The McDonnells, Dave Sr. and Jr., were here last week from Boston. Maureen’s studio en the Sierra Nevada foothills outside Granada was just one more stop on Dave senior’s longtime quest for the great photogravure print. The novelty of Maureen’s approach this time was that they were going to use solar plates to create images based on four-color CMYK separations. It was an experiment for all concerned.
Dave Jr., recently retired, accompanied his father on this trip, both to get to know Granada and to try his own hand at printmaking, though he didn’t get much opportunity to pursue it, as the photogravure project was all consuming. Dave Jr. has this to say about his father’s work:
For decades he did what relatively few people could do in terms of creating his own photographic artworks from the initial conceptualization of what he wanted to “shoot” through creation of the finished print (and even beyond that to dry-mounting and framing). He also has always wanted to try new or little-used printmaking techniques. And when trying something new he would have no qualms at all about contacting the foremost experts in the world on that process, in some cases the actual process inventor, to discuss something or get more information.
Before Kodak discontinued its manufacture of those supplies critical to the Dye Transfer process due to lack of demand and very high costs, he was one of only a very small group of global printmakers who actively used this printmaking technique.  (It’s too bad that process was discontinued, because even years later dye transfer prints are truly stunning in terms of their colors and vividness.)
Maureen was struck by Dave senior’s sweet Irish character and sense of humor, and his willingness to try new techniques. As the days in the studio advanced, the three artists began to form a team, sharing the work, the criteria and the self criticism seamlessly, like explorers in the challenging landscape of fine-art printmaking. When it came time to leave all agreed they had not yet achieved the perfect solar-plate photogravure print, but they had advanced to the point where the objective was discernable in the near distance. One thing is clear: Dave will not give up.
As the two Daves were leaving last Friday Maureen was delighted to hear Dave Sr. say : “I think when I get back home my printmaking will be more creative.”
He will be busy when he gets home. Besides his printmaking endeavors, next month he will be celebrating his 90th birthday with his family, which includes 24 grandchildren and great grandchildren. Happy Birthday, Dave! And come back to Granada soon.
What we were listening to: Bruce Springsteen–The Streets of Philadelphia
Printmaking Courses in Spain 
Hi Maureen – just got curious about what Dave, Sr. was doing. Did he do 4 color separation transparencies and then make a solar plate for each color? To get this final print of the sitting man in the red shirt, did he pull four different plates through? That’s what I did with a digital photograph to make my colored etching; however, it would be much easier to go straight from the photo color separations to the solar plate.
I was just talking with an old friend who is a great photographer, and she was interested in translating photography into prints. I’ll have to show her this post, if I understand correctly what you were doing…
Looks like a fun week for you!
Hi Cathy,
Great to hear from you! Hi Cathy,
Yes we did a photo gravure on solar plates. He brought the color separations, then I did 4 plates. One for each color. The I colored each plate, one yellow, one magenta, one cyan blue and the final one in black.
There were problems as the solar plates came out perfect, but for photogravure should have been a tone lighter. When you print four plates, a lot of the ink has to be taken off. If not you get a very dark print. I used cheese cloth after the first two tarlatana wipes, this takes a lot of paint out of the grooves, then I finished off with a very slippy cloth, which I cut off from one of my dresses, it was the lining. Something similar to an interfacing used by tailors. Then we finished off with telephone paper. This Dave also liked a lot.
Anyway, in all, we were pleased with the results. The lining up of the plates came out perfect. My method, which is entirely different from Dave, the father. He makesa hole in the plate, paper ect. and this is very tricky. So he liked my method very much. They were only here for 5 days. They should have been here another week, as this technique needs a lot of adjustment depending on the photograph.
I am going to do some experimenting as I like the idea of doing full color prints. It´s fun and a challenge.
Have to go, left a lot of colors to clean up in my studio. The English girl has been here twice now. Has done about seven small plates and is delighted. Says she would love to come every day. So she will be back next Monday and Tuesday. We did some multi colored printing of a couple of her plates.
Will write again later on.
Love,
Maureen