This is the best book on monotypes I have yet to find.  I visited author Kurt Wisneski a few years ago at the university where he was a printmaking professor, and he later mailed me a copy of his wonderful book.  Even more important than the book was the advice he offered about graduate school MFA programs.  Having been a college professor for several decades, Wisneski was able to offer a unique perspective on the changing culture of MFA programs in the United States.

I’ve been revisiting this book in the last few days as I gear up for embarking on an art challenge:  365 monotypes in 365 days.  I have dozens of tiny plexiglass plates, hundreds of small scraps of paper, and a baby etching press in my home studio: all the right ingredients for monotype test prints.  Every time I begin an etching, I have a clear picture of what the outcome will be, and I spend ungodly amounts of time fussing over my copper plates to get them just right.  In the last six months, unencumbered by a day job, I’ve completed just FOUR etchings!  Who knows when the 12 or so in-progress plates will be finished!  The idea for the monotypes is to do the exact opposite–one hour daily experiments with few expectations about what the finished product will be.  All of my previous attempts at monotype have been unmitigated disasters, so sharing my 365 prints will also be an exercise in overcoming perfectionism and vanity.

Stay tuned for some awkward looking art!