Kathleen Cantin NH artist aquatint etchings many hot air balloon themes

Kathleen Cantin was born in 1951. She has lived and worked in both New Hampshire and Vermont, and the New England Countryside she admires provides inspiration for her images. She attended the University of New Hampshire. since then she has participated in several print exhibits, including the Second U.S. International Graphics Annual Exhibition. Her work is included in many collections throughout the United States, among them the Smithsonian Institute and the Decordova and Fairbanks Museums. Cantin's printing technique is done by drawing directly on the copper plates in the same manner as artists of the 15th Century. The plate is coated with an acid-resistant 'ground'. Drawing on the plate with a fine needle, the artist exposes the metal. The plate is then submerged into an acid bath. The exposed lines are 'bitten' by the acid, creating grooves that will accept the ink. When the grooves are the desired depth and thickness, the ground is washed off. Ink is worked into the grooves, and the excess is wiped off with a cheesecloth. Paper made from cotton fibers is dampened, and the paper and plate are run through a roller press. The rollers are typically wrapped in blankets, and the plate is actually pressed somewhat into the dampened paper. Thus, a true etching has a grooved edge in the paper once dry. You should be able to feel this at the edge of the image. It is caused by the edge of the plate. Since All of Kathleen Cantin's coloring is also done on the plate, an image may require several plates to create the rich colors. Each image is hand pulled through the printing press for each plate, requiring careful registration in order for each plate to line up properly with the last. This process is very difficult and is not attempted by many artists.