My friend Giovanny, a model who poses for me often, was going through a rough time last year. We all have those periods in our lives, and I was sympathetic. One day in spring, he showed up looking different, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He was rounding the corner. This portrait is a multi-media print made from sketches and photos I took that day. I believe it captures a moment of pure joy.
Giovanny en Paraiso, original silkscreen and intaglio print, 2023. 22” x 15” (image size 16” x 11”) on rice paper laminated to Rives de Linge paper. Edition of 16, paper variable. $800.
Giovanny decribed it more eloquently on social media: “Little did I know that the colors of my life would be represented in such a way that it would illuminate this new path…a path filled with possibilities and true freedom … My face gleaming with hope, my hands gently embracing life.” I’m flattered.
AND NOW, FOR PRINTMAKING GEEKS ONLY:
I love printmaking! This piece is a combination of silksreen and intaglio techniques. Christian Ward, professor at LBCC, helped me figure out the approach:
First, after working out the composition, I made an etching plate. I wanted to emphasize the details of the face and hands, and the delicacy of line etching was perfect for that element.
Next, I prepared six different Duralar films with ink and brush, one for each color of the silkscreen element, each to be exposed onto a screen coated with photosensitive emulsion, creating a stencil. The colors were printed in succession on various shades of rice paper.
For each print, the center of the etching plate was inked À la poupée in two colors, (dark red and dark green) and then covered with a split-font top roll in translucent shades.
Finally, the printed rice paper, dampened, was laid onto the plate and sprinkled with adhesive. Heavy printing paper, also dampened, was laid over all, and package was run through the etching press, printing the image in the center and laminating the papers together, in a process called Chine collé.
Whew! It took months, but I think each element contributes to the whole in its own way.