Sharon Posing during Figure Class

Drypoint Etching printed on Archival
Italian Printaking Paper, Image area
5" x 7", margins, 2" $100.00

I did this from a photograph that I took of
this model. She has been modelling for me
personally, and for my classes, for about 12
years. I have done at least ten paintings of
her. She is a fantastic model, even now at
the age of 50, after bearing, raising, AND
homeschooling six children! She just has a gift
for modelling. And, did I mention - she's also
an artist, with a real gift for color, but unfortunately
not a lot of time to make art. I own one of her
paintings. It's a luscious painting of a tomato done
in acrylic. I keep it in my kitchen, and get enjoyment
out of it every day.

I did say, when I introduced myself, that I would
be working in several different media. I just can't
help it. It is not that I am a dilletante. I actually
have a Masters in Printmaking, but have been
much more of a painter in the past 25 years. But,
every once in a while I get struck by the urge to
make drypoints.

They don't take long. All you have
to do is make a drawing with a diamond-tipped
scriber on either a zinc, copper, or acetate plate,
ink it up with etching ink, soak your paper and blot
it, and then run it through your etching press, and
Voila! You have a print. And you can make about
ten more good prints.

To get more than that you really do
need to have your plate electrolitically steel-faced
(can't do that to plastic, of course). They (whoever
"they" are...) have actually taken some Rembrandt plates
that he himself cancelled by scoring them with a big
X - indicating he didn't intend to make any more prints
from them - and had them steel-faced, just to make
money off of them. Greed will make people do really
inane things. Expecially in the art market.