Praeterita

Number 73 in the series of 100 web-talks on art and artists.   Subscribe to Praeterita in a reader

Went for dinner at the home of the ICCA director. His daughter decorated me with these flowers. Rather fetching, I thought.

Above is the final stage of the reduction linocut I created in collaboration with Ava Everett. Image size: 9.5" x 9.5". Title: Green bench. Medium: 8 colour reduction linocut on Hosho paper. Ava's image is entitled Stone Studio, same size, 4 colour reduction linocut: As the table laden with the ten prints suggests, it took a lot of patient work to get this diptych together in just two and a half days: But everyone who was in that room for the five days had a fantastic time, and they're already talking about coming back next year. Next week, Patty and I teach the Journal and Sketchbook class at the Writer's Retreat (hey there, Viki and Lynn!). Meanwhile, as a final sign-off from a great week of printmaking, here is a short slideshow of me pulling the final print off my much reduced lino block:   Subscribe to Praeterita in a reader

Why is that shark attacking the duck? All is explained at the foot of this post. On day 4 of the printmaking class, we began working on a collaborative print. Two prints from the edition will be presented to benefactors of the ICCA building, at a ceremony in July. After consultation with Matthew, the Director of the ICCA, we agreed on some images that symbolise the Interlochen campus, this beautiful place situated between two lakes in the woods of northern Michigan. As I wandered around the grounds looking for inspiration, two things struck me: the big stones that were used in the construction of the smallest rehearsal studios and the largest, newest buildings; and the green benches that are scattered around the hundreds of acres of the campus. These benches used to be the seating in the giant open-air auditorium, I believe. I found one sitting on the shore of the bigger of the two lakes, which made a great picture with a lot of contrast in it. After all agreeing on the subject matt...

Here is a slideshow from day 3 of the reduction linocut class that I'm teaching this week, showing a four-colour print in an edition of 3 in production from beginning to end.   Subscribe to Praeterita in a reader

A photographic still life from my week of teaching printmaking at the Interlochen College of Creative Arts:   Subscribe to Praeterita in a reader

It takes a whole day to prepare for, cut, and print a reduction linocut 9" x 12" in size, even in a small edition of 3 prints. But the result of taking so much care in getting the paper and block to align exactly with each colour is worth it: Colour number 1 of Ava's print is on the left, and a print with colour number 2 is on the right. And in fact, when you start off with a few initial cuts before applying the first colour, you end up with three colours on the print after two passes. On Wednesday, we start working on a collaborative print.   Subscribe to Praeterita in a reader