About Jo Barry

Jo Barry has been etching for many years and enjoys a considerable reputation in the art world. She has exhibited at Royal Academy Summer Shows and is a member of the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers.

Jo Barry also shows work in many galleries up and down the country. Her etchings are also well known internationally following exhibitions in many countries including the USA, Norway, Australia and Japan.

Jo Barry studied at Ravensbourne College of Art and Design and taught at the Byam Shaw School of Art until 1978 when she gave up teaching to concentrate full time on her own work.

About Etching

Etching is an ancient skill but is taught less these days because of the chemicals used.

Jo etches on copper plates which are degreased and coated with a wax ground. She then draws into the wax using a very fine needle. The wax is merely removed by the needle without scratching the surface of the plate. When the plate is dipped into a bath of acid this eats into the metal creating a texture on the plate.

When the image is printed the ink is rubbed into the crevices and small holes and then the surface of the plate is cleaned free of ink. The image is then printed onto damp paper using a press that exerts great pressure so that the paper takes the shape of the plate and the ink is drawn out of the textured surface.

This is the first proof of the etching and the plate will be waxed again and more drawing added, and the plate re-etched and re-printed. The whole process is repeated many times until Jo is satisfied with the image produced.

The plate is then coated with a very fine coating of steel. This not only makes it stronger but enables Jo to print in colour. Copper reacts with and distorts basic colours.

When Jo is printing the etchings that will form the edition she works from a master etching endeavouring to make each one as like it as possible. But because each etching is hand inked using several colours each one will vary very slightly thus making it unique. Even the small etchings take around half an hour to ink and print. From the first drawing on the plate to the finished etching can take many months.