I was awarded an undergraduate research grant at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse to study printmaking in South Africa. Not only did I hope to visit printmaking facilities there, but also to observe and acquire new techniques that I could add to my own vocabulary of printmaking. What made the largest impression was the focus on developing low cost materials and techniques accessible to the overwhelmingly poor blacks that were attempting to learn skills with which to earn a living. The collagraph is a collage of materials, some even found, that are formed into a matrix from which prints can be pulled. This is the technique I have decided to insert in my own personal vocabulary. I hope you enjoy the pictures and brief text. There are many on the printmaking studios, and even more on the incredibly beautiful and vibrant country of South Africa.

You can click on any picture to see an enlarged version of it.