Stanley Palmer, 3Apr-11May, Wellington

Stanley Palmer's exhibition Other Islands

opens on 3 April at Solander Gallery in Wellington.

Other Islands is an exhibition of paintings and monotype prints

that draws on Stanley’s long held fascination with the rugged New Zealand coastal landscape.

Throughout his work Stanley asserts the potency of the island landscape as a metaphor for ourselves,

suggesting it “reflects our own experiences and perceptions, 

as well as the inherent fragility and isolation of living in a country surrounded by a vast ocean.”

Stanley Palmer, Morning Waiheke, 2012
Monotype, 48x80cm

Stanley Palmer, 2012
Monotype

Stanley Palmer has been exhibiting since 1958 and has built over the decades,

a reputation as one of New Zealand’s significant artists.

For more information about this exhibition, see www.solandergallery.co.nz

Compact Prints, 4-30Apr, Palmerston North

Compact Prints has travelled to Taylor Jensen Gallery in Palmerston North.

It features 166 hand printed works the size of a CD case.  

The works are a collection of Australian and New Zealand printmakers, 

alongside international artists from 21 countries.
Although on show from 5 April, the opening is at 1-3pm on Saturday 6 April.        

            I saw this exhibition in Mt Eden and thought it had a good variety of techniques and imagery.
So if you are near Palmerston North then I recommend getting along to have a look.    
                                                                                                  

(I heard that the CPCANZ Prints Petite will be also be exhibited at this venue,
but would be great if someone could confirm that).

Wood Relief Prints, NZ Style

Today's workshop is 'relief printing' but more specifically starting with wood,

so I thought I'd blog about a few NZ Printmakers as examples

to discuss some diverse 'relief' styles and techniques you may want to explore further;

Annie Smits Sandano, Blue Birds II
Woodcut and embossing, 30x30cm, edition of 100

Woodcuts don't have to be black & white.

This example from Annie Smits Sandano includes multiple colours  

and I like the effect created by layers of transparency where the leaf prints overlap.

Also, the embossed pattern over top is great too.

(Embossing is just a print with no ink!)

Sam Broad, Colony Collapse Disorder, 2012
Woodcut, 63x49cm, edition of 45

Explore different styles of images;

The above contemporary woodcut by Sam Broad is enhanced by the variety of mark-making,

the busyness of the 'graphic' cartoon-like characters,

and inclusion of text into the design. 

Albrecht Durer, Deposition of Christ, 1496
Wood engraving, 38x28cm

Pablo Picasso, Trois Femmes (Three Women), 1959
Woodcut

Fatu Feu'u, Lapita Mulifanua
Woodcut, 50x70cm, edition of 40

Compare this to the images above of an illustrative wood engraving by Durer from 1496,
and an abstract expressionist linocut from Picasso from 1959.

Jo Ogier, The Huia's Lament III, 2010
Relief print, 43x96cm, edition of 5

I've seen one of the prints from this series by Jo Ogier.

The first thing that impressed me was the scale - almost a metre long!

Don't be afraid to play with scale, both big and small.

Consider printing on a coloured background as Jo has done.

Instead of printing straight from a tube as a solid block, 

try mixing a variety of coloured/tinted/metallic inks blended.

Simon Kaan, Untitled (Tiki I), 2010
Intaglio Woodcut, 71x50cm, edition of 12

Like this Simon Khan image, consider the possibility of a custom shape

rather than just using a simple square or rectangle.

Emma McLeary, First Flutter  (left: close-up)
Woodcut, paint and pencil, 30x30cm, edition of 9

Fatu Feu'u , Viiga poula: Adoration of fertility ritual by night, 2001
Woodcut, 60x120cm, edition of 40

Iris Steensma, Heard Mr Williams Preach,  2006
Woodcut

Don't forget to consider the composition.

Iris Steensma's woodcut is simpler and more figurative, 

though it still includes a foreground, mid-gound and background.

I like that the girl with the doll extends beyond the frame of the image.

Ben Reid, know the price of everthing and the value of nothing, 2012
Intaglio and relief print, 44x73cm, edition of 10

Consider how relief printing can be useful to create repeated patterns.

In this example by Ben Reid the pattern makes an interesting companion for the intaglio drawing.

Sheyne Tuffery, Consortium 1, 2011
woodcut, 50x70cm

After making several different plates, try using them in new combinations to make unique works,

use multiple layers and colours such as in these relief prints by Sheyne Tuffery.

Sheyne Tuffery, various woodcut prints

If this post has inspired you to make some woodcuts,

and want to investigate options for wood cutting tools, 

you may want to refer to my previous post about: Testing Woodcut Tools 

Grab some MDF and a roller and get printing!!!

Relief Printing with Laser

Next week I'm teaching a workshop in Relief printing.

I will be showing some woodblocks, linocuts, and maybe some letterpress,

but I also had the luxury of making some samples using a laser cutter.

It was fun to see these two simple digital files transformed into 'woodcuts',

both as a cut-out shape and a relief surface for printing or embossing.

Samples of the laser cutter for a relief workshop;
Wood plate, embossed print, and basic black print

Sparrow, close-up of laser surface of woodcut.
Inside lines are etched to a depth of approx 1-2mm
Outside line is cut all the way through the plate to create a perfect fit!

Left: Two plates inked up separately, relief sparrow and background template
Right: Two plates re-assembled and printed together in one solid colour (enlarged)

These are just simple pattern and line samples,

but it also works for photos and scans of hand-drawn images..

Its a starting point to give the students some ideas and inspiration

to make the most of this technology with their own imagery

Perhaps I'll post again after the workshop with some examples of how they use it?!

Photo Etching Suggestions?

Hello NZ Printmakers!

I've been asked to teach an etching workshop over a few weeks 

and the students would like to etch photos...

I've had varied success with different products,

so would appreciate some advice from others working in this process.

I'd love to hear from any of you who have done photo-etching recently

to tell me what products you have used,

if the products and images were successful, 

and if the suppliers were user-friendly.

Post a comment below, or click here to email me.

 

Impact 8 Printmaking Conference, 28Aug-1Sep, Scotland

It's only 5 months til Impact 8 International Printmaking Conference:

'A celebration of interdisciplinarity and exploration through the medium of print.'

28th August – 1st September 2013 in Dundee, Scotland.

The 8th Impact international conference will be hosted in Dundee 

as a central element to the inaugural Print Festival Scotland – 

an event which aims to confirm the cultural diversity, historical significance and future potential of print.

Foregrounding the inherent experimental and interdisciplinary nature of print practices 

Impact 8 will provide a critical and interactive platform 

for the varied interests that make print such a unique discipline.  

From its hybrid roots in industry and scholarship, through traditional design applications and fine art practices to it’s consistent significance within emerging technologies and theoretical debate – 

print continues to play a crucial role in the exploration of borders and crossings – 

be they geographical, ideological, cultural, theoretical or practical.

To coincide with Impact 8, there will be an exhibition of works by Sister Corita Kent (1918-1986) in Dundee.

With the theme of ‘exploration’ and the multiple identity of the print, in mind, 

we would like to welcome you to Dundee to explore the cross-disciplinary nature of print media. 

Impact 8 will build upon the meetings reputation as a truly international event 

whilst reflecting the cultural identity of Scotland and Dundee’s reputation and heritage 

as the ‘City of Discovery’ – from polar exploration to biomedical research 

and its traditions of print, printmaking and publishing.

I know it is the other side of the world, 

but I'd love to find out if any of you are planning to go???

Annie Smits Sandano, til 10Apr, New Plymouth

Any of you in New Plymouth area may want to go check out this exhibition

by Annie Smits Sandano, on now at Kina.

"Annie Sandano’s most recent exhibition, Flying through Clouds, 

is a whimsical and delightful celebration of contemporary printmaking practice in New Zealand. 

 The elaborate techniques of hand carving and printing continue to be a key factor within all of her works.

In this new collection, the fusion of folk art with New Zealand motifs 

directs the main characteristics of the collection. 

Bold floral and geometric silhouettes, which take their inspiration from a fusion of decorative arts, 

sit alongside New Zealand Tuis and Fantails in bright, fresh and colourful landscapes.

Annie Smits Sandano, Cinnamon Flower
Woodcut, 35x50cm

With a sharp eye for colour, compositions are assembled from combinations of warmer hues 

like chocolate browns, mocha, tangerine and persimmon orange in works like “Cinnamon Flower”. 

In other works like “Pacific Wind”, a crisp palette is established 

with the juxtaposition of ocean-side colours like aqua, lemon yellow, pastel blue and grey.

Annie Smits Sandano, Pacific Wind
Woodcut, 35x50cm

All works are made completely by hand from start to finish. 

Colours are all hand mixed, wooden blocks hand carved 

and works are individually printed by hand on a manual press. 

Annie Prizes the technical heritage of traditional printmaking 

and is a strong advocate of maintaining these processes alive without digital intervention."

Flying Through Clouds runs until 10th April 2013.

For those in other parts of the country,
you can check out all the new works on Annie's website: www.anniesmitssandano.com

Also, if you live in Auckland, Annie is teaching a woodblock workshop
on 27-28 April at Artsight in Eden Terrace.
For more info, see www.artsight.co.nz/artist-workshops-auckland.html

Dagmar Dyck & Sheyne Tuffery, 21Mar-16Apr, Auckland

An exhibition of works by Dagmar Dyck and Sheyne Tuffery 

opens at Flagstaff Gallery on Thursday 21 March at 6pm

Pacifica: Patterns of Exchange is on display until 16 April

Sheyne Tuffery, Pattern One
Woodblock print and mixed media on paper, 50x70cm

Dagmar Dyck, Navigate
Screenprint on paper, 36x50cm

Stanley Palmer Monoprint Workshop, 13Apr, Auckland

Artsight in Auckland are hosting a Stanley Palmer monoprint workshop 

on Saturday 13th April., from 9am-3pm.

It will be held at Artsight, 5a Flower St, Eden Terrace, Auckland

Cost: $195+gst (includes a catered lunch) 

Its limited to 10 places and is almost full - only 2 places left, so get in quick if you are interested!

Stanley Palmer, Looking at the CityMonoprint

Join renowned New Zealand painter and printmaker for this exclusive workshop 

looking at the process of monoprint (transferred paintings). 

This workshop will explore the history and process of monoprint 

beginning with black and white images and transferred drawings then developing a series of colour prints.

Stanley Palmer, Tankers Newmarket Junction, 1988
Monoprint

"Printmaker and painter Stanley Palmer has been exhibiting since 1958

 and worked as a full-time artist since 1969. 

Well-known for his bamboo engravings of the 1960s 

and the signature fractured pictorial space of his early work, 

Palmer has always been experimental with his production techniques, 

driven by an abiding interest in the internal logic and process of art-making.

While most of Palmer’s works have specific locations, 

his vision has always been deeply personal and his forms increasingly near-abstract. 

Conservation of New Zealand’s coastline and off-shore islands has been one of his concerns for many years

 and he often spends long periods of time working in remote areas of the country; 

areas that to him represent a kind of authenticity of mankind itself. 

Throughout his work Palmer asserts the potency of the island landscape as a metaphor for ourselves, 

suggesting it “reflects our own experiences and perceptions, 

as well as the inherent fragility and isolation of living in a country surrounded by a vast ocean.”

By looking closely at his environment, Palmer teaches us to also look at it, and by extension, at ourselves: 

“I am interested in a lot of things at the end where the road peters out, 

the edge between the civilized and where we have no control. . . the oceans and the sky.”

[Isabel Haarhaus - Biography courtesy of Melanie Rodgers gallery.]

See Artsight's website for more details or to register.