Thursday, August 20, 2009

Upcoming Fall Classes!

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 and Sundays Sept. 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

Non-toxic Photogravure/Solarplate-Etching
This four day 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: Saturday and Sundays Oct. 3, 4, 10, and 11
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

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, October 17, 18, 24, and 25
Class time: 9 AM - 5 PM, includes lunch break
Class fee: $ 275 + tax, includes most printing materials
Instructor: Tanya Landin, Gallery and Workshop Assistant


Non-toxic Etching
In this four day class, students become acquainted with the beautiful art of etching used by Rembrandt and Goya. This class covers many different techniques, such as line etching, aquatint, softground, spitbite, and chine collé.

Class dates: Sundays only, Nov. 8, 15, 22, and 29
Class times: 9 AM - 5 PM, includes lunch break
Class fee: $ 275 + tax, includes one 6 x 4.5" copper plate,
1 sheet of paper, 2 etching tools, and printing materials.
Instructor: Ray Maseman, BFA



Monotype Madness
3 Presses!
2 Hours!
Dozens of bottles of ink!
Mounds of brushes, brayers, stamps, stencils, paper, widgets and wing dings!
Infinite Possibilities!!

Date: Saturday, November 14th.
Time Slots:
10:00-noon, 1:00-3:00 or 3:30-5:30
Fee: $ 40.00 + tax per session,
includes some paper

Our trained printers stand ready to assist as you become a prolific producer of prints during this special event. You will use a printing press to transfer painted, stamped, stenciled or drawn designs from plate to paper and create as many unique images as possible. Open to all!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Adabel Allen’s show not just for the birds!

A huge crowd turned out to support Allen for the opening of her show. Art collectors and bird lovers can’t resist her work, and as one of the rare native Albuquerqueans that we encounter ever so often in this town, ALL of her old friends came to visit her as well!


This is a spectacular show; Allen presents many different layers of meaning in her pieces which she supports with innovative combinations of print media. She was introduced to gravure earlier this year and immediately began to push its boundaries. For her demonstration, she showed how she combined gravure with relief printing – a highly unusual combination indeed!

“Taking Care of Business”

This image consists of two plates with the gravure plate functioning as the “key plate.” It was created from one of Adabel’s photographs and contains the actual bird imagery seen in the finished print. Check out our July blog for a detailed description of the gravure process. This plate is inked up in black and set aside for printing.



For this particular image, Adabel used the relief print to print the blue and white background which supports the gravure plate. A relief print is created by cutting away non-image areas out of either wood, or linoleum, and rolling ink on the remaining raised, or image, areas. For Adabel to know which areas to cut away she had to employ a trick: She ran a freshly pulled impression of the gravure plate over the linoleum block using an etching press. The still wet ink transferred to the linoleum block and thus provided her with an accurate guide for creating the color plate. Note that we do not have pictures of this part of the process.

Adabel now inks up the linoleum block. Notice that the bottom part of the image is much darker than the upper areas.



She created this effect by brayering two colors of ink on the block. Here she inks the darker part using a very small brayer.


She finishes inking the plate by brayering a layer of blue over the entire plate. The colors will blend a little in the brayering process. Here is the finished plate on the press bed.




The relief plate is run through the press first, then the gravure is run through the press immediately afterwards (note that there are no photos of the printing process; check out some of our previous blogs to see how this is done!).

This reception would not have been as successful had it not been for the help of our numerous volunteers such as Carol Walker and Pamela DiMauro.

Last but not least, a big thank you to Cornelius, Regina’s husband, who always takes care of the food and beverages served during the reception in addition to providing moral support!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Convergence - Mixed Media prints by Adabel Allen


Bosque at Eventide
24 x 18"
Monotype, Etching, and Gravure


Adabel Allen’s colorful mixed media prints are inspired by the fact that disparate disciplines such as science and religion often come to similar conclusions. While she physically layers intaglio and relief plates to echo the layers of meaning embedded in her work she uses bird imagery as a unifying element. A metaphor for the multiple perspectives we can use to observe the world, the birds in Allen’s work also add a sense of humor to her otherwise rather thoughtful pieces.


Exhibition dates:
August 7 – 29
(Early Bird Preview: August 4 - 7)

First Friday Artscrawl Reception: August 7, 5 – 8:00 PM

Demonstration during the reception: Adabel Allen will show how to layer relief and intaglio prints from 6:30- 7:00 PM.

Gallery hours: Wednesday through Sunday 9 AM - 6 PM; Tuesday 10 AM – 4 PM; closed Monday.

Contact person: Regina Held, 268-8952.

Cost of event: free

Location: 3812 Central Ave. SE.- 2.5 blocks east of Carlisle between Solano and Aliso, next to Matrix Fine Art.

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