Curling Art Glossary

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Acrylic: An acrylic polymer-based painting medium that is non-toxic and water soluble. Pigment + acrylic emulsion.

Archival: Have you ever seen old framed works of art on paper that have turned yellow, brown and brittle? That's what happens when archival (or conservation) framing is not used. Those yellowed mats are made from non-durable wood pulp and the adhesives are often common masking or cellophane tapes. Archival is a museum standard for the creation and framing of works of art. Archival materials consist wholly of acid-free papers and adhesives (no wood pulp or animal glues). In frames, the mats and backings are made of 100% rag board (cotton). Tapes are made of linen; pastes are made from wheat or other plant materials. Glass sits above the mat and does not come in direct contact with the art. A frame spacer that positions the glass above the art may also be used.

Artist Proof: An early 'proof' of an artist's printing plate (e.g., copper or zinc plate for an etching). The artist proof is essentially the first satisfactory print that defines when an artist determines a plate 'finished' and ready for printing in a full edition.

CARAN d'ACHE: Water-soluble colored crayons. They are often used alone or in combination with other water-based media like acrylics. An excellent medium for monotypes.

Chine colle: A collage technique where delicate China paper is glued to a stronger rag paper. This technique is often combined with printmaking as in my Rock Series etchings with Chine colle. The glue in this process is plant based and archival.

Etching: An intaglio printmaking process. A metal plate (zinc or copper) "bitten" with corrosive acid through lines scratched in a protective acid-resistant ground to create lines and textures. The plate is inked and printed on damp paper. In a press, the wet paper is forced down into the etched lines to grab the ink and transfer the image to the paper. Etching also refers to the printed image from an etched plate.

Hand-made paper: 100% rag papers that are pulped and moulded by hand. Papers have an uneven deckled edge that adds interest and character to a work of art.

Limited Edition: The body of prints made ("pulled") from a single printmaking plate. The resulting prints are considered multiple originals. The artist determines the number of prints that will be made -- this becomes the size of the edition. After the edition is printed, the plate is altered (or "Cancelled") to ensure the integrity of the limited edition. The artist signs and numbers each print from the edition. (e.g., 4/25 means the print is number four of a total number of 25 prints. Despite much hype, this is not necessarily the 4th print to have been made, only the order in which the prints were signed. Print number 1/25 is no more valuable than 25/25.)

Mat: The 4-ply paper board (100% rag is best) that separates a framed work of art from the glass. Essentially a cardboard frame. There are two pieces of board -- the backing onto which the art is hinged with acid-free tape and the top board into which an opening is cut reveal the work of art.

Mixed Media: The combination of two or more graphic techniques (etching, pastels, pencil, watercolor, acrylics, etc) to create a single work of art. Many of my mixed media are CARAN d'ACHE and acrylic paint.

Monotype: A work of art that is part "print" and part "painting." The artist draws/paints on a plate (glass, plastic, metal, etc.) then transfers the image onto paper by hand-rubbing or with a printing press. Each result is one-of-a-kind. The opposite of an "edition" where multiple originals are created.

Oil: Refers to centuries-old oil-based painting medium. Pigment + oil medium.

Original Print: A graphic print created and designed by an artist, typically signed and numbered in a limited edition. NOT a commercially printed reproduction.

Printmaking: In the fine arts, printmaking designates all the processes of the creation and production of "multiple originals" by hand, on paper. This includes etching, woodcuts, lithographs, mezzotints and more. The work is done either wholly or mostly by the original artist, and the number of prints -- the "edition" -- is limited. Individual prints are signed, titled and numbered by the artist. Printmaking does not include mechanically reproduced works of art. "Art prints" and "limited edition posters" have no connection to an artist's creative use of printmaking mediums but are marketing terms that mislead buyers into thinking they are buying original art.