publishing house ... while i was in the print lab.   for the letter ‘w’ i was working on water lilies so i did an etching of them focusing on line and shadow.  currently i am reworking this plate with some of the techniques i have currently been using (2017) .... hoping it ends up with a good second run before destroying the plate.

early 2000s