Greetings!

Intaglio is a category of historic printmaking that was common in Europe beginning in roughly the late 1300s, when it was first developed. It didn't fall out of widespread use until newfangled printmaking technology like metal-plate lithography made it obsolete in the early 1800s. Within the category of intaglio there are three main historic methods: etching, engraving, and drypoint. There are very few modern commercial applications for this kind of printmaking, but the unique textures and details you can get with the process have kept it alive as an art medium. 

I fell in love with this kind of printmaking accidentally, by way of studying art history. It took several years for me to figure out methods and build tools that work for me to do it in my home studio, but now I have a cheap, portable intaglio setup I can bring anywhere! 

Although I've done a little etching and engraving, I've really started to focus on the other kind of intaglio: drypoint. In this process, a plate of metal or plastic is carved by hand with a needle to create a detailed image, which is then inked and run through a hand-powered press to create each print. Each print responds to slight variations in the paper, water, ink, and press, so no two are the same.

I designed and built the presses I print with, using old fence posts and scrap wood. Part of what I enjoy about this handmade printmaking is trying to make as many of the tools and components as I can. I make my own paper, moulds and deckles, and frames for displaying finished work from a variety of materials.