BY LESLIE REGO
To produce etchings, imagery is incised into a ground that has been layered on a thin copper plate. The plate is then soaked in a bath of watered-down acid, which eats grooves into the exposed areas. The longer the copper is left in the bath, the deeper the acid will penetrate into the grooves. These deep furrows will take more ink, leaving darker areas in the final prints. With different tools, the printmaker can rework the original lines, creating burrs alongside the furrows. When printed, the areas with burrs will generate a more ragged line. The printmaker can also rub with a burnisher, which will erase some lines or make them more shallow.
November reminds me of etchings. Summer and autumn foliage has disappeared. What is left are big shapes, thick and thin lines. I see the etched lines of tree trunks, branches and twigs. I see the ragged edges of seed heads in the meadows. It is as if November’s printmaker has etched his plate with drypoint, which has thrown up multiple burrs, making the original line fuzzy.
November is full of etching plates that have not been entirely wiped clean. If the printmaker has deliberately left ink on his plate, a gray haze will result during the next printing, leaving a dark surface tone. This gives greater depth to shadows. November meadow grasses have deep darks. The piled leaves on the ground show dark umbers. The earth is a mass of multiple shades of brown.
The colors of November are not the bright colors of summer flowers or autumn leaves. Umbers are prolific. The color beige is everywhere. Beige, originally from French, refers to cloth made from sheep’s wool that has not been bleached or dyed. The color is pale, but can easily take on a warm cast. The grasses in the meadows are combinations of taupe, buff, barley and ecru. Ochre and sienna are mixed with the beige.
November is the month of contrast, of understated color and overstated line. November is the month that has put the printmaker’s talent to test. It is also the month that puts the colorist’s ability to test. Can the printmaker produce an etching full of beautiful lines? Can the colorist create a painting of restrained beige tones that sing and vibrate? Looking out across the meadow, I know that both the printmaker and the colorist can bring harmony and beauty to the muted month of November.
Leslie Rego is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, artist and Blaine County resident. To view more of Rego’s art, visit leslierego.com.
