EDGAR GETS AN IDEA (Raven Series) Black ink, Etching, Hand pulled, limited edition 6 inch x 8 inch 2020Poe’s tragic early life was filled with death, fear and abandonment. By the age of six he refused to go anywhere near a cemetery for fear of evil spirits and ghosts. In “The Raven,” Poe explores several topics that are found throughout his career, including the heartbreaking death of a beautiful woman at a young age, and the grief of the young man for his lost love. The motif of the “devil-beast” as the omen of despair and grief, appear in the form of the raven. In “The Raven,” the black bird stands as the essence of grief caused by loneliness and separation and the vision of a ghostly presence. Here, Edger Allen Poe struggles to find a symbol for his fear. A large Black Bird suddenly swoops overhead tossing his hair into disarray. Poe stops and takes one long look at Raven. Then this ebony bird beguiling his sad fancy into smiling, he suddenly recognizes his new antagonist. http://larryvienneauprints.blogspot.com/2018/06/edgar-gets-idea-edgar-allen-poe-and-his.htmlI have had a lot of people ask "What is a handmade print?" I made this video of to show the printing process. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNdYxOSKt1Y&feature=youtu.beI often find inspiration from a traditional or historic account of the raven. First I decide on my title. Having a title helps me with the image and mood of the piece. Humor is often important but I also select titles that force the viewer to think more about the imagery. Next, I look through references to find the right pose or gesture for the raven or ravens. Then I spend hours doing preliminary sketches, followed by a series of drawings using pencil, traditional gouache (opaque watercolor), ink, and charcoal. My next step involves using digital technology. I scan the drawings and rework them with Photoshop. This digital tool allows me to adjust the value of the drawing and I can even move and reorganize the image. I use filters if needed. Next, I print the drawing from my computer and continue to draw with the traditional tools. I repeat this process several times so the traditional and new technologies merge seamlessly. In 2009 I began working with photopolymer etching plates. In the past an etching involved coating the plate with a petroleum bases sealer then emerging the plate into a vat of acid, cleaning with solvents, recoating, and more acid baths. The process was extremely hazardous to the artist as well as the environment. In 2009 I began working with newly perfected and safe photopolymer etching plates. These are UV light sensitive printing plates, which are exposed to sunlight and processed in tap water!! In the past, I spent 20-40 hours creating the printing plate. Now I use that time to do my finished drawing. I use my computer and printer to transfer my drawings onto a transparent plastic sheet. This serves as my negative for the exposure to the sun! I use the photopolymer process to transfer the original drawing to a printing plate from which I can hand-print an edition. Finally, I write a narrative. This usually takes up most of my time!
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