Why do you prefer the discipline of printmaking over other mediums and how has printmaking assisted in communicating your style and theme ?
I began printmaking about 10 years ago , I had always drawn , particularly pen and ink drawings so printmaking seemed a natural fit . Right from the start the process engrossed me . It ’ s about the ‘ flow ’ ( Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi ). ‘ The mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus , full involvement , and enjoyment in the process of the activity .’
Preparing plates allows me time to consider what the final image is going to portray .
Everything is a bit of a surprise ; left-hand drawing becomes right-hand composition .
You don ’ t really know what you ’ ve got until the very final moment and even then , no two prints are the same . The result is a collaboration of artist and process - a synthesis of subject matter , emotion , materials , and techniques ; that ’ s exciting .