Printmaking is so incredibly process driven. I have found that most print makers are more interested in the process than the art itself! That seems quite harsh but from what I’ve seen, that is the main thing that gets printmakers invigorated! I don’t blame them, there is a lot about process which is to be enjoyed. Printmaking was difficult for me. I am too used to getting directly stuck into the finished image and know my way around paint far better than an etching plate or silk screen. It forced me to be a little more measured in my approach and really think about how things layer but I think the biggest thing was flatness. I feel with printing that your often fighting against the flatness of the image – usually losing!
I began getting really interested in making the most of the flatness of my paintings, through changing process I was able to achieve this. In the print rooms I came across smooth film that I could paint on for screen-print stencils. I admit that I was more interested in the painterly opportunities a really smooth surface has to offer. I think this was one of many things in print making that reaffirmed my passion for paint. I do give printmaking a lot of credit for my developments in my paintings as the processes have always forced me to push myself beyond my own understanding. This photo film has a direct link to my current painting process. I subconsciously judge many of my paintings from these small images.
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