Ebby Malmgren is a printmaker, potter, and writer living in Annapolis and Taos. Her interest in printmaking began with a chance invitation to fill in a last minute vacancy in a monoprint workshop in Taos. Initially she was drawn by the brighter and more varied colors not generally attainable in high fired stoneware and by the fact that, in making prints as well as making pots, the last step involves surrendering the work to the relative unpredictability of the printing press or the kiln.

After about a year of monoprinting she realized she missed the three dimensional aspect of her work in clay so she tried inking a ceramic piece to use as a printing plate. When, not surprisingly, it cracked on the first pass through the press Ebby tried substituting a polymer clay of the type generally known as "Sculpey."

Because this polymer clay remains pliable after it is cured in an ordinary baking oven it can be inked in the usual way and run through the press without breaking. Occasionally unplanned stress marks occur and create unexpected images in the print.

In a final blending of interests and to economize on both space and money, Ebby has adapted her Brent clay slab roller as a printing press. Because the slab roller lacks the precise measurements possible with a regular press more intuitive judgement is required in the actual printing process - a fact that is both a plus and a minus.

All of her printing is done with Akua Kolor or Akua Intaglio ink which has the double advantage of being non-toxic and of being easily cleaned with soap and water.

Sometimes Ebby adds color to the sculpey plates but she is coming to feel that the infinite nuances of black and white and the variation inherent in printing on a variety of archival papers, both machine and hand-made offers more than enough challenges.