Summer School Drawing and Printmaking 2012

Snap shot of the Drawing and Printmaking class held last week. In workshop we looked at ways of drawing and mark making that related to the printmaking processes. 

The printmaking was taught from the viewpoint as 'taster' workshop for those who have always wanted to explore the printmaking processes and haven’t gotten around to it! 

 The methods of relief and intaglio will be introduced through the use of lino and dry-point and etching. Ways of printing with and without a press, suitable papers and inks will be discussed and demonstrated.

Mixing our own blacks for printmaking.

'Wrestling' with Miss Olley (the press!)

Eggs in a bucket

The 'girls' are performing. Such beautiful brown eggs. They even laid a special edition for Christmas with little gold stars on them!

New Year 2012

Highlights of the welcoming of the New Year 2012...............the markmaking of the unknown. These anonymous marks are they vandalism or the silent cry of the disaffected, the dissident, the disenfranchised?

Complimentary Colours 21st April has decided to be the 1 Jan 2012!

Op shop finds...knitting needles, wool remnants knitted into   juxtaposed with Katazome papers.

Egg in Antique Etching

 A friend bought for herself a beautiful book of  reproduction intaglio prints of birds. Flicking through the pages was a plate of an old breed of fowl with an egg. The detail in the straw around the egg was so beautifully rendered by the artist of another era, so inspiring.

Return to the NEST

Today when having a sort through one of my folios I found a drypoint etching from 1997 with a favourite motif, a NEST. It seems we return, loop, travel in circles! There seems repeating patterns in history as well as repeating patterns in our lives.  Round and round we go. It is always a comforting pattern though to return to the NEST!

Drypoint is a beautiful form of intaglio printmaking. Lines are drawn into metal or in this case a plastic with a sharp instrument. The plate is inked up and then cleaned and the ink stays in the grooves. The lines are 'soft' and some ink ( plate tone ) can be left on the plate before printing to create a more painterly effect to the finished print.

We will be doing a Summer School, Introduction to Printmaking, in January 2012. The drypoint technique will be covered, as well as techniques of relief printing. Printing, with and without a press will be explored in the workshop. There is a one day drawing class before the printing workshop with an emphasis on drawing approaches that link with printmaking. 

NEST

Find of the week.........Mother bird off the nest ..... a photo opportunity!