Interlochen Writer's Retreat: Day 3

On day three, we went into the blind contour drawing, using giant wax crayons on big sheets of newsprint. After doing that, we lead the participants straight into 'blind writing', where they move a sheet of paper down as they write in their journals to cover up what they've written as soon as they move to a new line, the idea being that they don't stop to look back at what they've written, but keep moving forward in the moment. The discussion about the process, together with a short read-back from their writing afterwards, made it clear that everyone got a huge amount out of today's class, and were seeing the parallels between the blind contour drawing and their writing. Even on an abbreviated schedule like this, we can see and hear break-throughs beginning to happen in the writing.

It would be nice to excerpt from the journal writing, but in lieu of that, here is a blind contour drawing from each person:

Joan

Lynn

Lindsey

Viki

Linda

Jo-Anne

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Restoring my Printing Press

I've just finished restoring and assembling my large etching press -- a six week process involving lots of rust removal, scrubbing with steel wool, and repainting. Here is a photo of the same kind of press from the Chicago Printmakers Collaborative: And here is a short YouTube video of me testing the press, making sure the motor still works after nearly seven years of lying in storage:

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Brancusi in Plastic

Artist Mary Ellen Croteau is showing these columns made from recycled plastic cartons and lids in the window of the Columbia College bookstore on Michigan Avenue. They are a playful homage to Brancusi's "Endless Columns", with a serious environmental message for our times: Image copyright Inhabitat.com and Mary Ellen Croteau Mary Ellen also runs a wonderful experimental art gallery in a window space in west Chicago, called Art on Armitage . I will be exhibiting a mixed media piece there during August 2012.

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How to etch a linoleum block

Linoleum as a material for printmaking has been used for nearly a hundred years now. Normally, you cut an image out using special gouges similar to woodcut tools, cutting away the lino around the image you want to print. This is called relief printmaking, because if you look at the block from the side, the material that remains stands up in relief from the backing material. You then roll ink with a brayer over the surface of the block, place paper over it, and either print by hand or run it through a press. You can do complex things this way (for example, reduction linocuts), but the beauty of the process is that it is quick, simple, and direct. Incised lino block, from me.redith.com Etched lino block, from Steve Edwards A few years ago, I saw some prints that were classified as coming from etched linoleum blocks, and I loved the textures I saw in them. In the last few months, I've been trying to use this technique in my own studio, learning about it as one does these d...

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