William Blake is one of England's greatest poets and artists, perhaps the greatest poet-artist of all. His vision shines through his verse and his extraordinary engravings. He was an artisan, working from home with his own printing press, producing unique prints, and while doing so, enjoying complete freedom, and bypassing any threat of censorship. I am a member of the William Blake Society which is organising an event: A Blake Printing Workshop with Michael Phillipps. This contemporary artist has spent a good part of his career studying how Blake used copper plates to engrave and print. He would apply an acid-resistant substance to them, and then let the acid eat around the rest, leaving his artwork to 'stand out', ready for him to apply his range of colours, and then put the paper through the rollers, pressing it on to the copper surface.
Here is a short video in which Michael Phillipps demonstrates something of Blake's extraordinary creativity:
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