What the Heat Brought About

The Thrasher Place

It was fifteen years ago that John Cobb and I started a large copper etching.  If you don't know John Cobb, you should.  He is a painter, and not your ordinary painter.  He is the only painter I know that can work using the almost forgotten technique of egg tempera on gesso with gold leaf on bolo like the painters of the 13th -16th century did in Italy.  He also works with oils and acrylics, and his subject matter is sometimes religious and yet contemporary.  Sometimes he turns his eye to landscape and translates what he finds with incredible detail and content.

All this being said, fifteen years ago we started an etching.  I was the collaborating master printer, and the landscape he drew on the very large plate (22" X 28") became dense and mysterious.  At some point we tried a technique that unintentionally darkened a large area and discouraged us both.  We decided to take a break.  John would come back when he was ready and we would tackle the plate again.

Detail of "The Thrasher Place"

It was a long break.  It was fifteen years.  Two weeks ago, the heat brought John out of his warm studio into the cool AC of Flatbed with the plate and all our old proofs.  "Can we fix this?", he asked.  "If there is copper, there is hope." I answered.  He set to work burnishing, re-etching, and polishing.  Tracy Mayrello, our master printer of editioning, got her magic hands on the plate and pulled a proof every time John made changes.  She, John and I fell into the project, losing ourselves in the beautiful mark making. Yesterday, a final proof was pulled that did that "take your breath away" thing that prints sometimes do.  You can see an image of the whole print at the beginning of  this blog, and also a very small detail of that print to the right.

We determined to print a small edition of 30 of what John has titled "The Thrasher Place."  John and Flatbed will co-publish this print, and so to finance the printing, we are offering a very deep discount to three collectors who want to buy the print before it is editioned.

Let us know if you want to come and see it the final proof in person. (Prints always look better in person.)  Since it is "hot" off the press, it is in the back and we'll need to get it out for you ahead of time.

Katherine