The Valley (known also as Glencrutten) 1914

Here we have *The Valley*, also called Glencrutten, an etching made by David Young Cameron. Look at the crisp lines, etched and printed, one after another. It's as if the artist has used a needle to draw directly onto a copper plate. I can imagine Cameron hunched over his workbench, carefully incising each line to capture the Scottish landscape. There is a wonderful sense of depth and space, created through these delicate marks. It is so simple yet so profound, reminding me of the drawings of Rembrandt. And think about the physicality of this process: the pressure of the hand, the resistance of the metal. Cameron clearly knew his materials and how to use them expressively. The printmaker’s mark is evident across the image. It just goes to show you, limitations can be liberating. By embracing them you are pushed to find creative solutions.