Hybrid Digital Traditional Printmaking Blog

I got an email a few weeks ago from a printmaker in Scotland

who is writing a blog about combinations of digital and traditional printmaking together.

The Tradigital Printmaking blog is focussed on the use of digital inkjet print

in combination with any of these traditional techniques:

such as silkscreen, wood cut, linocut, intaglio, lithography, etching, collagraph and so on.

She was very excited to discover so many fantastic NZ Printmakers on here!

And asked if I knew of any NZ Printmakers who are making hybrid print work.

If you know any printmakers combining digital and traditional printmaking techniques

please let us know, either by email or post a comment below.

If you'd like to read about or contribute to the ongoing discussion about these topics,

see the Tradigital Printmaking blog, it has some very interesting hybrid practices on it.

Print Workshops at Inverlochy, January 2011

Inverlochy Art School, Wellington are offering these courses:

Painterly Monotypes and Mixed Media Printmaking
Create a series of unique prints that combine traditional print processes
with painterly monotype processes using non toxic and easy to clean up, soy oil based Akua Inks.
This course combines monotype with basic printmaking techniques such as drypoint etching and woodcut.
Explore and experiment with mixed media such as masks and stencils, embossing and collage.

Traditional acid etching techniques will be explored if there is interest.

10am-4pm on 17-21 January 2011
Being tutored by Basia Smolnicki, cost $350
See Inverlochy Art School website for more details on this course.



Stone Lithography
Suitable for beginners and more experienced printmakers who wish to gain additional skills and knowledge. The course will commence with the preparation of the stone and finish with printing a small edition.
Practical instruction will be given for different conceptual ideas of expression,
the diversity of mark making, proofing, printing and general print room practice.

10am-4pm on 10-14 January 2011
Being tutored by Anthony Davies, cost $400
See Inverlochy Art School website for more details on this course.

Screenprinting

Screenprinting is a fascinating, flexible and versatile medium.
If you have always wanted to print your own t-shirt, clothing, poster or paper, then this is the class for you!
For beginners as well as more experienced people, this course will teach a wide range of screenprinting techniques.

10am-4pm on 17-21 January 2011
Being tutored by Bruce Mahalski, cost $380
See Inverlochy Art School website for more details on this course.

Merry Christmas from New Zealand Printmakers!

I just wanting to wish all of you blog readers a very merry Christmas

from all of us New Zealand Printmakers!

(yeah nah bro, we'll probably spend the day wearing jandals under a pohutukawa tree at the beach, ay!)

Let us know if you got any awesome printmaking stuff for Christmas!?

Etching Press for Sale

I sometimes get people asking me if I know of any second-hand etching presses for sale,

and I just heard of one, so thought I'd let you all know...

Press Bed Size: 120x60cm
The press was built in 2005. It is in very good condition.
It has been used by two experienced printmakers, hasn’t had a lot of use at all.
The press includes felt mats: two large and two small and a piece for solvent transfers.

There is also a large water & dust resistant cover that will come with it.

The press is located in Christchurch, and has just been re-serviced.

It is heavy (about 300kg), so a freight company would need lifting equipment to pick it up.

They would like $6000, but that is negotiable.

For all the specific measurements and contact details are here.

Follow...

I've had several requests recently from people who want to subscribe to NZ Printmakers blog.

I'm keen to make sure you don't miss out on any interesting news or exhibitions

so I've made it a little easier for you to keep up-to-date with the latest on NZ Printmakers

by adding a 'Follow' gadget in the column to the right.

Join if you want to...

White Silence

White Silence is an exhibition of new work by Mark Graver,

on show now at Art at Wharepuke in Kerikeri,

from 23 December til 25 January 2011.

It includes new etchings, called the Black Light series, made with wash resists and aquatint.

 I am quite intrigued by these etchings, they have such an interesting texture and density about them.

Mark Graver, Black Light 2, 2010
metal salt etching, 28x39cm

The White Silence series of small paintings is an on-going project

with each painting created slowly over an extended time period. 

Often only one layer or application of whiting or pigment is made each day

with the finished piece sometimes taking up to six months to reach its end.

Mark Graver, White Silence 2, 2010
Painting, 25x25cm



If you are not able to go north to see this exhibition in January,

the works are also available for viewing online on Mark's Flickr page.

Year-Long Printmaking Course at ArtStation 2011

ArtStation in Ponsonby are also offering a

YEAR-LONG COURSE IN PRINTMAKING 2011 (Y50, Stage 2 &3)

This course is for students who have a strong interest in printmaking

and want to develop their own printed imagery to complete an edition of prints

and a portfolio of work for exhibition in the Arstation gallery.

 

Techniques covered include wood and lino cuts, etching,

silkscreen printing and the use of UV-light-sensitive processes.

Aspects of the history and evolution of printmaking and printmaking protocols are covered.

 

Thursdays, 10am-2pm, starting 3 February 2011 

Being tutored by Jonathan Brown and Elizabeth Serjeant.

Cost $2100

 

There will be a maximum of 8 students, and only a few spaces still available,

so if you are interested then please call the ArtStation office on 3763221 for an interview.

 

Christmas Present for Banksy Fans

As I was doing Christmas shopping this week

I found Exit Through the Gift Shop is now out on dvd,

and available in most places you'd usually buy dvds

(refer to my earlier post about the Banksy film, or watch preview below)

So if you're looking for that last-minute Christmas present idea for a Banksy fan,

then this would make a great gift! (I even got one for myself)

If you've seen this film, write a comment here and let us know what you thought of it,

or if you have any other last-minute present ideas for printmakers???



Screenprint Workshop at ArtStation, 13-15 January

ArtStation in Ponsonby is offering this three-day printmaking workshop:

Silk Screen Printing
This intensive workshop is for students who want to transfer their ideas into multiple prints,
using a variety of stencils, including photographic silkscreen, on fabric.
10am-4pm on 13-15 January 2011
Being tutored by Kate McLean, maximum of 8 students, cost $300.


If you are interested see ArtStation's website to enquire about booking.



31st Mini Print International of Cadaqués 2011

The Mini Print International of Cadaqués (Spain)

is a print competition open to all printmaking techniques and tendencies.
The 2010 exhibition included 683 exhibiting artists from 59 countries.

Images must be no bigger than 10x10cm

and arrive in Spain by 15 March 2011

so you've got plenty of time to make some prints for it!

One of the 2010 winners:
Nelly Sandeva (Bulgaria), Playar with Graphics II, 2010
Etching, 10x10cm

For more information about entering a print

see the Mini Print Website (English version) 

Kakyoung Lee's Drypoint Animation

Wow, I saw this amazing drypoint animation on Printeresting website.

I thought you printmakers would appreciate how much work was involved...

Kakyoung Lee: Grand Army Plaza, 2009 from Michael Steinberg Fine Art on Vimeo.

156 prints, in an edition of 3.
Have any of you tried combining animation and print before??

Let me know if you like it...

Durer at Ashburton

'Albrecht Durer & 16th Century German Printmaking'

is on now at Ashburton Art Gallery until 23 January 2011

Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), Melencolia 1, 1514,
Engraving.

 The exhibition features 26 works from Albrecht Dürer and other distinguished German printmakers

including some of Durer’s iconic engravings and woodcuts:

Nemesis, the great Fortune (1502), Melencolia 1 (1514), and Hercules (1498).

If you are near Ashburton over summer, go see the show for us.

Post a comment about what you think... is etching still relevant today???

Situations for the Modern Printmaker

Only printmakers will think this is funny...



Posters available through Etsy if you want one.

Out Of The Box Exhibition in Australia

I was interested to read about an exhibition called Out of the Box

organised by Solander Gallery and featuring 27 New Zealand printmakers.

It is on from now until 1 May 2011

at the Tweed River Art Gallery Murwillumbah, Australia.

Solander calls it 'a vibrant snapshot of time and place in contemporary New Zealand printmaking'.

It has a great selection of images, represents a good variety of NZ print work.

See more information about the exhibition on Solander's website.

Marian McGuire's The Labours of Herakles, Ashburton

Marian Maguire's exhibition The Labours of Herakles
is currently touring and just opened at Ashburton Art Gallery 

11 December 2010 - 20 February 2011

Marian Maguire, Herakles surprised by Maoris who were driven off with Heavy Losses, 2006/7
lithograph on Velin Arches white 250g

Kathy Boyle

After many years of printmaking for her own enjoyment,
Kathy Boyle returned to study at E.I.T. in Hawkes Bay

and has just completed her visual art degree.

Here's a sample from her latest series:

Kathy Boyle, Untitled, 2010

Kathy has been printmaking for about 10 years
and been member of the Central Print Council since its inception.

Kathy also has a studio workshop in an old woolshed just out of Napier,
where a variety of art courses are run throughout the year.
If you'd like to know more, check out Kathy's website.

Limited Edition Print Summer Workshop at CEAC

Corban Estate Arts Centre is hosting a 5 day workshop in
creating your own Limited Edition Print (All Levels)

being taught by Shelley Ryde on 17-21 January 2011

Based on individual themes, students will be lead through step-by-step instructions
for planning a print edition, using selected techniques to produce
a composite print in the form of a series of layers or sequences.

Plates will be prepared using a range of techniques including:
 collagraph, cut stencils and silkscreen or mono print, dry point,
photopolymer and polyester prints and woodcut or linocut.

Participants will experiment with the possibilities of multiple print layers,
colour separations, and composition devices and investigate different visual elements
such as scale, colour, pattern and contrast.

Shelley Ryde is the Head of the Visual Arts Faculty at Diocesan School
and is a renowned arts educator with more than 30 years experience.
Shelley has been involved in curriculum development at national levels
and has contributed to local, national and international courses
and conferences in the visual arts field.
Her own work is in private collections in New Zealand and internationally.

Fee: $520 (materials included)

For more information about this course see CEAC's website

CPCANZ Summer School 2011

This year CPCANZ have decided to have 'Summer School'

I think it is 10-15 January 2011

and will be held in the UCOL Print Workshop in Whanganui.

Marty Vreede at UCOL

The first demonstration will be grained aluminium plate lithography with Patrick Cush.

The second demonstration will be etching through photopolymer film into zinc plate by Marty Vreede.

The rest will be open workshop magic, sharing your own ideas with others.

Members $130, Non-Members $165

For more information check out website for CPCANZ Summer School 2011

PaperGraphica Christmas Show

PaperGraphica just announced the details for their Christmas Show

It includes new work by

Nigel Buxton, Barry Cleavin, Fatu Feu'u, Marian Maguire & James Robinson

Nigel Buxton, This Pioneering Life - Dusk, 2010
Inkjet on german etching paper

Opening on Monday 6 December at 5.30pm
and the exhibition will be open until 24 December

For more information see PaperGraphica's website

UCOL Summer School 2011

If you are looking to develop your printmaking skills over summer

you may be interested in Drypoint and Multiblock Printmaking

being taught by Graham Hall, 17-21 January 2011

as part of the Whanganui Summer School of Art.

Students will be working in a range of print disciplines throughout the workshop.

There will be an opportunity to work in both drypoint and monoprint processes.

Students can explore and expand on their art ideas using water-based inks.

There will be an opportunity to edition work

and to combine a number of print processes including screenprint and woodcut.

Graham Hall, Prussian Blue, 2010
Drypoint Etching on 39x27cm paper, edition of 10.

Graham Hall has been involved in Art and Art Education for the past 20 years.

He was the Secretary of the Central Print Council until 2004,

when he focused on gaining his Masters Degree in Art and Design at AUT.

He has exhibited widely in NZ and overseas.

5 full days for only $465

For more info see UCOL Whanganui Summer School of the Arts Website

Stephen Mumberson and Chris Pig

A new exhibition at Art at Wharepuke in Kerikeri

features etchings and relief prints of two of the UK’s most well-known printmakers

Stephen Mumberson (MA RCA, RE) and Chris Pig.

Mumberson’s etchings relate to the city of London, where he lives,

 and come from everyday observations of the street life

and imagery sourced from popular British culture.

Chris Pig makes lino cutting and wood engraving of the highest quality.

He was joint winner of the Society of Wood Engravers’ Award at Originals 09 in London.

Pig recently returned from London, after a short time living in Spain,

and there are works in this show from both Spain and London.

His work features characters encountered in the less salubrious parts of town

as well as images of intimacy and domesticity.

 The works are on display 1-19 December 2010.
See Art at Wharepuke's website  for more information.

A Summer Affair

Brad Novak is part of an exhibition called A Summer Affair

on at Flagstaff Gallery in Devonport, Auckland

from 9 December 2010 - 6 January 2011

Brad Novak, Reservoir Kiwi, 2010
Screenprint

I'll update this post if I get more information.

Make the most of your summer break and go check out some art!

 

RED

RED: A show of RED HOT Solander artists

will be on at Solander Gallery in Wellington from 1-24 December

Jacqueline Aust, Red Corner, 2010
Photopolymer Etching

Artists involved in the RED exhibition include:

 Chris Adams, Jaqueline Aust, Michele Bryant, Vincent Drane, Jacqui Colley,

Vanessa Edwards, Ellen Giggenbach, Graham Hall, Struan Hamilton, Esther Hansen,

Kim Lowe, Catherine Macdonald, Emma McCleary, Faith McManus, Alex Milsom,

Elizabeth Plumridge, Ben Reid, Jacob Rolfe, David Sarich, Margaret Silverwood,

Devon Smith, Annie Smits Sandano, Basia Smolnicki, Lynn Taylor, Sheyne Tuffery.

Margaret Silverwood, Earlier Settler, 2010

Etching

A festive 'cash and carry' group exhibition of small works $300 or less!

That's an impressive list of 30 Solander artists, exhibiting exciting new works on paper.

Featuring a variety of themes, techniques and sizes, there will be something for everyone!

Perfect for giving the gift of art this Christmas.

Waiprint 2010

Waiprint 2010 is on at ArtsPost Gallery in Hamilton
3 December 2010 - 10 January 2011
Guest Artist is Susan Hurrell Fields

Susan Hurrell Fields, And The People Still Laugh
Monotype

For more information see Waikato Society of Arts Website

Esther Hansen

Esther Hansen has just finished preparing work for

Red, a pre-Christmas group show of small works under $300

at Solander Gallery in Wellington, 1-24 December.

Here's a sneak preview, these are two of the artist's proofs...

Esther Hansen, Why Should I Whistle, 2010
Drypoint etching, hand-coloured.



Esther Hansen, Anne In The Blossoms, 2010
Drypoint etching, hand-coloured.

If you are in Wellington in December, go check out the show.

It may be a good opportunity to do some early Christmas shopping.

Marian McGuire's The Labours of Herakles

Marian Maguire's exhibition
The Labours of Herakles
is currently touring and is now on at

Eastern Southland Gallery, Gore
30 October - 5 December 2010

Marian Maguire, Herakles signs the Treaty of Waitangi, 2006/7
lithograph on Velin Arches white 250g

If you want to see the show the exhibition, it will be at a town near you soon:
Ashburton Art Gallery from 11 December 2010 - 20 February 2011

Tairawhiti Museum in Gisborne from 17 April - 19 June 2011

Waikato Museum in Hamilton from 25 June - 25 September 2011

Te Manawa in Palmerston North from 8 October 2011 - 29 January 2012
Tauranga Art Gallery from 11 February - 1 April 2012

ESTUARY ARTWORKS 2011

Uxbridge Creative Centre, together with the Tamaki Estuary Pollution Steering Group,

is proud to announce the Estuary Artworks Competition will be running again in 2011.

Offering $8000 for First Prize (generously provided by the Auckland City Council)

as well as the opportunity for a solo exhibition at Uxbridge in 2012.

Estuary Artworks 2011 is open to 2D and 3D artworks, including printmaking...

This art competition, now into its 5th year, is open to all residents of New Zealand.

Winning artwork for 2010:
Brendan McGorry, The Battle of the Rebirth of Tahuna Torea.

Their aim, through the artworks, is for visitors to the exhibition to gain awareness of

and appreciation for the Estuary's natural, cultural and geological features

of regional and national significance and to motivate communities

to actively work together for it's protection, enhancement and restoration.

No deadline is listed, but contact Uxbridge for further details on this competition

and an entry form, see Uxbridge's website or email the Curator

The exhibition of finalists is 11 February - 9 March 2010.

Albrecht Durer Exhibition Tours South Island

Albrecht Durer & 16th Century German Printmaking

is a printmaking exhibition being toured by Te Papa to four South Island venues:

(previously on at Dunedin Public Art Gallery from 26 June–8 August 2010)

currently on at the Forrester Gallery in Oamaru from 16 October–28 November 2010,

then travelling to Ashburton Art Gallery from 11 December 2010–23 January 2011

and then to Eastern Southland Gallery in Gore from 5 February–20 March 2011

The exhibition features 26 works,

from Albrecht Dürer and other distinguished German printmakers,

and includes some of Durer’s iconic etchings and woodcuts including:

Hercules (1498), Nemesis, the Great Fortune (1502), and Melancholia 1 (1514).

Albrecht Dürer, Nemesis (the Great Fortune), c.1502
Engraving.

Working in Italy in the first decades of the 16th century,

Albrecht Durer (1471-1528), drew his inspiration from the Protestant Reformation

to portray the social, cultural and religious upheavals of the time.

His images were often based on classical stories and his own interpretation of Biblical texts.

 Durer was known for his technique of complex combinations of curved lines,

use of defined light and shade, and surface texture in both his woodcuts and engravings.

His systems of cross-hatched lines convincingly depict shape and form,

giving the human body a sculptural quality.

A great series for you South Islanders!

If you see it, let us know what you thought by adding a comment below.



Magical, Mundane and the Mystical

Fleur Williams and Alex Milsom are part of a group show called

Magical, Mundane and the Mystical

on now at Solander Gallery in Wellington from 3-27 November



Fleur Williams, Work Life Balance, 2010
Mezzotint Etching, 61x 41cm



 "While the etchings of artist Fleur Williams are a celebration of the ordinary,

the suburban and the domestic, her images are anything but ordinary. 

Fleur draws inspiration from beauty found in the cozy domestic world and familiar chores.

Her works revel in spending time at home on the weekend tending ones ‘own patch’,

getting the chores done, all while the cat lounges around! "

Alex Milsom, Disquietude, 2010
Mezzotint, 14x16cm



"The velvety blackness and intimate scale of Alex Milsom’s mezzotints

conjure up the dreamlike world of fairytales as told to her by her late Grandmother.

These stories and imagery held deep within her psyche from childhood

are brought forth in these evocative and introspective works

to explore the myriad emotions that make us human."

If you are near Wellington this month, go check it out!

Monotype & Monoprint

This week I taught a workshop in monotype / monoprint.

The students loved it, and many of them returned the next day to mass-produce more prints,

it reminded me how much fun the process can be!

I usually demonstrate the basics of additive and subtractive methods first,

and then introduce alternative techniques of using stencils and texture, and tracing etc

Ruth Sumner, Grid,  1998
Monotype / Monoprint

 I must say I also learned something new this week:

I've always thought of the terms monoprint and monotype as being the same thing.

Although the process is exactly the same, I discovered there is a distinction between the two terms.

Monotypes are when the artist works on a clean and unetched plate.

Such as this example from Beth Charles.



Beth Charles, Half Light, 2010
Monotype, collage and pastel, 56x43cm

Monoprints are defined by the inclusion of a pattern or part of an image which is repeated in each print.

Artists may use plates etched with an outline or complete image
and select areas to add or subtract ink to add painterly effects,
or they may incorporate some kind of repeated pattern such as lace or leaf textures.

This second example has an etched silhouette with the monoprinted sky.

Beth Charles, Epicentre, 2009
Monoprint, collage and stitch on paper, 59x64cmm.
(Finalist in the New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award, 2010)

I hope that might help clarify the terms for you as well.

Here is a great video from Double Elephant Print Workshop (UK)
showing the monoprint process:
 

And let us know if there are monotype & monoprint artists you like
by adding a comment to this post (with website if possible).

Julia Morison

Julia Morison has just released a new series of work called
Ringing the Changes in ‘Plain Bob Minor’

It is made up of a suite of 60 monoprint etchings,

each print is a one off made up of a unique combination of 6 individual plates.

This is a project that has taken several years from conception to completion.

Such an inventive idea, I like how the modules fit together so seamlessly.

Julia Morison, Ringing in the Changes, 2010
Monoprint Etchings, 195 x 660mm, edition of 60

A selection of these new prints can be viewed
 6-10 November at 10/75 Peterborough St, Christchurch
or contact Watermark Printworkshop for more information.

1866's Guide to Etching

I just read a very interesting link from Project Gutenburg (via CPCANZ).

It is a technical handbook called A Treatise on Etching

for all things to do with making and printing etchings, first written in 1866, by Maxime Lalanne.

An example from the eBook, explaining flat biting and stop-out

This 2nd edition, updated in 1880, was translated from French.

There are several e-book versions available on their website,

if you just want to browse then here is the link to view it on the internet:

Guide to Etching eBook (2nd edition, 1880)

It is amazing how little it has changed since 1800s, this guide is remarkably thorough.

I even learned a few extra valuable hints, such as how to deal with 'accidents'.

If you love etching then check it out. 

I especially enjoyed the translator's notes at the end,

they remind me of the notes I write to myself in the margins of my workbooks and visual diaries.

Andrea Mae Miller

Another very interesting artist I found recently is Andrea Mae Miller

Born and raised in Northland,

Andrea obtained her BFA from Otago Polytechnic in 2002.

She then established her studio, called St Peter’s Thumb, in Petone.

In 2006 she spent a year living and working in Copenhagen, Denmark,

then she returned to NZ in 2007, setting up St Peter’s Thumb again,

this time in Eastbourne, Lower Hutt.

The work is been inspired different experiences:

from a West Coast road trip from Nelson to Greymouth,

to visiting both the Zoology museum in Copenhagen, Denmark.



Andrea Mae Miller, Tieke, 2010
Bamboo Etching, 16x32cm, edition of 7



Her works definitely reference NZ,

with woodcuts and bamboo etching 

 of landscapes, fish, ferns, hooks, flax etc.

Andrea has 2 exhibitions coming up soon:

Artbourne Exhibition 2010 is on 29-31 October 2010 at Wellesley College, Days Bay
Small Works (Group Show) is on 5-24 November 2010 at LeSA Gallery, Petone



Andrea Mae Miller, Microcosm 1, 2010
Bamboo etching, 28x28cm, edition of 17



If you can't make it to those shows, she has a very extensive gallery online, 

I recommend you check out her stylish website here:

Andrea Mae Miller's Website 

Information is Beautiful

I found a new interesting website today that I thought I'd share with you:

Information is Beautiful Website

It is about how you can communicate 'information' better by making it visual instead of numerical.

Colours in Cultures

This may not be specific to printmaking, but is an interesting discussion about visual culture
which I thought you artists and designers might be interested in.
It's very cool graphics as well as informative, so check it out!

It includes: The Billion-Dollar-o-Gram, What Every Conty In The World Is Best At,
The True Size of Africa, How Many Nukes Will Destroy the World?
Dr Who's Time Travel Timeline, Social Networking, and many many more...

How Could We Resist?

Central Print Council of Aotearoa New Zealand (CPCANZ)

are currently touring a show called How Could We Resist?

Over 60 exquisite miniatures by 45 printmakers.

This travelling show of miniature prints is

currently at MVH Gallery at Marlborough Vintners Hotel in Blenheim from 22 Sept - 7 Nov

and next to be hosted by the Art Gallery at the Taupo Museum from 20 Nov - 14 Dec 2010.

The prints are miniatures (each no larger than 75mm x 75mm)

created with various printmaking techniques including etching, screenprints, woodcuts and monoprints.

New prints have been added at each stop of this travelling exhibition

to keep the exhibition fresh and to showcase the work of local CPCANZ members.

All just $100 per print, or $150 framed.

Art Vending Machines

I was reminded about these 'art vending machines' I read about ages ago.

It amuses me the variety of reactions that it evokes, from outrage to amusement,

so thought I'd post it here and see what you think...

"iArtist London enables you to make real contemporary pieces of art.
The world’s first affordable DIY high art sets."

Various vending machines contain 'kits' to make replicas of famous artworks,

such as Banksy, Damian Hirst, Tracy Emin, Marc Quinn, Rachel Whiteread, etc

iArtist Banksy Kit contains one spray can and a A4 stencil,
each kit has one of 6 of Banksy's famous designs you can spray anywhere.



For The Love of God by Damien Hirst consisted of a platinum cast of a human skull
encrusted with 8601 diamonds including a massive pear-shaped one on the forehead.
It cost 14-million pounds to produce... This D.I.Y. replica costs 49.99!



They say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery... but is this taking it too far???

Woodcut Tools

In my 'spare time' this week I've been testing out some woodcut tools,

trying to determine which is the best option

when teaching classes and for students to purchase for their own use.



Top: Pfeil Chisels (left), Edward Lyons Wood Carve Set (right)
Bottom: Yoshi Japanese Woodcut Tools, GX (left), box of 7 (right)

Here is the range of options I've got to play with at the moment:

Pfeil chisels (available from Carba-tec NZ)

Swiss made, constructed with chrome vanadium alloy.

These are serious wood carving chisels!

Great quality but less maneuverable.

I have a set that includes 9/5 & 9/7 gouges, 12/6 & 12/10 60-degree V's,

and fine tips 11 & 12  with palm handles for detail.

Dimensions of tools: Handle length 13.5cm, diameter 2.2cm, shaft length 11cm.

Cost: $50-$100 per chisel!

E.C.Lyons (available from National Art Supplies)

This set of 6 have straight handles (but also comes as palm or ball handle options)

or can be purchased individually to suit your needs.

Made from high-carbon tool steel, they are heat treated and tempered

to the ideal hardness for carving wood or lino, and easily resharpened.

Set has 2 gouges, a knife, a V tool, a straight chisel and a bent chisel tool.

Dimensions of tools: Handle length 10cm, diameter 2.2cm, shaft length 6cm.

Cost: Approx $100 for set of 6, or $20 each.

Yoshiharu Japanese Woodcut Set (available from National Art Supplies)

Set of 5 (on left) with soft grey rubber handles, 'easy' on the hands and non-slip.

Comes with strong plastic case, each tool colour-coded with blade shape.

Can be sharpened. (GX are slightly better quality than the TX range)

Dimensions of tools: Handle length 13cm, diameter 1.5cm, shaft length 2.5cm.

Set of 7 comes in cardboard box, with thin 15cm wooden handles. Can be sharpened.

Dimensions of tools: Handle length 15cm, diameter 1.5cm, shaft length 2.5cm.

Cost: Approx $70 for set of 7

The ones with wooden handles can also be ordered separately for $10 each.

There are also the very economical Chinese boxed sets

stocked by some art supply and hardware stores, often for ridiculously cheap prices.

I dare say 'you get what you pay for' as far as quality goes,

they don't respond well to sharpening, but sufficient for a one-off project.

Cost: Approx $10-15 for set of 10.

Our students are generally using MDF to make woodcuts, rather than grained wood, 

as it is easier to cut and sufficiently durable for editions of less than 50 prints.

I am keen to get your feedback and ideas from those of you who make woodcuts

as to what tools you use, and if you have any other recommendations...

What do you think???  Any feedback welcome!

Take It From Here on Breakfast TV

It was awesome to see the Take It From Here exhibition
on Breakfast programme this morning!

If you missed it, you can watch it here:
Take It From Here on Breakfast TV

It is just the first 1 minute
(the rest is about other Manukau Festival of the Arts events)

There are only 1000 copies of each of the 12 posters,
and you can see from the video that there is a wide variety of artworks included.

FREE ART!

The Breakfast team have some... Go get yours!!!

2 Films on Printing Type

ATTENTION TYPOPHILES!

On Saturday 23 October 6.30pm, Lopdell House in Titirangi are showing 2 films

Typeface and Proceed and Be Bold!

These very special films about printing with metal and wood type

will appeal to art and graphic design enthusiasts,

to teachers as an educational resource,

and to anyone looking for a film about perseverance and preservation.

Presented in partnership with the Association of Handcraft Printers.

Typeface focuses on a rural Midwestern museum and print shop

where international artists meet retired craftsmen

and together navigate the convergence of modern design and traditional technique.

Proceed and Be Bold! tells the story of Amos Paul Kennedy Jr.

and how he abandoned the traditional American Dream to follow his own.

Unsatisfied with his comfortable middle-class life,

Amos traded his computer for a printing press, and his white collar for a pair of overalls.

By learning the rules and then choosing to break them,

Amos redefines what life (and letterpress printing) can be:

exhilarating and subversive.

If you are interested in attending, check out the details for this event here:

Films about Printing at Lopdell House

John Pule

John Pule has been included in a show called Prints Around The Pacific Rim

which is currently on show at the Carleton College Gallery, Minnesota, USA

John Pule is a visual artist, novelist and poet.  

Since 1991 Pule has exhibited in the Pacific and internationally.

The author of two published novels and several volumes of poetry,

he was honored in 2004 with the Laureate Award

from the Arts Foundation of New Zealand.

John Pule, Ulumago, 2006
Lithograph and woodcut, 75x80cm, edition of 40.



"John Pule’s prints and paintings combine cryptic symbols of mythology and history.

The artist weaves images of fish, bird-like creatures and other motifs

adapted from European and Pacific cultures into tapestry-like compositions.

Evocative of tapa cloth, the traditional bark cloth formerly used for exchange

and everyday use among the region’s indigenous peoples,

these works embody a very personal response

to the history of colonization in the Pacific Islands."

For more images and information see: 

John Pule on Carleton College Gallery Website

John Pule on Papergraphica Website

John Pule on Wikipedia

John Pusateri

John Pusateri's exhibition of stone lithographs, Skin and Bone

is on 20-31 October at Seed Gallery in Newmarket.

For those that are keen, there is a 'sneak preview' 6-8pm on Tuesday 19 October

John Pusateri was born in Pennsylvania, and later moved to New York, 

where graduated with his BFA (Hons) in 2001 from Syracuse University.

 He came to NZ in 2004 to do his Masters degree at Elam,

then decided he liked NZ so much that he became a resident.

In 2008 Pusateri opened Auckland Print Studio, a professional lithography studio.

He was a finalist in the 2009 Waiheke Art Award

and the 2010 WSA New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award

and recently returned from participating in Black Church Print Studio Residency in Ireland.

For more information, or to check out more images

click here for John Pusateri's Website