Tree Mallow - Original Etching buying & Engraving, Hand-printed, Limited Edition

Etching and Engraving.
Plate size 7 7/8 x 3 5/8 inches.
Sheet size app. 11 1/4 x 6 3/4 inches.
Signed in pencil.
Printed by the artist.
Edition of 75 in black ink.

Tree Mallow
This etching was drawn from a wild plant I found growing when I lived on Tomales Bay. The flowers were purple.
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This piece is sold two ways:
1) Just the etching, unmounted and unframed, with a description of the piece included along with a description of the process. The piece is enclosed in a plastic sleeve protector and shipped flat in rigid packing.

2) Mounted (attached temporarily to rigid foam core or mat board with acid free tape) and unframed with the description adhered to the back, enclosed in a plastic sleeve protector. A description of the process is included along with an extra description of the piece which can be adhered to the back when the recipient mats and frames the piece. This mounted version makes it easier to give as a gift as it is more protected and can be handled or wrapped. It is shipped flat in rigid packing.
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This etching was hand-printed on an etching press from a zinc or copper etching plate created using tools & techniques varying little from Rembrandt's in the 1700's. An etching hard ground (dark coating consisting mostly of beeswax and tar) was applied to the hand-polished plate and the actual drawing was done into this dark waxy ground with a sharp stylus (etching needle) which exposed the shiny metal. This original drawing was destroyed during the etching process as the drawn plate was immersed in an acid bath and sequentially removed, washed off, dried off and had areas that had etched enough tarred out (protected by painting on liquid tar). Finally the buying entire ground with tarred out areas was removed with paint thinner. Preliminary prints were printed and this process was repeated several times as Stephanie developed the composition. Finish work was done by hand cutting areas with a burin. The finished plate (with lines and marks now below the surface) was hand-inked and wiped with the highest quality thick etching ink, and printed on the finest quality etching paper (100% rag acid free French made Rives BFK.)