The technique, the prints, and the editions

Ms. Hegyi's digital paintings in this show are created completely on the computer (nothing is scanned or photographed) using the natural media painting software Painter by Corel -- "an entire art store brought within the confines of the computer".

She uses a tablet and pressure sensitive pen, allowing the size of the brushstroke to vary with the pressure applied to the tablet, just as in real painting. Using the Painter program, the cordless pen can be used to "paint" with pre-defined mediums in the Painter palette, such as chalk, oil, pastel, watercolor, ink, pencil, or even with mediums that she creates herself on the computer, on an infinite number of textured substrates, eg canvas, silk, watercolor paper, made-up textured papers, etc...

The "original" of these works is a digital image file that resides in the computer. To transform this image into a work on paper, Michelle Hegyi prints it out on her own wide format Epson 7000 inkjet printer using pigment inks (MediaStreet's Generations 4 Enhanced pigment inks) on heavyweight 100% rag paper (Hahnemuhle's Royal Renaissance 309gsm). This paper and ink combination has been rated by Wilhelm Research to last 100 years or more. (For more information see the article The Joy of Digital Printing by Mark Dubovoy in the May/June 2003 issue of PhotoTechniques magazine.) Michelle has complete control over color and any other aspects of print production.

She makes her own signed, numbered, limited editions, usually in editions of 25 or less. The original digital files are maintained permanently. Prints are made only as needed. Future prints may not be printed on the same paper or with the same technique, and the edition may never reach the maximum number of prints. Also, prints may be offered at different sizes within an edition.

All archival materials are also used in framing. The mats are 100% rag museum board. The work of art is mounted using acid-free mounting corners on acid-free foamcore, and so can easily be removed.