All my original prints are concieved of and created within a particular printmaking process such as Lithography (either stone and/or ball-grained aluminium plates), Intaglio, Silk Screen, Relief Printmaking, or a combination of these four processes. Some editions also contain handwork Prisma colour conte sticks and/or water colour), and collage elements.
Hand printed Aluminium Plate Waterless Lithograph
Paper: Japanese paper
Paper Size: 25.0 x 25.0 cm; 5" x 5"
Image Size: 25.0 x 25.0 cm; 10" x 10"
Number of Prints in Edition: 10. Numbered: 1/10 - 10/10
Artists Proofs: 1/2 - 2/2
Studio Proofs: 0
Number of Prints Available: 10
Price: $190.00 Canadian
About the Image: shown are my mother and father, both my maternal and paternal grandparents and my maternal great grandparents.
I grew up not knowing my grandparents. I didn’t even know the names of my great grandparents. People left their homes and families and moved an ocean and a continent apart. They never saw each other again and eventually they lost contact with their parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. This prompted me to read English history books because both sides of our family came from England; on my father’s side they came to North America in 1643, on my mother’s side they came to Canada in 1912. I was always interested in genetics and genealogy and over the years, through the diligent work of my sister and other relations, I learned more about our extended family. I at least know their names now and where they lived, died, and are buried. I finally had some roots and an extended family, even though many of them had been dead for hundreds of years.
In 1994 I visited my father a few months before he died. During my last visit with him, I looked at him across the kitchen table and wanted desperately to ask him why he married our mother. Here was a man, my father and I knew little about him, I didn’t even know what his favourite colour was. It was a sad moment especially because I could not overcome my fear of how him he would react to such a personal question. The moment was gone, and I never had another opportunity to ask him this, or any other question. After he died, I began to explore the dynamics of family relationships so that I had a better understanding of the man who was my father. It’s not an easy task because of the many complexities found in all family relationships. And there were external factors to consider: the times he was born into, his upbring, where they lived, how he and his siblings were treated as children/teens, what was expected of him and others, access to food, education, money, and travel.
I have a series of images that are based in family imagery. Creating them helped me learn more about my siblings and myself and, in an indirect way, my father. I will never know why my father married my mother but when I asked my mother why she married my dad she said, “For lack of better sense.” She never elaborated on what this meant and so I can only ponder what these words might mean.