During my sixteen years as Joint Principal at JC Editions, much of my time was solely taken up with etching and proofing; exploring the possibilities of multi-colour, multi-plate printing, always with the production of limited editions as the end result. Following this period I experimented further with the intaglio process, resisting the temptation of the limited edition and instead concentrating on the luxury of the monoprint - the single statement - that provided me with a greater scope for experimentation and expression. With the experience gained from these processes, I found a new and exciting freedom, suing new and less durable materials in the spontaneous production of a master plate. I then worked on the printed image with watercolour or oil paint, in order to bind it together. This marriage of print and paint allowed me to create a tactile, sometimes familiar image, whilst retaining the ambiguity of a place imagined or remembered.

Since 1994 I have gradually moved away from using the intaglio process as a starting point. I am now painting directly onto the paper with PVA adhesive, and then developing the image with various grades of emery powder. Finally, I work into the image with watercolour, oil and acrylic paint. These techniques allow me to retain some of the qualities of print, whilst increasing my freedom to make spontaneous marks.

I am an image-maker, not a painter. Making marks and creating texture have always been key to my work. Throughout history people have made marks - everybody wants to express themselves. If I wanted to be a writer, I'd write. I can only express myself by making marks within the context of the visual language. Painting is only one vehicle for this end state. My experience in etching has led me to think three dimensionally about image making. My current work has evolved from below the surface - etching - to marks above the surface - relief.

From the method comes the inspiration. When I start an image I have no preconceptions - I make a mark and it leads on from there. It is a continuous flow of decision making. As marks come together they inspire further ideas, which are then incorporated into the image. The mark making process can trigger things from the subconscious - memories and imaginings come through. So many artists are precious towards what they do. I don't believe in that. You've got to make a commitment and follow it through - there should be no going back.

It is about making decisions, but at the same time, these are of a subconscious nature, and so the subjects for my images are an amalgam of my experiences, memories and the image making process itself.

James Collyer
2000