As the name monotype implies, it is a unique and singular print. A transfer to paper or canvas from a smooth flat non-absorbent surface (glass, Plexiglas, acetate, zinc or copper) which I have directly painted with brush or other non-incisive tools.
I began painting monotypes in 1979 and was inspired by the spontaneity and the freshness of the medium. For several years painting on zinc plates and printing the monotypes with an etching press, I produced an extensive body of oil-based works. During this period the toxicity of the oil-based medium began to affect my health, so in 1991 I stopped making monotypes. I continued to paint directly on canvas and paper with water-based oil and acrylic paint. One day, while making a collage element on a canvas surface, due to an accident, I discovered a method of using acrylic paint to produce monotypes. For several years my monotypes became thoroughly experimental as this new process was perfected. In the course of this investigation, I experienced a special technique of making an archival monotype superior to its oil-based predecessor. To my surprise all the traditional flavors that one would expect to view in a monotype were present; the only exception is the lack of a plate mark created by the pressure of the etching press. The etching press is not used in this new process; instead, the transfer from the plate is executed by hand. Because the plate surface is smooth and non-absorbent, the limitless workable viscosity of paint creates many exciting surfaces and textures.
I have found this new technique to be rich in possibilities both for new effects in color and texture and in its ability to move the viewer. These new works address fabrics, light and shadow, landscapes, and the metropolis.