Art teacher and long-time printmaker Graham Hall works in a small print studio,
situated in suburban Aramoho, on the banks of the Whanganui River.
Graham Hall concentrates mainly on woodcut, monotype and drypoint printmaking processes.
Although AP studios has existed as a print studio for the last 8 years,
this print room set-up has been in its present location for three year.
Approximately 5x6m, the studio is good size for a sole printmaker,
although Graham says he still has to
'move stuff to get to other stuff - a little bit like tetris'.
especially when changing from one printing processes to another.
Graham's large printing press was built in 1996
at the Wanganui Regional Polytechnic, Quay School of the Arts.
Under the expert tutelage of Marty Vreede (as Head of the Printmaking department),
close to 100 third-year Fine Arts printmaking students built their own press!
This particular press has an 86cm bed and is used for both drypoint and multi-block woodcut.
There have been a number of small modifications to the press over the years.
Replacing the steel bed for a resin bed has helped in keeping the travel of the press bed straight and true. Various grease nipples have been added to improve the press action.
Occasional and informal workshops are held at the AP studios.
These visits are usually made when other printmakers are interested in a particular printmaking process
or in need access to a large press.
In the room next door is Leigh Anderton-Hall's art studio, housing a beautiful old Seggie Press,
which was built in the 1800’s by Alexander Seggie, an engineer from Edinburgh, Scotland.
A number of these presses were shipped to New Zealand.
This heavy cast iron beast is used primarily for monotype and drypoint printmaking.
A few technical points about the Aramoho Printmakers studio:
The tools used with woodcut a mixture of Pfeil chisels with the wooden stems cut back to fit into the hand. Various scrapers and creble’ tools are used in combination with chisel marks.
The drypoint tools are made from silver steel and then tempered to produce and incredibly fine sharp line.
The printing inks used in the studio are Charbonnel for drypoint
and Hostmann-Steinberg impression inks for the woodcut. Both inks are oil-based.
For monotype printmaking the Akua water-based inks are used.
In July Graham taught a workshop in multi-block process to a group of Art teachers
at the recent Art Teachers conference in Auckland.
Like all print process this technique has been adapted, changed and modified
to suit Graham's particular way of working, occasionally teaching this process to interested printmakers.
 |
Graham Hall, Heroes Journey
4-block woodcut |
This recent 4-block print is part of a show Graham has been working towards,
this final print is the culmination of three years' work.
It is part of the
Heroes Journey; after the mythologist Joseph Campbell (
The Hero of a Thousand Faces).
This print is part of 12 works that will be on show in Space Gallery in Wanganui in October.
Graham Hall also has work in Solander Gallery in Wellington
and in private and public institutions throughout New Zealand and overseas.
