about
I am a painter, printmaker, and graphic artist.
My paintings range from plein-aire oils to larger scale studio work. Subjects are the landscape, snowplows, and trains. I often incorporate relief text or images into these paintings.
As a printmaker I work in relief prints: woodcuts, wood engravings, and linocuts. Images again derive from the landscape; birds, plants and insects round out my interests, a recent series of engravings are entitled "A Suite for St. Francis".
I also work in large scale charcoal drawings on mylar, most of these begin with photographic resources I shoot while hiking in the Adirondacks, Catskills, Colorado, and California.
Photo By Anthony Salamone
My wood engravings are a form of relief printmaking. To start a wood engraving I draw an image on the end grain of a block constructed from hard wood; I use maple. The surface is as smooth as glass when starting. I coat the drawing with thin printing ink to see the cutting more easily. I use a variety of well-honed engraving tools to cut the image. Any area that is to remain white is cut away- leaving the printing surface raised- or in relief. A very thin, even layer of ink is rolled onto the block, and the block is placed into the press, paper follows, and a print is made. I print on a Golding proof press ca. 1890.
Golding Press ca. 1890.
Transferring drawing to block of end grain maple
Removing waste with router bit in drill press
Chase is placed into the press and printing can begin. Ink slab and ink is seen on workbench to the left
Engraving tools and block for "Sign."
Sharpening engraving tools
Cutting block, engraving tools, and leather engraving pad
Finished block is put into the chase, blocks of wood and quoins lock it in place
Closer view of chase in press with proof of "Goat"
Woodcuts are also a form of relief printing- probably the oldest way to produce multiple images. The image is drawn on the surface of a plank of old wood- the wood is cut away leaving the image as a raised surface, ink is rolled on and a sheet of paper is placed on top. Pressure is applied to the back of the sheet of paper and a print is made. I print all my woodcuts by hand-rubbing the back of the paper with a wooden spoon to make the print.
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