Painted around 1980, this has a slightly convoluted background. Originally taken from a sewing machine manual, I applied a long held personal association of such diagrammatic exposé with older methods of printing: etching and engraving.Having recently engaged in etching methodology and witnessing the changes in state of the plates through drawing into the varnish, acid-biting the exposed metal and inking up prior to printing, I wanted to preserve some of the feel of the hidden parts of the process. By modern standards, the original quality of the draughtsmanship and printed text had an almost alchemic and mysterious feel and the resultant likeness to weathered inscriptions in stone brought to me a sense of churchyard stones.
This is dedicated to my maiden grandmother whose weekly afternoon visits were spent darning and stitching whilst chatting with my mother, and was always there, in black, on my return from school. She died after a  long period of worsening disorientation; I have regrets over never seeing or speaking to her during her incarceration in the "home".