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I call myself a memory keeper and a story teller.  And my artwork tends to be a hybrid of so many techniques, old and new, layered upon each other sometimes sharing the truth, but most times sharing fiction.

Printmaking is the one common denominator that I retreat to most often as a starting point.  It is in my opinion the best way to transfer an image onto just about any kind of substrate whether that image is a repurposed photograph or just a simple line drawn randomly.  And from this start, the possibilities are endless of how I can add and take away from that image, manipulating it into something, the likes I have never seen before.

Of course by the time I am ready to print an intaglio plate which is my favorite method, it isn’t always easy or convenient to get access to equipment or even a studio that offers me a non-toxic environment in which to explore my crazy ideas. 

My current work around for this challenge has been to return to school and access studio time at the University of Guelph, slowly (and I do mean slowly as I estimate I will graduate 20??) working on a studio arts degree.  This university gives me access to both a wonderful print studio and an analog photography studio just a short drive from my home studio.

As I move into my final years of study I am continuing to find ways to marry photography and printmaking and at the same time, find ways to upgrade my home studio to carry on once my studies are finished.

I dream of owning a press.  I have plans to make a nice one and a Mechanical Engineer Nephew who will one day help me build it.  But in the meantime – I just spent the past couple of weeks building this:

 This little beauty was built using a 3D Printer.  Ironic – I know.

Here are the parts before I assembled this:

And while you would think it would be just another Lego kit project, nothing snapped together as I was hoping and I had to do some minor brain surgery.

So for my May Day Print project I am going to take this girl for a test drive and see what she can do.

I want to give a shout out thank you first to Martin Schneider who through the Open Press Project gave me access to his 3D printing plans and files.

Secondly I thank the Guelph Public Library for letting me use their 3D Printer for free and waiving the maximum 2 hour sessions to allow me to print all my press parts.