ORIGINAL PRINTS

“I prefer to print small editions of usually no more than 20, especially if I’m using a large image. All of the prints may be slightly different depending on the pressure of the press.”

In drypoint and carborundum printmaking, the areas in the plate which are to hold ink are covered with a mixture of carborundum – a gritty sand-like substance – and glue. When dry that area retains ink and gives a rich velvety surface which can be drawn into or disturbed. The artist can also draw directly into the plate using a sharp pointed steel tool which leaves a mark but also pushes up a furrow, similar to ploughing. When the plate is inked and wiped, both the inscribed mark and the furrow hold the ink, printing as a thick, soft line.

Carborundum is a technique where a mix of acrylic binders and carborundum grit are painted on to the surface of a plate and then inked as a intaglio plate. Its raised texture typically gives a deep tone, rich colour and strong emboss into the paper. It is a extremely versatile and very painterly, creating a rich printed imagery. I believe it is the closest a printmaker can get to painting and offers great scope for sculptural and graphic treatments. The grit is available in several grades – fine, medium and coarse – each giving different effects.

Drypoint is an intaglio technique where the image is drawn directly into the plate using a sharp drypoint tool. The resuilting incised line has ridges of metal either side giving the characteristic rich blurred line.

From the Past

40cm x 70cm
Drypoint with carborundum
Edition of 10

Journey

58cm x 96cm
Drypoint with carborundum
Edition of 10

Field Study

50cm x 74cm
Drypoint with carborundum
Edition of 10

Forever Changing

56cm x 76cm
Drypoint with carborundum
Edition of 5

Cascade

53cm x 66cm
Drypoint with carborundum
Edition of 10

Watcher Of The Skies

48cm x 55cm
Original carborundum
Edition of 10

Black Marks

56cm x 69cm
Drypoint with carborundum
Edition of 10

Blue Rage

60cm x 98cm
Drypoint with carborundum
Edition of 10

Primal

56m x 78cm
Drypoint with carborundum
Edition of 5

New Journey

49cm x 74cm
Drypoint with carborundum
Edition of 3

Wind Of Change

59cm x 98cm
Drypoint with carborundum
Edition of 5

Solva

58cm x 57cm
Drypoint with carborundum
Edition of 5

Taba

57cm x 89cm
Drypoint with carborundum
Edition of 5

Black Nile

57cm x 89cm
Drypoint with carborundum
Edition of 5

Thin Ice

45cm x 60cm
Drypoint with carborundum
Edition of 10

CHRIS HARRISON, BIRCHAM GALLERY

“I have never watched Ross working and maybe wrong, but I imagine burst of energy resembling a tornado between times of contemplation just like the potent stillness before and after a storm.”