wood engraving

Attracted by the liveliness of the marks and the degree of fineness the tools produce, I enjoy the methodical process of engraving with burins on the end-grain of maple.  Subject matter draws from personal experience and interests, but is concerned primarily with a search for imagery that has universally held meaning.  The result is a relief print.

"Wood Engravings" are cut in the end-grain of very dense wood using solid tools, like those used for metal engraving.  Images made this way tend to have subtle tonal value and texture.  ("Woodcuts" are cut in the plank side of the wood using gouges, chisels, and knives, making bold prints with less tonal value and more of the artist's expressive mark.)  Historically the preferred material has been boxwood, now available from exotic sources in very small sizes, glued-up to form larger blocks.  Maple and some South American hardwoods are available to me, and a synthetic substitute called "Resingrave" can also be used with remarkable similarity of results.  The dense end-grain block supports the sparkling detail that distinguishes the character of the prints made from them.  Because the block is prepared by polishing it to a mirror surface, the finest line or tiny dot will appear in the print.  The engraved marks are the light in the image.

The Relief-Printed Image: Darkness - ink - is supported by the uncut surface of the block.  The relief-printed image is seen by the light admitted by the marks of the engraver's various tools.  Thus the engraver must be keen to the sources and effects of light on the subject, and how, via those marks, light describes form.  

Technical Info: the prints are made using a 1950s era Nolan No. 1 Proof Press, a manually operated cylinder printing press.  To make each print the block is inked with a brayer, the paper laid upon the block, and the cylinder is drawn across the paper and inked block.  The paper is then lifted from the block, carrying the ink transferred from the uncut areas of the block.  Wood blocks are "type high" (0.918 in.) and can be set with metal type in the press.  A surprising amount of finesse can be employed with what seems to be a simple steel casting and a hard rubber cylinder, using makeready similar to that on the tympan of a platen press.

I sell my prints, carefully matted in 4-ply museum board and sealed in a clear envelope.  For an average, the 6x4 images are $125.  Other sizes are relative to that range.  My handmade books sell for $500. to $750., in very limited editions.  I'll ship by USPS or UPS, those fees are added to the sale total.  I will also work on commission for bookplates, illustrations, portraits, or a limited set of cards with envelopes.  Fees are based on the ambition of the work.  Soon I'll activate an ordering and payment system on this website, until then send me a note on the "contact" page.

My Statement: Artistic work is most successful when it engages the viewer with images and forms that have meaning beyond the self.