Etching On Brass

Here's a photo that Philip, one of the Spanish Village artists took of me. He took a bunch and sent me five. You can see more of his wonderful work on his website at www.philipjamesphoto.com. His photos are hanging in the studio across from me that he shares with the glassblower. We all love his work, and so did the judges at the San Diego County Fair this year. They gave him a first place for his photo of the San Diego trolley. He took this photo of me when we stayed late for Fourth Thursday last week. He put the camera on the table and took the photos that way.

Today I concentrated on etchings, the same pursuit I'm engaged above. I had one plate that I had finished drawing on, and so I put it in the ferric chloride for several hours. It turned out well. It was brass which tends to produce very crisp, fine lines with little or no false biting. I then cut it into four pieces in preparation for making it into bracelets. I don't know whether anyone will find brass an acceptable metal for bracelets, but I can wear them myself.

While I was waiting for the brass plate to etch, I started another brass plate that I plan to print. I had agreed tentatively to use my friend's press on Monday, but I don't know whether I will have sufficient plates ready to print. I don't want to waste his time if I'm not properly prepared. I'd like to have at least two or three new plates and I'd like to spend time repairing the plates I printed last time that have so much false biting on them. And if I attempt to repair them without success, I'll just use the same drawing and do them again. I can even use the back of the same plate to etch on. I've done that before when I ran out of plates.

It occured to me, while I was working on the new plate today, that I should use the plates for drawing rather than using paper. When I create a plate from a drawing with the idea of printing it, I find that the transfer of the subject matter isn't very successful. The lines are sometimes wobbly, not free the way they are in my sketchbook when I draw them the first time. When I work on plates to make bracelets, I draw directly on the plate and never bother with a preliminary sketch. In that way, the drawings are much freer and fresher looking.

I don't know. I guess I just need to keep practicing my drawing and my technique, and eventually I will produce some work that pleases me. In the meantime, the glassblower told me that one of her students was asking whether I'd teach her to etch. I suppose I could, but the problem is that I don't have a printing press, and the printing is certainly an important part of the whole process. I told her I'd think about it.