Nic Goodwolf & Annie Sandano, 1-29Nov, Wellington

Solander Gallery in Wellington have just opened a new exhibition

with works by Nic Goodwolf and Annie Smits Sandano.

Nic Goodwolf, Halfway Home, 2012

Multi-plate etching, 50x116cm, edition of 16.

Nic Goodwolf's exhibition of large colourful etchings in ‘Drifting Sideways’ 

 examines mankind’s desire to move, to drift, to reach distant shores and lands; 

to follow the human desire to uncover 

and to feel that our eyes crave to spy something new, something unknown. 

Nic ventures into this visual journey through the playful wanderings of his engraver tool. 

Plates get marked, scratched, painted upon as they begin to uncover objects on their surface 

such as caravans, planes, boats, hot air balloons, writing, numbers, lines and horizon lines. 

"I enjoy the process of drawing with tools and observe the process of continual change, 

of things in a constant state of flux or continual growth in my works. 

Plates are printed in different combinations with a playful desire to create editions, 

which differ from each other in colour, pastel markings and tone." 

Annie Smits Sandano, Black Cat, 2012

Woodcut, 70x50cm, edition of 50.

Annie Smits Sandano's 'Menagerie' explores a narrative of contemporary folklore 

populated by a family of quirky creatures in a whimsical collection 

of whales, cats, birds and crabs amongst other creatures. 

With strong referencing to traditional Japanese woodcut prints 

and the history of decorative arts, 

Annie’s work creates a bridge between the tradition of woodblock printmaking 

and a modern, graphically aware context.

Annie Smits Sandano, Aquarium, 2012
Woodcut assemblage with gold and silver leaf, 84x113cm

The exhibition finishes on 29 November

Solander Works on Paper, 218 Willis St. Wellington

Click here to see Solander Gallery for more information.

Mark Braunias, to 27Oct, Christchurch

SPACEDOUT, an exhibition by Mark Braunias

is in at the Jonathan Smart Gallery in Christchurch.

It features these 5 new lithographs:



The exhibiton runs until the 27 October.

For more information, check out the following websites:

http://www.jonathansmartgallery.com/

http://www.aucklandprintstudio.com/

http://www.markbraunias.co.nz/

Artsight Print Classes, Term 4, Wellington

Artsight is offering the following printmaking classes for Term 4

at Artsight at Toi Poneke, 65 Abel Smith St, Wellington.

Screenprint Essentials

This course is suitable for beginners to screen printing or those with some experience.

The programme will cover stencil and photographic techniques.

Students will have the opportunity to screen print on both paper and fabric surfaces.
Mondays, 7-9.30pm, 29 October - 17 December (8 weeks)
Being tutored by Meg Melvin, class limited to 6 students. Costs $340 (most materials supplied)

Relief Processes (Woodcut & Collagraph)
Learn how to use the relief processes of collagraph and woodcut to develop a stunning edition of prints. 

Suitable for beginning and more experienced printmakers.

Tuesdays, 10am-12.30pm, 23 October - 11 December (8 weeks)
Being tutored by Basia Smolnicki, costs $320 (includes all inks and paper)

Also there is a weekend workshop worth noting:

Celebrating Simplicity - Woodblock Workshop
Looking at themes of the carnival and celebration,

 Annie Sandano combines pattern and animal motifs

with exquisite embossing to create visually rich artworks.

In this two-day workshop you will explore woodblock techniques, printing and embossing

 and develop your own series of works based on a theme.

This workshop is suitable for both beginning printmakers and those with some experience.

10am-4pm on 27-28 October
Being tutored by Annie Smits Sandano, limited to 10 places. Cost $295

Annie Smits Sandano, Over the River and into the Mamaku
Woodblock



To register, see http://www.artsight.co.nz/adult-programmes-wellington.html

Artsight Print Classes, Term 4, Auckland

Artsight is offering the following printmaking classes for Term 4

at 5A Flower St, Eden Terrace, Auckland.

Monoprint, Relief and Intaglio Printmaking Processes
Discover the versatility of monoprint,relief and intaglio processes to make a series of beautiful prints.

Suitable for beginning and more experienced printmakers.

Tuesdays, 10am-12.30pm, 23 October - 11 December (8 weeks)
Being tutored by Gabrielle Belz, costs $320 (includes all inks and paper)

Mixed Media Prints

This course will focus on collage and press free printing processes and those using the press,

composition and layering prints using different processes
Tuesdays, 7-9.30pm, 23 October - 11 December (8 weeks)
Being tutored by Gabrielle Belz, costs $310 (includes all inks and paper)

Screenprint Essentials 

This course is suitable for beginners to screen printing or those with some experience.

The programme will cover stencil and photographic techniques.

Students will have the opportunity to screen print on both paper and fabric surfaces.
Thursdays, 7-9.30pm, 25 October - 13 December (8 weeks)
Being tutored by Eleanor Whyle, class limited to 6 students. Costs $340 (most materials supplied) 

To register see http://www.artsight.co.nz/adult-programmes-auckland.html

Rebecca Thomson, til 27Oct, Auckland

Rebecca Thomson has some exciting new work
as part of a joint exhibition with Stafford Allpress called Keep,
at Seed Gallery in Newmarket, Auckland.
The exhibition is on now, and runs until 27 October.


Rebecca Thomson, Pale Grey II, 2012
unique mixed media print on archival cellophane bag & paper, cotton
19x36cm

 

In today’s culture of consumption and disposal,

Rebecca Thomson's delicate prints and assemblages 

work to preserve and respect the commonplace.

"Thomson’s works respond to discoveries in local thrift shops, as well as the shops themselves.

Central to the works are the notions of ‘keeping’, ‘noticing’ and ‘preserving’.

References are made to shop displays in the use of packets, bags, labels and stickers;

and moreover in the ways in which the works are constructed and displayed.

The original object and its image are often hard to separate

as Thomson generates a convincing trompe l’oeil effect

by printing replicas of fabric and lace remnants on the interior of polythene bags.

These translucent prints are then paired with header cards and further backing prints,

each stage in the selection mirroring the activity and decision making involved

in preparing such merchandise for display.

Rebecca Thomson, Beige Brown I, 2012
unique mixed media print on archival cellophane bag & paper, cotton
19x36cm

Though deliberately chosen for their mundane qualities,

the items Allpress and Thomson choose to represent are not neutral objects,

but poignant records of the lives of their owners

and the many hands they have passed through on their way to the artist,

and as such, hold a surprising emotional charge.

They evoke memory and are given a new value and weight

while still acknowledging their past incarnations, often down to surviving final disposal."

Perhaps pop in to see them this weekend,

or if you're not in Auckland then you can see more works from Keep 
on Seed Gallery's website.

Interview: Walter Hansen (EndemicWorld)

Here's a great interview I read the other day on EndemicWorld's blog.

It's chance to get to know another NZ Printmaker, Walter Hansen:

"Wellington-based Walter Hansen is a graphic designer by day

and erm, a graphic designer by night and weekend too,

creating limited edition art prints that take inspiration from NZ’s native flora and fauna,

especially our rare and endangered birds.

We caught up with Walter as he delivered us the third and final ‘gig poster’

in his amazing Wattlebird series…"

Tell us the story of how you became a career artist – the journey to this point?
I’ve always been a drawer and am fortunate to have a creative family, all with different outlets.

When I was little my parents used to get huge rolls of paper from the printers

and every day I’d tear a 2x1 metre sheet off and draw for hours with a biro.

I was mainly interested in art, design and graphics at school,

so I went to design school in Wellington without a second thought.

In my 7th form report my Headmaster said that I was putting all my eggs in one basket,

but I did P.E. so the pro golfer fall-back plan was always there.

The plan drawers in Walter’s studio house stocks of his limited edition art prints.

Can you tell us a little about your process?
My inspiration mostly comes from looking out the window —

I’m lucky enough to have a brilliant view where native birds fly by all day,

sometimes landing close enough to snap pics of.

Kaka are my current favs,
 but I really like the Grey Warbler (Riroriro) busting out their lunatic tunes,

which reminds me of a discordant version
of Michael Jackson’s ‘Don’t stop til you get enough’.

After the initial inspiration I usually sketch for weeks and give myself scathing criticism

until I’m ready to finish the design up on my computer.

I have too many ideas to actually produce,

so the scathing criticism is really a way of asking “is this worth following through on?”

From top left: Walter’s view, music keeps him energised, Walter’s favourite bird, the Kaka.

What’s the favourite piece of work you’ve done and why?
My favourite piece is my Kowhai Squadron letterpress.

It’s a fighter-jet style decal set for sticking on a Tui, so they can look even more bad-ass.

It actually makes no sense when you think about it,

but it just resonates with me by combining my love of graphics,

building model jets when I was young,

and Tui, who I’ve seen perform some crazy dogfights.

Walter Hansen, Kowhai Squadron
Letterpress print, 22x22cm, edition of 50.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?
It’s cool to do big commercial projects but that stuff is fleeting,

and I’m not trying to be everywhere all the time.

I prefer to take things a bit slower.

I got a nice email a while back about my Huia Show print from a couple with a new baby girl.

They’d just framed their print and hung it in her bedroom, and her name is Huia.

That meant more than seeing my work in a magazine.

What was the last thing you saw, heard or experienced
that got you really creatively excited?
I’ve just finished reading ‘The Elegant Universe' by Brian Greene.

It’s about string theory, and the parts I could pretend to understand were mind-bending.

I’ll let it sink in and wait for it to creep into my work in some way.  

I’m also in to graphic novels, ‘All Star Superman’ is one of the best things I’ve ever read.

Walter Hansen, Tieke Tour, 2012
Letterpress Print, 21x30cm, edition of 50

What are you working on at the moment?
A couple of freelance projects — one commission, one identity.

I’m also working some originals for an exhibition next year,

as well as the extension of that being my prints.

Oh yeah, and my full-time graphic design job…



If you're interested in buying any Walter Hansen prints,

have a look on the re-launched EndemicWorld website.

Hannah Jensen, 11Oct-9Nov, Auckland

Hannah Jensen's exhibition Heraldik opens tonight (11 October) at 6pm

at the Saatchi & Saatchi Gallery in Parnell, Auckland.

You've got a month to check it out...

Hannah achieves the specific effect of her work by applying layers of paint to board

before employing printmaking techniques such as intaglio, etching and carving to create thematic content.

The result is a detailed image rendered in negative relief that emphasises the texture

and tonal variations between paint colours in a typographical manner.

Using anywhere between 25-75 layers of paint and up to 5 different colours,

Jensen calculates the depth of each layer to provide the necessary variations

of colour, texture and shadow in the work.



TKPT Exhibition Opens Tonight, Whangarei

Just a quick reminder for those of you up North,
that Te Kowhai Print Trust's 30-Year Anniversary print exhibition

From The Archive is opening tonight (Thursday 11 October) at 5pm.
 at Yvonne Rust Gallery, The Quarry Art Centre.

If you miss the opening tonight, you can still see it from 12-22 October.

Lin Weining, Printer at Work

Some of the artists in this show include:

Stanley Palmer, Graeme Cornwall, Jo Hardy, Jenny Bennett
Carole Shepheard, Alan Gale, Mariette Van Zuydam, Lin Weining
and many others from New Zealand and overseas.



Kamelia Purwo, ends 14Oct, Auckland

Cute critters inhabit a naturalistic environment in Kamelia Purwo's new series

 collectively titled Bright Eyes, Bushy Tails at Letham Gallery in Ponsonby, Auckland.

The exhibition finishes on 14 October, so get in to see it while you still can.

Children and their larger than life imaginations and curiousity are what inspire Purwo.

Her art works often portray children with an animal sidekick.

Every child needs a partner in crime, and when friends aren’t available,

who better to turn to than Paul the Octopus, Penny the Penguin, or Phil the Seal.

She has focussed on the animals she has because they are fascinating to her,

but it is also to raise awareness of the staggering amount of waste that goes into our oceans each year,

and the destruction of land animals' natural habitats.

She hopes that by painting animals out of their natural context and juxtaposing them with children,

people will view them as a bit cuddlier, and perhaps be more inclined to protect them.

Kamelia Purwo, Sweet Nothings, 2012
Woodcut, 35x50cm, edition of 25

Born in Jakarta and migrating to New Zealand aged seven,

Purwo graduated with a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Arts (in History)

from the University of Otago in 2008, enjoying the mental challenge that law offers,

but using painting and printmaking as her retreats.

 She’s happiest with a paintbrush or woodcutting knife in her hand.

Her unique treatment of the painting surface and perfectly balanced palette

have seen Purwo boom in popularity since her debut with Letham Gallery in 2011.

See Letham Gallery's website for more information.



Win Stringer, til 14Oct, Kerikeri

At the moment there is an exhibition called Contrasts

at Kaan Zamaan Gallery in Kerikeri, which is on until 14 October.

In this exhibition there are 20 monoprints using mixed print media by Win Stringer

that combine intaglio with relief printing techniques reflecting the theme of 'contrasts'.

I thought this example was interesting as the prints use a variety of techniques including

drypoint on bamboo, collagraph, linocut, monoprint, stenciling and drawing.

Win Stringer, Contrast XVI, 2012
Monoprint

Win Stringer completed a DipFA (Printmaking) in 1973

at the School of Fine Arts at the University of Canterbury University.

Since then she has taught in a number of secondary schools in Canterbury and Northland.

For the past 8 years Win has been teaching Art at Springbank School in Kerikeri.



Toothfish Exhibition, 12-30Oct, Wellington

Here's an interesting exhibition you might like to check out...

The international sheep artist currently known as Toothfish

is having an exhibition opening from 5.30-7.30pm on Friday 12 October

at Photospace Gallery, Level 1, 37 Courtenay Place, Wellington. 

The show will run till 30 October.

It features posters, prints, paintings and masks by Toothfish and its acolytes. 

For more information please click here to go to Toothfish's website.

Photospace Gallery owner James Gilberd has never actually met

the ‘international’ street artist (or artists) who operate under the name Toothfish.

“I heard about Toothfish from an artist friend in London,

who organised a Toothfish exhibition earlier in 2012.

This friend had never met the artist either.

All he can now tell me is of dealing with a person

wearing what looked to be a mask made from a horse’s skull.

The artist refused to remove the mask, which was hampering communication,

and she even denied that it was in fact a mask."
So, Toothfish is not your average street artist.

Toothfish posters have appeared all over the world.  

A few examples of Toothfish posters documented around the world:
L-R: Paris, India, Germany, Mexico, Thailand, NewYork

If you can't make it to see the show,

you can still check out more information about the Toothfish project

on their website: www.toothfish.org

Beth Charles, 5-30Oct, PalmerstonNorth

Beth Charles' exhibition Some Inner Tides

will be on display at Taylor Jensen Fine Arts Gallery in Palmerston North

from 5-30 October.

Some Inner Tide: New Work in Print and Stitch exhibition
features 12 monoprints and relief prints, 3 stitched works on canvas,
and a rug that the artist designed for Dilana Rugs.

The artist writes: “My subject is a variation on a theme…
by using repeating motifs in my prints suggesting running stitch and canvas
I duplicate the techniques of my stitched works which are hand-woven stitch in canvas.
Some works have bright contrasting colours, others are harmonious,
but all reflect my inner tide of inspiration, which ebbs and flows according to my mood.
By limiting my visual options, and working within them,
there is continuity to the series of prints, which mirror the format of the textiles.
‘Dragged by the force of some inner tide’ – these lyrics sung by Pink Floyd
in their song ‘High Hopes’ seem to perfectly sum up my method.”

Featured as a part of Some Inner Tide is a luxurious Dilana Rug
created by this iconic Christchurch company to carry a design
based on an artwork by Palmerston North artist, Beth Charles.
The original artwork exhibited at Taylor-Jensen Fine Arts
in Beth’s 2008 exhibition 24 Hours: What a Difference a Day Makes.

Beth Charles was born in England and came to New Zealand with her family in 1982.
She holds a degree in Fine Arts from Wanganui Community Polytechnic where she majored in printmaking.
She has exhibited in New Zealand and internationally, winning several awards for her work.

For more information about the exhibition, see the Gallery's website: www.finearts.co.nz

CPCANZ Summer School, 15-19Jan2013, Waikato

The CPCANZ Summer School will be held in Waikato from 15-19 January 

at Southwell Preparatory School from 9.30am-4pm.

The tutor will be Carole Shepheard.

Cost: $200. The course is limited to 20 places.

Carole Shepheard, Shift (detail), 2012
Installation at ArtsPost

To register send a cheque to Maria Martin-Smith @ CPCANZ, Po Box 1091, Hokitika 7842

Accommodation can be booked at Wintec Student Village if desired.

CPCANZ will provide morning and afternoon tea and lunch.

Contact Kathy Boyle or CPCANZ for more information.

Te Kowhai Print Trust Exhibition, 12-22Oct, Whangarei

It is Te Kowhai Print Trust's 30-Year Anniversary in Whangarei

and they are celebrating with a print exhibition
showcasing a selection of 15 prints from the Te Kowhai Print Trust Archive.

From The Archive is on display at
Yvonne Rust Gallery, The Quarry Art Centre from 12-22 October
There is also a Preview on Thursday 11 October at 5pm.

Lin Weining, Printer at Work

The featured works aim to show the depth and breadth

of techniques, skills and talented artists that have created and/or tutored at the facility.

Alongside the archive show will be a selection of prints that will be available as cash and carry sales.

Some of the artists in this show include:
Stanley Palmer, Graeme Cornwall, Jo Hardy, Jenny Bennett
Carole Shepheard, Alan Gale, Mariette Van Zuydam, Lin Weining
and many others from New Zealand and overseas.