In the printmaking tradition, an artist typically moves
through various proofs to the final state of an image and
then duplicates that image in a sizeable edition. Many contemporary
artists, including myself, favor printmaking techniques
because the aesthetic suits their expression and provides
the opportunity to use part of an earlier work in another
piece as an idea progresses--not necessarily to make duplicates.
Only a single print may result from months of labor. In
my work there are many such prints; they are identified
as editions of one (1/1).
Each print begins with a drawing of the natural world,
hence the predominance of organic form. As the concept of
the piece develops from the drawing, color and shape establish
the aesthetic. I think of a print, especially a series of
prints, as riffs on a theme, like jazz, the image constantly
moving to add another viewpoint, another feeling, another
rhythm, each version standing alone, yet related to the
whole.
The predominant technique in my work is relief printing.
I use softwood blocks cut with hand tools. The printing
is done with oil-based inks using only hand pressure. No
presses or mechanical equipment is used. I find a peaceful,
intimate relationship to ideas and materials in this simple
application. If a piece incorporates other media, it is
so noted.