Opps!

I received a gracious email from Maureen Banker today explaining more about the sketching we recieved yesturday. I was ignorant to how they are actually done and the significance of the numbers 5/99, which is not the date, as I previously thought. Because her information is interesting and helpful I wanted to post it here. I hope it clears up any confusion, especially for those, like me, who know little about art. -Nic

"The etching I gave to all of you Immortal Nine is done first as a drawing on a metal plate. (in reverse!!!) Then the plate is inked with special ink/paint. The ink is forced into the lines of the drawing that are reinforced with an acid bath that literaly bites the drawn lines deeper. The ink left on the top levels of the plate is wiped away. Then the plate is printed on handmade paper with a special etching press that forces the ink in the lines of the plate to be transferred to the special paper. Each original print is produced in this manner. As the prints are completed, they are numbered. On the left side of the bottom is a pair of numbers. Yours has 5/99. This means that of the potential etchings in the edition( edition means ultimate number of prints decided by the artist that will be made) is 99. I picked the number 99 before I even knew that there would be an immortal 9 students!! And your 5/99 means that yours was the fifth etching printed from the master plate of metal! I did the drawing for the plate, and the prints, all in late 2008 and early 2009."- Maureen