All of these images are printed from a mosaic made of polystyrene. Although the materials are not traditional to mosaic making, the way I build the mosaic is. The image is assembled piece by piece by hand. It is then permanently mounted on a clear sheet of mylar. This is the plate that I ink and print.

After deciding on the design, and building the mosaic, the next step is deciding the support to use for the image. So far, I have tried using traditional printing paper, MDF, Yupo, and epoxy.

• MDF, or medium density fiberboard is prepared with an absorbent ground gesso that will accept watercolor.
• Yupo paper is made out of polypropylene and does not absorb watercolor. The paint pools on the surface of this incredibly smooth, almost reflective material.

• Epoxy is a two part adhesive; I use a marine grade with UV protection that won't yellow. I pour mixed epoxy into a mold, add pigment, and print between layers of it.

The first step in making the prints is the same regardless of support. Before I print, I paint a background in watercolor. In the case of the epoxy I use very transparent dyes that have the feel of watercolor. I use a lot of metallic paint, mica and glitter in these background images.

Now the printing begins. I print anywhere from 10 to 30 layers over the watercolor. If I am printing on epoxy, I pour a layer of epoxy between each printing and allow to cure. Since I am inking and printing a mosaic, the space between the individual tesserae allows the background watercolor image to show through.

These images are all relief prints. Each print is a unique monoprint and cannot be editioned or repeated exactly.