A monotype is a one of a kind, hand-pulled print. Even though a monotype is a print, it is an original, not a reproduction. I create an image with etching ink on a smooth glass plate, and transfer the image to paper on a printmaking press. By pressing the plate & paper together with the pigments sandwiched in between, I am able to create a texture not possible when painting directly on paper. After the paper is squeezed against the still-wet image on the plate, I literally peel the paper off the plate. The monotype pulled off the plate almost always has an element of surprise since the art created on the plate is flattened, squeezed and moved around when the paper is pressed into the ink. The final result on paper may look quite different than the image on the plate.Why not just paint on a canvas instead of a plate? This is another common question and a good question. Printmaking encompasses many printing mediums such as lithography, etching, silk screening and monotypes. I find monotype making the most interesting of these mediums. Monotypes are a very experimental form of art work as even the artist never knows for sure what the final result will be until the monotype is pulled off the plate. I love that element of surprise! For me making monotypes involves all the aspects of the creative process that I love exploration, experimentation, discovery, intuitiveness and a willingness to let go of the need to totally control the outcome. It requires a lot of faith in the creative process.