Watercolor Prints | 2017

Printing with water soluble colors is increasingly acceptable as the quality of the materials has improved greatly and the health concerns of using solvents has  made traditional oil based printmaking techniques  less attractive. Among the media used in this body of work are water-soluble wax crayons, traditional watercolor paints, water-soluble relief inks and water soluble intaglio inks. A variety of papers are also employed including BFK rag printmaking paper and Kozo or mulberry chine colle papers.

Essentially, it is the intense pressure of the etching press combined with the dampness of the printing paper that accounts for the high degree of color transfer during printing. In addition, the plates are often significantly textured accounting for the noticeable embossing of the papers. These images are structured on a grid pattern that is supportive of an emotional response to color.