When I begin a monotype, I mix printers ink to make the colors. I use a lot of copper, gold and other metals mixed with earth colors, adding plate oil and thinner to form a consistency that gives a rich texture. I apply the inks to a plexiglass plate with brushes, rollers and my fingers. When an image takes shape, I transfer it onto a sheet of handmade paper. This first pressing, an underpainting, metaphorically, forms the bones. Now I must add the muscles, the blood, and skin to bring the layers to life. Again, I return to the place, adding lines and blocks of color. I wipe away some areas of the new painting, exposing parts of the original layer. This develops the image, creates dimension and a sense of time. The spontaneity of the process, the layering of the paint on the plate, the wiping away of sections, rebuilding of other sections, allows full expression of the necessary creation and destruction out of which art forms. . .

Working with multiple pressings, usually four of five runs, creates the almost three-dimensional surface. Each pressing adds complexity, crispness, and texture. I want the paper to glow. I want the spirit to move. The final piece is an original: Only one print, a MONOPRINT, composed of multiple layers, grows from this process. Sometimes I do use the original drawing as a starting point for another monotype. Then the process begins again. The result will be different. . .

Priscilla Hoback