Alexis Neal

The front cover illustration for this book is one example of Alexis Neal's prolific artistic body of mezzotint prints.  
 
Moana, nine plate mezzotint print by Alexis Neal, 1997, was inspired by the writing of Anne Salmond, which looked at the notion of a type of voyage. This print is part of a series of art pieces that looked at the duality of artefacts as a result of cultural exchange, and the journey artefacts took to be behind glass in a museum case. 

Most of Alexis Neal's works have consisted of several mezzotint plates arranged and rearranged on the paper to make individual one off prints.
She employs the traditional method of Etching for the mezzotint process. This involves rocking a zinc surface with a mezzotint tool for hours or weeks, pitting the surface to confirm a rich and velvety black once ink up. When finished, the plate is burnished to create a soft but delicate image. 

Email: leckyneal@gmail.com
Website: http://alexisneal.com