2008 began auspiciously with an inspiring and demanding photo-etching course taught by master printer Jim Stroud of Center Street Studio at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. It felt like a full semester of etching techniques compressed into two weeks by a talented and generous artist and teacher.
Photo-etching was used to transfer images to plates of sketches done in Cody, Wyoming in December. I loosely traced the original onto mylar with a pigma micron pen. The tonal still life is made from a scan of the original gouache painting, then output as a jpg to mylar on an ink-jet printer. Once the mylar image is done, copper plates, factory coated with light sensitive emulsion, are exposed to the mylar in a vacuum light table and developed in chemistry. After that, images are etched and further manipulated using hard ground, stage etch, spit bite, and acquatints of either spray paint or rosin.
Jim produces and publishes prints and letter press books with artists he invites to work in his studio. He brought many gorgeous portfolios to class to show us. Viewing his high quality craftsmanship at close range was a privileged experience. His archive is being acquired this year by University of Richmond in Virginia with an exhibition next month of selected prints.
Publishing Prints: Selections from the Center Street Studio Archives
February 6 to April 9, 2008
Joel and Lila Harnett Print Study Center
University of Richmond Museums
ABOVE: Cody, Wyoming, etching, 4.5″ x 6″ (11.43 x 15.24 cm), January 2008
Cody, Wyoming, etching, 4.5″ x 6″ (11.43 x 15.24 cm), January 2008
Cody, Wyoming, etching, 4.5″ x 6″(11.43 x 15.24 cm), January 2008
Cat with Rabbit and Gin, etching, 4.5″ x 6″(11.43 x 15.24 cm), January 2008