Original hand printed limited edition etching - This is a limited edition of only 20
Image size 10" X 14"  Mount size 20" X 16"
I am an artist / printmaker working with metal and acid, wax, paper and ink to create intricate limited edition prints.
Creating an etching is a complicated but fascinating process involving many layers and stages each with their own challenges and fulfilment.
To make an etching I coat a zinc plate with wax and draw into it with a needle. The plate is then immersed in a bath of nitric acid that 'bites' grooves into the plate wherever the metal is exposed. When the acid has bitten to a satisfactory depth I clean the plate and recoat it using a soft wax known as a ‘soft ground.’ Into this ground I then etch impressions of feathers, leather, lace, leaves and grasses numerous times, gradually building up the textures and tones until the image is complete. 
To make a print the plate is then inked by hand; pressing the ink into the lines and wiping then polishing the surface with muslin and tissue paper. This is run through the press with damp good quality rag paper that lifts the ink from the lines creating a mirror image of the picture. I then print a limited edition of 20 that are numbered, named and signed. As the etching plates are individually hand inked and wiped slight variations in the colour and tone across the editions is characteristic of these artworks
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SheilaRobertsPrints