“Arrival” is a 16×20 scratchart etching depicting the arrival of a ferry boat to Martha’s Vineyard. Beneath the boat cars are carried and the large doors open as the boat approaches the Island. This piece was done with a straight pin and a fiber glass brush-a process called scratchboard art. This medium consists of three layers; a firm foundation, a layer of white clay coating the surface of the foundation, and a layer of black ink covering the white clay. As a base or foundation, there is a factory prepared masonite board designed specifically for scratchboard art. Images are created by “scratching”with sharp etching tools such as knives, pins or even fiber glass brushes which was prominent in the creation of “Arrival.” The completed work is treated with a fixative that protects the surface and allows the etching to be framed without glass.
