James Groleau
'Salt Granite Spruce' is comprised of eighteen color mezzotints depicting coastal Maine. A variety of techniques were used in the production of this series and are common to each image. Chine collé, a technique that utilizes color paper in a print, offered a consistent underlying tone, unifying the series. In this case a mustard-colored paper, cut to the precise dimensions of the image, was glued to the larger printing paper during the printing process. All images were created through the use of four mezzotint plates, each plate introducing an additional color and dimension. Selected plates were prepared a la poupée, which involves inking one plate with two or more color inks. Each image measures five inches by twelve inches (approximately) and was printed in an edition of fifty. Edition numbers one through seven are reserved for seven portfolios assembled in boxed sets with title page and colophon printed letterpress.