Life happened. I had to work on some other stuff for a few days and then I got a cold (thankfully I didn't have Covid). I fell a bit behind with my timeline for this project, but I'm back at it. For the past week I've worked on getting my etching plates ready: I filed the edges, put a mordant-resistant backing on all the plates, polished and degreased the surfaces, coated the plates with asphaltum and started needling the plates. I have prepped sixteen plates of different sizes. Each plate will hold different image elements based on key ideas of my research, which I will then combine and layer in a series of prints.
The asphaltum is a mordant-resistant tar and wax based coating through which I then draw my images with a steel needle to expose the copper. When I put the plate into an acid bath, the mordant bites into the exposed parts of the plate, which will later hold the ink. I had to improvise a bit and set up a work space in the kiln shed to coat my plates. Fortunately the weather is getting warmer now that spring is here. I don't have any ventilation in my basement studio and I don't have access to the downtown print studio yet, so I try to get as much as possible done from home. I've tried to book some time at the print studio to etch my plates, but with pandemic restrictions it seems booking time is more complicated than I anticipated. I hope to figure out a solution this coming week, so I can continue.
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