Pushing Up Daisies

Here are two versions of "Pushing Up Daisies." According to the Wordsworth Book of Euphemisms, the original phrase, circa mid- nineteenth century, was "to turn one's toes to the daisies." In this first one, I have added pastel and pencil markings.


A word about my process: I apply one or more background colors via a roller, using oil-based etching or linoblock inks onto a plexiglass plate. (I am in the process of switching to water-based inks.) I work on top of the rolled colors with brushes and turpentine washes, as if I were working wet on wet on a canvas. When I 'm finished, I place the paper on top of the plate (usually BFK Rives) and apply pressure using a baren to transfer the image. Once the print has dried I may add pencil, oil pastel, pastel and/or collage elements to further enhance the piece.

Pushing Up Daisies 2

Unlike most other forms of printmaking where colors are added one by one, the process demands that you create the entire print in one shot, as one might choose to do when painting. For me, this mirrors life. I am usually quite satisfied with the image while it is still on the plate, just as many of my ideas and plans seem perfectly conceived while still in my mind. In transferring the image to paper, there are surprising changes. The most carefully rendered areas fall short of my expectations and a "mistake" often turns out to be a happy accident.