Carol Lummus Etchings at Smith Galleries

Carol Lummus

  Smith Galleries is pleased to represent the etching artist Carol Lummus.
    Carol is a second generation Cape Codder, and a twelfth generation New Hampshirite.

    Her favorite critique of her work was from Hal La Croix of the Monadnock Ledger:"Carol's work is refreshingly devoid of self-concious artistic pretense. Her elaborate lines portray Victorians and other foppish folk that have a warmth and spirit which forms coy statements on social conventions."
    Carol is a graduate of the Walnut Hill School of the Performing Arts, and Colby Sawyer College. She attended the Massachusetts College of Art, and the University Of Geneva (Switzerland) She studied with William Holst, and Hannes Beckmann, Hanover, NH.
    Carol and her husband Bert, a former book editor (now master framer) have two children, Sarah and Jonathan and a granddaughter.

    The etching process is a combination is art and craft.

"I worship the water he walks on"
Etching by Carol Lummus

The end result is the creation of a true hand print. Carol starts with a copper plate the exact size of the etching she desires. The plate is then covered with a hard "ground" which is a coating made of bees wax, rosin, and asphalt-um. The ground protects the plate but allows the etching tools to penetrate. Lines are drawn by scratching through the ground exposing the plate. The plate is then immersed in an acid bath which incises or "etches" the lines into the plate. This process is repeated until the desired results have been achieved. The aquatint process can be used for tonal effects and deep biting can be achieved with acid. Hand engraving of the plate may also be added. The printing is done by inking the plate after the ground is removed to all all the lines and crevices. The surface of the plate is wiped with a special cloth so that ink is only in the etched lines. Lastly, the plate and moistened paper are run through an etching press. Each print is an original as they are inked and printed one at a time, then signed and numbered. Click here to see the entire selection.
    Smith Galleries is located at 1000 William Hilton Parkway, in suite J11 of The Village at Wexford on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Gallery hours are 10 - 6 Monday through Saturday.