Holding On

Holding On.

Copper Etching, Photo etching, Screen Print, Hand coloured.

45cm x 45cm. 2010.

Holding On is my most recent print that I submitted to the footprint International Print Competition in Norwalk, CT (click on image to enlarge).The image is one foot square (hence footprint); the paper size is 18"x18". I should hear back from the jury by early May.

A few years back I made Holding On as a painting and I reused the same motif now for my print. Holding On is about me holding on to my memories from Paraguay that I don't want to let go. At the same time, this clinging to my memories and holding on to my homesickness prevented me for quite some time to really get my feet on the ground here in Winnipeg.

I tried a few new technical things in this print, for example the photo etching for my face. I read quite a bit about Intaglio type and less toxic printing with the ImagOn film in a book by Keith Howard and I really wanted to try it. I had quite a bit of problems getting the halftone and the developing of the film right, but I'm satisfied with the result considering it's my first photo etching. Also new is the combination of etching and screen printing. I created a stencil for the blue background with rubylith that I exposed to the screen which allowed me to work with a lot of detail and accuracy. After the etching was dry, I screen printed a translucent layer of blue over the print. The screenprint makes the blue very smooth and even. All the other colours are handcoloured again. I hope that this print will be the beginning of a series of footprints that explore my emotional experience of places over the next few years.