Colour wood cut no.4

"I evolved a process of colour woodcuts. I use plywood sheets of 3 or 4 layers. Where I do not want colour and wish to leave the paper white, I cut into a depth of 2 layers and remove the wood. The desired colour is then applied to the raised surface with a rubber roller. The necessary form that I desire has to be conceived in reverse. This process has to be repeated several times until I get the desired effect employing several ply sheets. The most difficult part of the process is registration, not only in respect of the first print, which may demand as many as eight impressions, but more so in respect of the multiples… I have sadly realised that everything is upset, if the registration goes astray even by a millimetre. I have used, quite often, the same block many times differently to get the right tone and shade of colour. I have used oil colours… and this medium has yielded very special effects… I have tried to get the maximum effect out of the hide and seek interplay of the transparent colours, space and form against the background of an aura of abstract calligraphy."

Shanti Dave, exhibition catalogue 1979