Lois Tarlow
Newton, MA
Notes from an Ancient Entomologist, Solar Etching
16.5 x 13
“Notes from an Ancient Entomologist” combines my interest in insects and ancient calligraphy. In fact, to me they look similar. I drew the image with a croquille pen on rice paper, scanned it, and printed it on a transparent film. I ‘aged’ the image by lightly rubbing it with a flat litho crayon.
On a board a little larger than the image, I placed a foam pad. Next, a photo-sensitized steel plate covered with an aquatint screen. Then, a piece of heavy glass. I firmly clamped the ‘sandwich’ together, and exposed it to the sun for 85 seconds. I quickly replaced the aquatint screen with the image film, clamped all layers together, and re-exposed it for another 85 seconds. To etch the plate, I thoroughly washed it under water with a mushroom brush, dried it, hardened it in the sun, inked it, and printed it.
Voila, a solar plate etching!