Drawing is of central importance to David Smith-Harrison in his printmaking. “I am fascinated with the magic of drawing,” he says, “of making marks which express my feelings of form, space, light and movement. The infinite possibilities of impressing ink onto paper and the unique textural characteristics of prints are stimulating, seductive, and full of subtlety and nuance.” This gradual print process allows him to become very involved with the subject. Because of intense and continual observation, David feels he is able to make sensitive, intimate statements. He has an enormous respect for the art of the past and particularly for the great draftsmen of the Italian Renaissance. He believes one can retain respect for the masters without necessarily imitating or becoming subordinate to them. “I realize that my art comes from both art history and life, and there is succession and lineage in all art,” he says. “I approach my images seriously and hope they reveal something poetic and universally true about the human condition. Converting ideas into marks and lines on the paper or printing plate excites my mind and invigorates my imagination. It provides intense pleasure which delights me and enriches my life, and hopefully the lives of others.”