About the work

A beautiful butterfly rests for a moment on a delicate poppy stem. With this print, I wanted to create the look of a vintage print. I chose to execute a copper intaglio etching to achieve a high level of detail with a precise, yet delicate line quality. Copper intaglio etching is a printmaking technique that was first introduced in Italy in the 15th Century. Using a special “etching needle” the artist makes a drawing, in reverse, on a sheet of copper that has been treated with a wax-like “ground.” The drawn lines expose the copper under the ground. Once the drwaing is complete, the copper plate is placed in an acid bath. The acid “bites” the lines of the exposed copper, “etching” them into the plate. These lines hold the inkthat will print the artist’s image. Ink is rubbed onto and then wiped off the plate. A sheet of paper is placed on top of the inked plate. The plate and paper are run through a hand-turned press, creating the final “hand-pulled” print.