Thursday, November 29, 2007

Better Late Than Never

Well, our blog here has only been up and running for a couple of weeks, so I have missed a few things that should have gone in. But better late than never, right?

Congratulations to Diane Alire on Photography Works, her smart show of photography and gravures at Buster's Coffee Shop, right here in Nob Hill, for the month of November. Busters provides a nice local venue to hang art and have it seen by a diverse crowd, including a lot of people that might not usually hang out at art galleries. (And they have some really great sandwiches, including a lot of vegetarian fare!) Cheers, Diane!

And congratulations to Adabel Allen, whose work is included in the exhibition Originals 2007: New Mexico Women in the Arts, at the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos. The show runs September 25 - December 30, so don't miss it if you're in Northern New Mexico before the new year. Good job, Adabel!

Friday, November 23, 2007

I Rant I Rave (about Pam DiMaruro)

Here's a nice blog entry/article about Pamela DiMauro, the featured artist this month at New Grounds.
Read and enjoy-- I did!
"I am so fortunate and blessed to have amazing people in my life. One of the coolest women in my life is my best friend, Pamela DiMauro..."


Winter/Spring 2008 Classes at New Grounds

New Grounds offers year-round classes in a wide variety of printmaking techniques. Our instructors are experienced, actively-working artists and printmakers, both from within the Albuquerque community and from far abroad. All classes taught at New Grounds utilize techniques and materials that are in line with our commitment to promoting and developing non-toxic printmaking. Enrollment is limited to 8 students per class, maximizing each student’s time with the instructor.

Many of our various classes are taught several times each year, with different scheduling formats, allowing students to choose the session that best fits their schedule.

Introduction to Monotype
This liberating medium combines painting and printmaking techniques. In this four day class, students will be introduced to a variety of techniques from basic to experimental, and work with high-quality water-based Akua-Kolor monotype inks.

Class dates: Saturdays & Sundays, January 12, 13, 19 and 20
Class time: 9 AM - 5 PM, includes lunch break
Class fee: $ 275.00 + tax, includes all printing materials.
Paper needs to be purchased separately.
Instructor: Mary Sundstrom, MFA


Collagraphs
Translated literally as “collage prints,” this medium is for artists who thrive on textures and tactile art-making. Students will use this two day class to construct several different plates and learn a variety of printmaking techniques.

Class dates: Saturday and Sunday, February 2 and 3
Class time: 9 AM - 5 PM (includes lunch break)
Class fee: $ 200 + tax, includes most printing materials
Instructor: Ray Maseman, BFA, New Grounds Masterprinter


Non-toxic Photogravure/Solarplate-Etching
This four workshop provides an exciting opportunity to create beautiful limited edition prints using two distinctly different methods. The first results in rich and detailed photographic images, the second is a great alternative to lithography for artists who love to draw!

Class date: Saturdays & Sundays, February 9, 10, 16 and 17
Class time: 9 AM - 5 PM, includes lunch break
Class fee: $ 275 + tax, includes two small plates, and all printing materials. Additional plates are available.
Instructor: Diane Alire, MFA


Mezzotint
Mezzotints are cherished for their velvety texture and rich blacks. Students will learn the entire process from rocking a copper plate to drawing the image and printing. The three color process will be introduced if time allows.

Class dates : Saturday and Sunday, February 23 & 24
Class time: 9 AM - 5 PM, includes lunch break
Class fee: $ 250 + tax, includes most printing materials.
Instructor: Ray Maseman, BFA, New Grounds Masterprinter


Cut Paper
In this one day class, students will learn a contemporary approach to cut paper collage by creating unique images that incorporate knife-cut paper, positive and negative shapes, and layers of color.

Class dates: Saturday, March 1
Class times: 9 AM - 5 PM, includes lunch break
Class fee: $ 100 plus tax, includes all supplies
Instructor: Mary Sundstrom, MFA


Advanced Etching
This four day class will present a variety of ways to create color etchings. Methods covered will include multiple plates, viscosity printing, stencils, and precision selective wiping. Open to all etchers with solid knowledge of line etching, aquatint and softground, even if they are not familiar with non-toxic printmaking. There will be a brief review of our non-toxic methods, but the focus will be on going beyond basic techniques to produce multi-color prints.

Class dates: 4 Sundays, March 2, 9, 16 and 30 (no class on Easter Sunday)
Class times: 9 AM - 5 PM, includes lunch break
Class fee: $ 275 + tax, includes most materials
Instructor: Ray Maseman, BFA, New Grounds Masterprinter


Advanced Photogravure/Solarplate-Etching
This four day workshop introduces the thrill of color separation to create painterly, richly colored images. Artists can work with photographic images, drawings, or both.

Class date: Saturdays and Sundays, April 5, 6, 12 and 13.
Class time: 9 AM - 5 PM, includes lunch break
Class fee: $ 275 + tax, includes three small plates, and all printing materials. Additional plates are available.
Instructors: Diane Alire, MFA and Regina Held, MFA


Relief Printing
In relief printing, the image is printed from a raised surface which was produced by cutting away non-image areas. This four day class covers several techniques from basic ones to multi-plate and reduction printing..

Class dates: Saturdays and Sundays, April 19, 20, 26 and 27
Class time: 9 AM - 5 PM, includes lunch break
Class fee: $ 275 + tax, includes most printing materials
Instructors: Ray Maseman, BFA, New Grounds Masterprinter

Around New Grounds Print Workshop & Gallery



The Main Studio, with three large presses and room for 6 artists to work simultaneously.




The smaller of the two presses in the Rear Studio.




The larger press in the Rear Studio.





Artists hard at work in the Main Studio.




Our classroom, which doubles as our matting/framing room.




The Featured Artist Gallery and New Grounds, seen here with work by various artists.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

New Grounds Print Workshop and Gallery

Founded in 1996 by its director, Regina Held, New Grounds Print Workshop is an award-winning printmaking facility offering classes and affordable studio access to artists who wish to create original prints in etching, mezzotint, collagraph, monotype, relief and photogravure. It was the first completely non-toxic professional printmaking facility established in the United States. Artists can rent an etching press by the hour, or choose the studio membership, which is only $ 175 a month with a twelve month contract. Benefits of the membership are unlimited access - during hours of operation - to the six printing presses and any other equipment needed for the creation of prints. It also includes most printmaking supplies, such as ink and newsprint. Basically, artists rent a clean, ready-to-work, fully equipped studio complete with supplies and knowledgeable staff. New Grounds artists are part of a supportive and thriving community – something that is impossible to put a price tag on. Last, but not least, studio members are represented by New Grounds Gallery.

New Grounds originally operated on a private property in Albuquerque’s rural South Valley, beginning with only one printing press. It moved to its current location in Albuquerque’s historic Nob Hill district in 2000. In 2001, the workshop added a separate gallery and a spacious class room. The printmaking facility and exhibition space now occupy 4000 square feet in an art complex which also houses several artists’ studios and another contemporary gallery, MATRIX Fine Art. With six hand-operated etching presses, New Grounds matches, and even surpasses, the number of printing presses available in many university printmaking departments.

New Grounds Gallery rotates exhibitions monthly, with receptions coinciding with Albuquerque’s popular First Friday Artscrawls. More than 60 artists are represented by the gallery, printmakers whose subject matters and styles range from contemporary to traditional. There are hundreds of framed and unframed works to choose from.
New Grounds also offers framing at reasonable rates. New Grounds Print Workshop & Gallery is open to the public and trained staff is always at hand to explain the printing processes to visitors.