Drawn on large slabs of smooth limestone or on specially prepared aluminum plates, lithographs work on the principle that oil and water don’t mix. Greasy crayons are used to create a drawing on the stone (or plate). When the drawing is completed, the stone or plate is chemically treated with a light acid mixture to “hold” the image. To print, the entire surface of the stone or plate is dampened with water and then the image is rolled with oil-based ink. The greasy drawing material holds the thin layer of ink while the damp background repels it. The image is transferred to high quality acid free paper by running through a special press. Each image is an exact—though reversed—copy of the original drawing. After an edition is printed, the image is ground away from the surface of the stone to prepare for another image. Hand colored prints are individually colored using high quality watercolors.

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