I know the way to San Jose

Every time I go to San Jose, I find myself humming this song. This is an extremely belated post about my workshop at the San Jose ICA Print Center back in February. Above is their lovely press, that still needs a name.

The workshop began on a Thursday evening, where I gave a introduction to relief and showed examples, both real and virtual. Kim Munson took some excellent photos - see them here.

Friday, attendees had a chance to gather materials and consider their ideas. Saturday was dedicated to carving.



One or two students managed to print on Saturday, but Sunday was the real printing extravaganza.

First, we tried some experiments with blind embossing (no ink).



Then, printed like crazy.



So many prints!



There was also an amazing show of mezzotints by Judith Rothchild, and as well as an amazing-crazy paper installation by Val Britton and a show called Parallax Views, that was being installed at the time, but is now up, which includes work by Tracey!

Judith Rothchild mezzotints:



Val Britton:



I also got a real kick out of this poster, leftover from a previous exhibition.



The Print Center offers a variety of workshops - to see a listing, visit here. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Kim Munson for all her organizing and assistance. I'm hoping, now that things are calming down, to offer a papermaking workshop there soon. Check back here for updates!

Collage and Play

I had a realization recently about my recent studio practice. I've been fortunate to have so many opportunities of late, but since I have to work, my studio time has been focused solely on projects, and finishing said projects by deadlines. I've been concentrating on accomplishment. It's been a while since I just played as an artist, with no goal in mind.

I used to make a point of every time I came into the studio, to start with what I called "pointless drawings." Pointless because they remained outside of projects, the only goal was to practice drawing and preserve a fresh outlook. Yet, I've gotten away from that in the past year.

My pieces for Win Win! (see post) made me remember how much I love collage. While I was making them, I started playing.



Fulmination

Some of these started because I'd have leftover paint on the palette, and didn't want it to go to waste.



Trinitite I

I really tried to give into the process of just making, and ignore the voice in my head that said I should be Doing Something Important.



Trinitite II


I've also been thinking some of the ideas here, about how life outside of the studio informs the practice. Play helps us retain a sense of wonder, necessary to making.



Trinitite III

So a renewed goal - to remember my pointless drawings. Play is the whole point.

Win Win at NIAD

The NIAD Art Center has a fundraiser coming up called Win Win! For this event, artists were given 6"x 6" canvases to create works of art that attendees will be able to select and take home. For my contribution, I dusted off the ole collage skills and made the following three pieces out of paint, handmade paper and leftover prints.



It was sort of funny to realize, since I'm not a painter and was just using leftover supplies from a LONG time ago, what I actually had left. For instance, no yellow. But I made it work.

The Win Win! preview takes place May 9-10, with a party on May 11 from 4-6 PM, at Cliff Bar and Company, 1451 66th Street in Emeryville, CA. For tickets, or to see some of the artwork in advance, visit here.

Homage to A.W.

A printed nod to this, a self portrait (instead of cavalier boots, I'm wearing my papermaker/rain books and apron), and the weed has been carved away mostly, to reveal the paper (the plant is the paper - and thus, the paper is a character in the image).

Part of this print was printed at the San Jose ICA Print Center, which I hope to cover in a future post - I mean to post so much more on here than I often have time for. But the ICA Print Center is awesome, and totally deserves a quality post, rather than something dashed-off. I was there working on this print in late January, I can't believe it's mid-April already.

Still looking for shareholders for Carbon Corpus! Please message me if you are interested.