L.R. Montgomery

Northwest Artist

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Oils
Coeur d'Alene Lake •
Fields at Nine Mile		Slavin Conservation Wetlands		Vineyards at Greenbluff
Poppin' Poppies at Manito		Iris Royal		Grandview Poplars •
Trees by the Park Bench		Springing to Life		Continuous Soft Rock
Old Glory, New Glory		Manito Park Perennials		Aroma of Love •
Morning Sky Water Lilies		Coeur d'Alene Lake •		St. Joe River Rapids •
Glen Tana Dairy		Early Spring Little Spokane River •		Rise Above

Watercolors
Trinity •
	Waiting for the Park Bench to Open			Late Harvest Grapes II		Iris Test Garden			Before the Storm (Prints Available)
Latah Creek				Latah Creek II		Turnbull		Little Spokane at Painted Rocks •

Woodblocks
Coyote		Les Selphides		Iris		Hatch

Technical Info

How a Wood Block Print is Created

• The image lines are drawn in reverse on a primed block of wood. 

• Using chisels and carving tools, the artist shaves away wood leaving the image details and bold lines raised. 

• After the block is carved, the raised wood is inked with a brayer, and paper is laid on the block. 

• To transfer the ink to the paper, the back of the paper is rubbed with a smooth flat tool of the artist's choosing. (I permanently borrowed one of my wife's wooden cooking utensils, which works great.)

• Without shifting the paper, sections may be gently lifted to check for even inking.  When inking is complete, the whole sheet of paper is lifted off.

• After the ink is dry, the print may be hand colored, or printed in multiple colors with successive blocks.

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		Etchings
Little Spokane River		St. Georges Foot Bridge		Lincoln Park Pond
Stone Fireplace at Manito		Old Movie Production Building at Minnihaha Park		Stone Bridge at Manito
"Tyee", The Old Weather Boat,  A Priest Lake Landmark	Cow Elk			Night Swan
		Japanese Garden Bridge

L.R. Montgomery's Etchings are...

• Hand-pulled, signed and numbered, limited editions

• Collectable as a set, as a series, or as individual etchings

• Custom etching editions can be created to commemorate your school family, home, business or organization 

• Framing is available upon request.

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Custom Etchings

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Technical Info

How Etchings Are Created

• The image is first drawn on paper.

• Traditionally, a zinc plate is covered with a tar like substance called asphaltum.  The image is then re-drawn in reverse with a needle point in the asphaltum resist on a zinc plate.

• Etchings are called "etchings because the images is actually etched into a zinc plate with acid.  Once the the image is completely drawn in the asphatum, the plate is placed in an nitric acid bath.  Furrows are etched into the metal where it is no longer covered with asphaltum.  When the furrows are deep enough, the plate is taken out out the acid bath.  The acid must be washed away, and the asphaltum chemically removed from the the plate.  

• The image, in reverse, is then visible on the metal plate.

• New advances in technology have made it possible to transfer the image to a polymer plate with the use of light. This of course is a much safer method, and is the one I now prefer.

•  After the image is etched into the plate, the artist covers it with ink, and squeegees the ink into the line furrows.  Any ink lying outside the lines (that is not held within the furrows) is meticulously wiped away.  

• When the plate is ready, the artist lays a sheet of moistened and blotted rag paper on the plate.  The paper and the plate travel together as a unit through the rollers of the etching press.  As the paper is forced against the ink in the line furrows, the ink transfers to the paper and then.......finally.....  Yes!!.....  One hand-pulled etching printed!!... Then the paper and ink must dry. 

• When drying is complete each of the prints are signed and numbered by the artist.

• Hand-pulled etchings are produced in limited editions.  LR Montgomery's edition sizes range from 10 to 300 prints of an image.  Even though the same plate is used for each print in the edition, each impression is unique!  No two prints can be identical due to the hand-inking, wiping and printing process.  This is part of the "mystique of etchings".

• An artist may produce several editions on related subjects.  Together they are called a series of editions.  For example, LR Montgomery's "Manito Park Series" includes includes the following editions:  Stone Bridge at Manito, Stone Fireplace at Manito, The Perennial Gardens, Manito Island Etching, Manito Island 2001, Night Swan, and the Japanese Garden Bridge. 

• Additional LR Montgomery etching series include: "Little Spokane River", "Slavin Wetland Conservation Area", "Water Fowl of Eastern Washington", "St. Georges School Sanctuaries", "Wineries", "Northwest Wildlife", "Northwest Landmarks", "Bridges" and more. 

• Because etchings are produced by hand, in small, limited editions, by only a few artisans, they are consider highly collectable.

Shove Around

For Size and Prices of Artwork

email: LRMontgomery@LRMontgomery.com

Call:  509-624-0261