The Block

Here is the 2nd state. Not much different from the 2nd state (not posted) - just another pass on the background aquatint. I think I’m going to take a break from these and finish some woodcuts I have started. I am planning at least 2 more Minotaur related etchings.
A few weeks ago I drove up to Green Hill Center in Greensboro to see the Bill Fick curated show PRINTED! It was great, you can read about it here. The intaglio stuff was pretty incredible. Lots of mezzotint. Seeing all that was inspiring, but makes me think I should stick to woodcuts for a while! It was great to see so many interesting and accomplished printmakers from NC represented. I wish I could have made the opening.

Slightly off topic, but etching is cool too, right? This is the next installment in the Minotaur series. If you are not familiar with the tragic and bizarre story of the Minotaur, you can google it. As with the first Minotaur etching, Ill be adding aquatint to tame the overall busy/muddiness of it. I have 4 pieces planned in this series.

Check out the the great interactive exhibition to go along with the MOMA’s real world show of Lucian Freud’s etchings. It has always amazed me how he “paints” with line. I’m also taken by his ability to pack so much tension and awkwardness into one image.

http://moma.org/exhibitions/2007/freud/home.html

Here is another round of aquatint. I think Ill leave it alone and move on now. I’m glad I did this print because it reminds me that I can move pretty quickly on these small etchings - a nice break from the more labor intensive woodcuts. I’m planning to do a few more of these Greek mythology etchings.

Here is the 2nd state. I added an aquatint background. 5 minutes in the ferric chloride did a lot more than I expected, but I like where it is going. I think I’m going to try one more round of aquatint to put a some sort of really dark shape behind the figure. I like that patterning is emerging from the darkness. I see that a few layers can really make things richer. I’ve always been one for the simple, direct and stark. When that approach succeeds it serves me well, but when it fails, it usually fails pretty miserably.

Here is a simple etching of the Minotaur. I had prepared a plate a while ago and thought it would be a good opportunity to try some of that scale-like patterning in an etching. I have since prepared a few more plates and plan to continue with a more Minotaur-related etchings. I have editioned this state and will probably add an aquatint shadow to push the background back and better define the edge of the figure.