Wednesday 9 December 2009

Screen Print with Carol and Robert (Week 2)


Here are some photos from the week 2 of Robert and Carols Masterclass printmaking course .  Thanks Catherine King, for sharing your photos with us.  Looks interesting I must say.



Carol and Robert shared their extensive knowledge on screen printing with gouaches, acrylics, watercolours, process colours, organic pigment pastes, pigments and a range of artists materials such as varnishes, thickener, retarders and screenprinting paste. 

Carol showed participants how to use stencils to the maximum, how to do washes with filler and how best to use screen painting fluid.   Different types of paper stencil, light sensitive stencils and reversals were also explored. 


Preparing and degreasing screens, applying stencils, cross-linking theory, registration and printing on different substrates, as well as cleaning meshes were also covered.

Monday 7 December 2009

SSA/RSW/VAS small works and Postcard Exhibition

The SSA/RSW/VAS small works and postcard exhibition opened on Saturday 5th December,  at
Canvas, 46A George St Edinburgh EH2 2LE and runs until 24th December
Monday Saturday 10am 6pm, Sunday 11am 5pm, Christmas Eve 10am -2pm.



SSA  (Society of Scottish Artists) website


RSW (Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour)  website


VAS   (Visual Artists Scotland)  website


Recent piece by Chrissie Heughan which is included in this event.  You can see more of Chrissie's work on her portfolio page on Axis 

Friday 4 December 2009

Photo Etching Masterclasses Sat 27th Feb + 6th March 2010


Fife (Dunfermline) Print Workshop, The Basement, Dell Farquharson Centre,
Nethertown Broad Street, Dunfermline KY12 7DS  email  aine@ainescannell.com




Paul Musgrove  Photo Etching Masterclasses  Saturday 27th Feb. & 6th March 2010

Masterclasses in new intaglio techniques  10.00am – 4.00pm.

How to etch plates using  liquid roll on photopolymer emulsion.

Images can be made from photographs, digital files or from drawn artwork;  all can be etched onto the metal plate and then printed using conventional intaglio techniques.

 You will work on A5 plates (148mm x 210mm) so please make your artworks to this scale and proportions. All images should have good tonal contrast with limited mid-tones, neither too light nor too dark.

Digital techniques are extremely useful for making photo positives for photopolymer etching.  A good positive image on film (i.e. Inkjet acetate) is essential.

If you have digital files of finished artwork they should be sized appropriately for the A5 plates we will be using, as the technique relies on a contact exposure with the plate.

Bring along discs, USB sticks etc.,  with your saved artworks or bring your original artwork for scanning.

Hand drawn:  images on tracing paper can be used as can drafting film.

Images on paper can be in most media,  as long as they have good strong blacks and a range of  tones.   All drawing materials should be reasonably opaque.   If you have the facilities at home then scan the images you make and save them to disc or USB stick and bring with you.

If you are unsure what kind of artwork to bring along then please bring a good range of source material with you to work with on the day.*

Bring brushes of various shapes and sizes.
Art materials, pens, pencils, etc.






Cost:  

£60 (non members)

£50  (£10 discount for FDPW members) 

To ensure your place please post your cheque(s) ASAP  to:

Fife (Dunfermline) Print Workshop,
The Basement,
 Dell Farquharson Centre,
Nethertown Broad Street
Dunfermline
KY12 7DS

or drop them in in person ASAP

The cost includes materials, use of press and tools, inks, cleaning fluids and paper.

Places are limited so reserve your place now!!!

*
Please feel free to contact Aine if you want to discuss which images you might use in the photo etch process with Paul.


FDPW would like to acknowledge the generous support received from The Andrew Carnegie Trust which has helped to make these Master classes possible.







Monoprint Masterclass with Eugen Jarych 16th and 23rd January 2010








 Fife (Dunfermline) Print Workshop, The Basement, Dell Farquharson Centre,
Nethertown Broad Street, Dunfermline KY12 7DS  email:  aine@ainescannell.com



Eugen Jarych
Monoprinting Masterclasses
Saturday 16th and 23rd January 2010


Master classes in monoprinting  10.00am – 4.00pm.

These unique two days of monoprinting opportunities are led by artist/printmaker Eugen Jarych from Dundee, who will bring his own special, creativity and enthusiasm to our workshop.   His unique vision, energy and expertise will provide two days of memorable printmaking!

The two masterclasses will  introduce you to the special joys of monoprinting in our Dunfermline workshop.  You will also come to appreciate the practical aspects of working with others in our artist led organisation and feel comfortable working in this space.

If you are already familiar with some monoprinting techniques, these two days will provide new and stimulating ways to print as you are introduced to a variety of techniques, some old and some new.

Monoprints:  A “painterly” immediate print medium combining drawing, painting and printmaking to produce unique images.

Cost:  

£60 (non members)

£50  (£10 discount for FDPW members) 

To ensure your place please post your cheque(s) ASAP  to:

Fife (Dunfermline) Print Workshop,
The Basement,
 Dell Farquharson Centre,
Nethertown Broad Street
Dunfermline
KY12 7DS

or drop them in in person ASAP

The cost includes materials, use of presses and tools, inks, cleaning fluids, and paper.

Places will be limited so reserve your place now!!!!



FDPW would like to acknowledge the generous support received from The Andrew Carnegie Trust which has helped to make these Master classes possible




Wednesday 18 November 2009

Artists in Dunfermline

Mary Johnston has been in touch and wanted to let the FDPW membership know about something called CAD.  CAD - has taken over the Glen Gates Gallery from DAM,  and intend running 'gallery days' on  the 1st Saturday of each month.


                                          image from caves in Ardeche, France
 

The next one is  on 5th Dec from 10am to 4 pm  at the Glen Gates in  Dunfermline. They are inviting artists to take part and show work. 

If anyone is interested could they let us know. It is a good chance to meet other artists, network and promote work.
Check out their web site -  <http://www.caddelivers.weebly.com> for further information.


       

Printmaking with Carol Robertson and Robert Adam (Week 1 of 4)

Aren't we lucky to have this great opportunity to have two such experienced, knowledgeable and  affable printmakers to share their expertise with us !!  And to have their lovely dog Hugo included in the visit as well !!

Don't know about the rest of you but I was shattered at the end of the day last Saturday and yet I spent most of the time listening watching and occasionally talking ...............BUT......I wasn't the only one.  I did feel inspired though and in fact yesterday and at this very moment  I am working on making some positives for photo etch exposure tomorrow - that's if I get these finished.
Tatiana Campbell  and Anita  Hunter, were also on the case yesterday making positives.  Anita was really going for it with three layers of positives to hopefully use to make  a silkscreen print tomorrow morning at FDPW.  Here's a few photos taken by Steve Ratomski, on the day ( thanks for getting  those to me, Steve).

Sunday 8 November 2009

Update on Robert Adams and Carol Robertsons Course at FDPW

Master classes by, Carol Robertson and Robert Adam 
They were both classically trained in Scotland and then at the Slade where they met in the 1980s. From that strong base they have used their knowledge and inventiveness to develop systems of printmaking which relate closely to classical theory and practice, allow artists to realize their concepts, and make the widest range of marks and effects in the safest and easiest ways possible. The systems make use of modern and classical materials and working methods.
They developed, tested and validated these new systems by collaborating with a wide range of artists. These include Paolozzi, Barns-Graham, Ogilvie, Callander, Rae, Clark, Crowe, Miles, Schmidt, Diethelm and Downie.
In order to make these ways of working available to as many artists as possible worldwide they worked with Evans Vanodine, Lascaux and other professionals to develop modern products and systems. The eighteen innovative printmaking products that they have created in collaboration with Lascaux, Zurich are available from Graphic Chemical (USA), Polymetaal (Holland) , A. P. Fitzpatrick, London, or Intaglio Printmakers, London.
Black Geo      Collagraph print       Sheila Ogilvie
Carol Robertson and Robert Adam share their research and knowledge through the two books they wrote and illustrated which are published by Thames & Hudson, available through www.amazon.co.uk.
One is about screenprinting with water-based artists materials and how to work creatively in a safe way.  The other book is about intaglio printmaking techniques such as engraving, mezzotint, drypoint, air abrading, etching, collagraphy and combined techniques, again with an emphasis on non toxic printmaking practice.
Both books also explain how to make photographic, digital, photocopy and autographic positives which can be used in conjunction with light-sensitive processes in screenprinting, etching, air abrading, and collagraphy. The two books,  also cover the history, monotyping, collating etc.
Carol has just completed writing a PhD which explains the concepts and research behind the books, again with the aim to share this information with other artists.

C O  U R S E
In each of the workshops the theory and practice relating to the new systems will be explained and demonstrated. The sessions will also provide an opportunity to ask questions about the theories, materials, methods, and ways of starting to work in these ways, realizing concepts and reasons for change. 
The four sessions are designed to work together. The idea is that after each session artists can explore the subject in their own time before the next session and the following session will provide an opportunity to discuss results and experiences.   For example positives can be made after the session on the 14th and these can be used in combination with the information provided in the following sessions. The sessions will be filmed and extracts used as education material.

Making autographic positives.
Saturday 14th November,  10 – 4. 
Make autographic and combination positives for screenprinting, etching, or collagraphy. Use the new materials which were inspired by Corot and Millet’s cliché verres, soft ground collage effects, the sugar lift’s of Picasso, Chagall, and Rouault etchings (made using autographic positives), the etched relief lines of William Blake, monotyping marks, and the reticulated washes of stone and zinc lithography, etc. Combine digital, photographic and photocopy positives and learn how to make and use image ‘maps’.
NOTE There will be a Master class on 'photo etching' (2 sessions) in February 2010 (next year).  These will be lead by Paul Musgrove, who has been recommended by Alfons Bytautas, senior etching technician at Edinburgh Print workshop.
Screen Printing.
Saturday November 28th,  10 – 4. 
Screenprinting with gouaches, acrylics, watercolours, process colours, organic pigment pastes, pigments and a range of artists materials such as varnishes, thickener, retarders and screenprinting paste. Using stencils to the maximum, washes with filler and using screen painting fluid, different types of paper stencil, light sensitive stencils and reversals. Preparing and degreasing screens, applying stencils, cross-linking theory, registration and printing on different substrates, cleaning meshes will also be covered.

Collagraphy  
Saturday December 5th,  10 – 4.
Making collagraphs, photo collagraphs and combined media plates using acrylic media and light sensitive media. Exploring how to make printed effects that are more normally associated with aquatint, open bite, hard ground, painting and soft ground etching. Preparing and degreasing plates, applying media, editing and working into the added media, removing media using a household cleaner, and printing and cleaning plates will also be covered.

Acrylic-resist Etching
Saturday December 12th,  10 – 4.
Using acrylic resists to explore classical etching methods such as linear and the tonal effects of texturing and pitting, traditional methods such as spirit and powder aquatint, stopping-out and light sensitive resists and contemporary methods such as spray aquatint, puncture and additive techniques. Preparing and degreasing plates for resists, applying resists, etching plates using corrosive salts, removing resists using a household cleaner, and printing and cleaning plates will also be covered.


===============================

Friday 6 November 2009

Scottish Artists Union report on "Creative Scotland"



Subject: SAU Report on Creative Scotland, November 2009


October  saw several stages toward the advent of Creative Scotland unfold. For the  second time this year the Scottish Artists Union offers its summary of events  and provides visual and applied artists with essential information on what  lies ahead.
The report can be downloaded  at:
http://www.sau.org.uk/document/document.php

The Public Services  Reform Bill, including measures that will bring Creative Scotland into being,  will be debated at stage 1 of its consideration in the Scottish Parliament on  November 16th. We encourage our members to write to their MSP ahead of the  debate and ask them where they stand on Creative Scotland, reminding them that  the new agency must acknowledge the unique and crucial contribution of visual  and applied artists to Scottish culture and keep their support an utmost  priority.

Wednesday 4 November 2009

Peacock Visual Arts............NEEDS YOU !!!!!

Peacock Visual Arts






which incorporates Peacock printmakers workshop is experiencing complicated and critical times. Their "new home" within the newly planned arts centre,  is seriously threatened - please, if you haven't already, sign the petition to help them go ahead with this fantastic new centre. The future of Printmaking in the North East of Scotland is at risk...
Message received from Linsay Croall and the rest of the team at Peacock.  FDPW wishes them every success !!





Arts and Crafts fair at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery



Please click on the image to enlarge

For more details go to http://www.smithartgallery.demon.co.uk/

Angela Heidemann will be participating in this event.

Tuesday 3 November 2009

Black Church Print Studio Open closing date 14th Nov 2009



Call for submissions—deadline 16 Nov 2009. Black Church Print Studio Open Submission & Invited Exhibition 2010, curated by Oliver Dowling, John Graham & Margaret O'Brien

Exhibition Brief
 "The visible often seems paramount in the workings of human perception, especially in the modern technological world where what we see increasingly dominates the texture of our experience. We might consider the invisible to be the opposite of the visible, or perhaps as a transparent overlapping or hidden substrate of the visible world:


The ‘Invisible' is an open submission exhibition and invites all forms of art and art practice for consideration, including visual, sound, temporal and performance based works. The exhibition will take place in February 2010 and will be sited in several locations around Dublin city.
 Artists are invited to submit proposal-based works and/or existing works. Site-specific proposals may detail a particular site as listed or propose an alternative site. Artists may consider using their own studios and/or sites other than conventional exhibition spaces. Accessibility must be outlined and confirmed in the case of an alternative site being proposed. Artists might also consider restricted accessibility in relation to the context of the work.
Participating venues include Original Print Gallery, Curiosity Cabinet, The Back Loft c/o La Catedral Studios, Digital Hub Development Agency. The Curators may identify additional locations depending on proposals received.




Exhibit at Torpedo Factory Art Centre Dec 2009



This is an exhibition "quickie",  as well as easy. These things are good to do if you just feel in the mood to do some little print works (postcard size). 





Maybe if you haven't shown in a while or if you could do with  adding some shows to your  CV.
If you send one postcard it will cost you 10 dollars (US).    When I have previously submitted prints to exhibitions biennial type events -  I never send cash through my bank because it costs £25.00 to do that kind of transaction,  which I think is utterly EXTORTIONATE   in the context of current electronic communications.


Whereas,  Paypal,  hardly costs anything at all which is something that I wish all of these exhibition 'hosts' would get together.   I'ts not that difficult (duh)  I have taken the step I might add, of suggesting this to some of them
I usually order foreign currency of the country involved and then enclose it in the envelope.  I know there's always a first time...............  but so far (and thats after a fair few years)  - it's usually been OK.
Anyway the torpedo factory is a place based in Alexandria in Virginia.

Please note  the image above is by Laura Huff from the torpedo factory print workshop.
Here's the blurb:


 Going Postal - 2009 Postcard Show
Exhibition Dates: December 3 - December 6, 2009.
Reception: December 3, during TFAC Holiday Open House

Going Postal is a fun 3-day exhibition open to ALL artists with the stipulation that the work must be original art, based on the 4x6” postcard format (Unframed).

 Entry fee is $10 per artwork or 3 for $25, which guarantees entry into the show. 

Download a prospectus for complete details and entry form.

Deadline for Entry (artwork & entry form must be in the gallery): December 1st


For more info go to
http://www.torpedofactory.org/galleries/targetcallforentry.htm

Monday 2 November 2009

Eugen Jarych Monoprint scheduled for 16th and 23 rd Jan 2009

Be sure of a place on this course by signing up asap.  To secure your place, send a cheque in the mail or deliver in person  to the print workshop.  Price will be posted on here  once I have confirmed this.
You could  however e.g.,  send a deposit of £20.




  DATES FOR EUGEN JARYCH MONOPRINTING

  SATURDAY 16TH JANUARY 2010  10-4PM

  SATURDAY 23RD JANUARY 2010 10-4PM

Thursday 29 October 2009

Open Submission Mini print exhibition Hull, UK (clo. 12th Nov 09)

 Call for Entries - Mini Print 2009

Artlink are calling for entries for its popular annual Mini Print Exhibition. This is a great selling opportunity for artists as Mini Print is held in the run up to Christmas.

This is an open submissions exhibition with no selection process, so everyone who enters gets their work displayed. Artists are invited to submit work in any printed medium, please see submission guidelines for exact criteria on what we can and cannot accept.

As this is a mini print exhibition, the total size of the work must not be bigger than 25cm in either direction - to allow us to mount work to fit within our frames.

Required with all entries is a fee of £20.00 per artist to cover mounting/framing and return postage of unsold work.

A maximum of five prints can be entered per participant, two of which will be mounted, framed and displayed on the Gallery wall. The remaining prints will still be for sale and available for viewing in the gallery browser and also for replacing work sold from the wall.

The closing date for entries is Thursday 12th November 2009

and Mini Print 2009 will run from early December 2009 until end of January 2010.

Submission guidelines and form are available using the links below.


www.artlinkuk

Wednesday 28 October 2009

Miniprint Cadaques submissions open till March 2010









I have to say I preferred more of the prints that were in the "finalists section" than the actual "winners section".

Here's a link to the site where forms for entry can be downloaded

Printmaking is alive and kicking! (latest info. from Carol and Robert)



Experience printmaking’s latest moves, and discover how they relate closely to classical, traditional and contemporary techniques. Printmaking originated around A.D 105 and has been evolving ever since. The systems that Carol and Robert will demonstrate at the workshops are part of this evolution. If you are curious to know more,  come along to the workshops and find out:

• How you can now draw with a pencil or crayon directly on an etching plate to generate an etched line

• How to realise your concepts through printmaking

• How classical theory is the foundation of acrylic resist etching

• What you can do when you screenprint with fantastic artists painting materials like gouache, watercolour, organic pigment pastes, acrylics, pigments, oroton, varnishes, retarders and thickeners

• How to make a painting or drawing that can be printed ??
• How using these new methods enables us to etch plates very deeply etched or even right through like the zinc plate illustrated below




• About photocollagraphs and combined intaglio methods

• Ways of working creatively and safely

• The reasons that these systems work well in combination with digital positives

• What exactly is exciting about change and what opportunities does it create

•  How to make many different images and editions from one plate


 (the print below is an example of this working method)


In the workshops and in the time, between the sessions,  you can also try using the materials and systems to: 

• Make collagraph prints that look like aquatints, open-bite  and hard and soft ground etchings.

• Create autographic positives with the tusches that were inspired by the cliché verres of Corot and Millet, soft ground collage effects, the sugar lift’s of Picasso, Chagall, and Rouault etchings, the etchings of William Blake, monotyping marks, painted marks, and the reticulated washes of stone and zinc lithography.



Carol holding Kate Downie’s screen print The Quarry Path (below)



which was created by painting and drawing with tusches and printed with the Chinese ink, pastels and Indian inks that Kate draws and paints with.

• Making aquatints which are like spirit, powder or spray aquatints as in Downies etching Wych Elm below.


These are just some of the creative possibilities that you can explore in these workshops, there are many more and the sessions will include time to ask questions and discuss experiences and ideas.



Further refs




Thursday 22 October 2009

Monoprints using Gelatin - you don't need access to a press.

Just came across this print by Linda Germain the gelatin queen see previous post on this site plus another on my own blog.  She is doing a series of these using the gelatin mono printmaking process.  Waterbased inks are used in this process.

Monday 19 October 2009

Monoprinting workshop with Kate Downie

Here are a few photographs from the final part of the day spent furiously making monoprints onto Hosho paper.  Photos by Steve Ramtomski.





Sunday 18 October 2009

Introductory Printmaking Course at FDPW (September 2009)




Probably seems like ages ago now but it was only a few weeks ago that Colin Beaumont (tutor)  and six students completed the "Introduction to Print Making" course, at Fife Dunfermline Print Workshop over the span of four Saturdays.

Tatiana Campbell ( FDPW member) arranged with Colin, to go along on their final Saturday and document their activities.  I know from teaching courses and workshops myself, that it is extremely difficult to take photographs of the 'course' when you are the teacher !!    So I just wish that I had had the luxury of someone like T, to assist me in this.




Here you can see Colin, in the workshop, with a participant.  They  appear to be discussing something that has just gone through the etching press.  I must say she looks really pleased!!




On the course they did relief and intaglio.  They were making collagraphs on the final day and  made some very nice pieces.  If you want to see more check out Colins new website.