Sourced mainly from Grimsby and London, most of the basic ideas for ‘Night Etchings’ were formed over a winter period. The etching plates, made a few months later, allowed time for each idea to filter through layers of memory and imagination, eventually finding expression through the fluid application of the printmaking process.
Working from memory in this way simplifies the initial perception of the senses and can help identify the emotional essence of place.
I use a drypoint method for making prints, where an image is incised directly onto an etching plate with a diamond point needle. Ink is then worked into the scored lines and rolled under pressure through a printing press where the image transfers onto paper, producing a very fine printed line.
Further modifications can be introduced to this process such as leaving greater amounts of ink on the plate surface for additional tonal effects.
Often I’ll experiment with these ‘fields’ of tone as new ideas emerge, allowing each print the potential for a unique expression.
