The Prints

I use birch plywood 3/4" thick cut to the size of the image. The plywood is available in sheets 4' x 8' so that I can cut a piece as large as I am likely to ever want to print. Birch is not too hard to cut but stands up well to the sizes of editions I usually print. The plywood is considerably cheaper than birch planks, does not require joining to make large blocks and warping is almost nonexistent. I sand the plywood by hand to remove surface roughness but retain the grain. I mark any imperfections in the surface so that I can avoid them in the planning of the design.

I begin by grinding some inkstick in water and use a large watercolour brush to sketch out the composition. I use the ink to indicate the large areas of black and the direction of the marks. The grain pattern is extremely important in the planning of the design. Birch will tolerate some cutting against the grain, but it is hard work and not very controllable. I let it dry then work back into the ink with white conte crayon to indicate the white masses. I place the block on my easel and step back the length of my studio several times during this process to check the overall composition. I do not indicate any details of cutting but I do start to think about how I will deal with each part. It does not concern me that the landscape will end up reversed from the source image and I do not generally try to compensate for this reversal.

I cut the block with hand tools. I use a variety of gouges; some very tiny intended for miniature work and others wider. The smallest are palm tools; the larger, simply handheld. I also have a knife that I am fond of. I use it mainly to clean up the tight corners rather than using it to create the relief. I use a variety of cutting patterns and approaches throughout the block often looking to the underlying grain to suggest my approach. As I work I use a small roller to blacken the areas I have cut so I can see more clearly the progress of the work. Cutting the block generally takes three or four sessions. Sometimes there is a hidden knothole in the inner layers of the plywood or the birch decides to chip where I didn't want it to. My strategy is to remain flexible. It is more important to be true to the spirit of the image without getting caught up in too many picky details.

When I feel satisfied with the block, I will proof it. Using the same or similar paper to what I plan to use in the edition, I ink up the block and print it on the press. I am an old fashioned girl and still use oil based ink. For these prints, I used Daniel Smith Traditional Relief Black. I had the convenience of a roller the same width of the block when I was printing these images but have used a small roller for proofing prints. After I have pulled one or two prints, I proof off the excess ink on to newsprint and use a small amount of solvent to clean the block. I find this leaves the block with a silky polished finish. When I am ready to edition, this finish makes the inking of the block more uniform.

I examine the proof for the unexpected. Usually the changes I want to make are fairly small. I prepare the paper for the edition. I used 'mulberry' paper for this set of images. It is an oriental paper with great strength for its thickness.

I editioned these prints at the Manitoba Printmakers Association (MPA) shop using a large gear driven press. I printed the blocks face down on the bed of the press. This prevents the paper breaking over the edge of the block. It also reduces any embossment of the image. I generally print quite small editions. None of these blocks has an edition size larger than 10. I also print a couple of artist's proofs for my own archive and a studio proof for the MPA archive.

Once the prints are dry enough to handle, I check them for uneven inking and discard the bad proofs. I title, number and sign the good proofs with pencil on the lower margin. The bad proofs are destroyed.