I love working with monotypes. Seeing Degas' monotypes for the first time was revelatory for me. It's said that he would take a train journey and just stare out of the window at the passing landscape. Once at the studio he would pull out the plates and the oils and try to capture the memory of those fleeting fields. Looking at those prints, they feel so spontaneous and free, mysterious yet oddly specific.
I love that I don't know for sure what I'll get when I set the plate down to pull it through the press. And that's half the fun — not knowing. Since the image is reversed once pulled, It's one of the few ways I get to see my work the others might see it for the first time.
The second, lighter prints are called "Ghost Prints". They are pulled with what little ink might be left on the plate. Through their more delicate hues they exhibit a charm all their own.
Monotypes are a joy to do.
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