New Grounds Print Workshop & Gallery

Ray Maseman's solo show!

2012-02-10T13:09:00.000-08:00

Ray Maseman's solo show "Charismatic Megafauna" was a huge success! Friends, family, and more came out to see his newest body of work.

To begin with, the blank copperplate is coated with an acid resistant material called hard ground. At NewGrounds, we use Z-Acryl hard ground which does not require any harmful solventsto be removed from the plate. Instead, it is water-soluble when wet, and comesoff with a mild soda ash solution when dry. A design is now drawn on the coatedplate (not shown here) which exposes the copper underneath. It is madepermanent by immersing the plate in ferric chloride – it literally etches thedrawn lines into the plate. Ray passed around the coated plate and let people in the crowd draw on the plate.

The plate is now ready to be printed. To do so, ink (at New Grounds we usewater soluble Akua intaglio inks) is carded over the entire plate with stripsof mat board.

Once the plate is covered completely in ink, the excess is removed first byusing strips of mat board and then a very stiff cheese cloth called “tarlatan.”To remove any excess plate tone, newsprint is used to wipe it off the surface.

The inked plate is now placed on the press bed, and it is covered with a sheetof printing paper. At New Grounds, we prefer Hahnemuhle paper because it isextremely absorbent.

Plate and paper are then covered with printing blankets which cushion theimpact of the roller as the plate and paper are moved through the etchingpress. Note that the only purpose of the press is to apply very high pressureto the plate. We use Takach presses at New Grounds.

The second inked plate is then placed in the same spot as the first one, and printed onto the first colored image.

The finished print!

Thanks to our interns for all the help!

Thanks to everyone who made it outtonight and especially to the volunteers who helped make this show a success! Thanks,Jeff Simpson for taking the pictures!

If you missed the reception, Ray Maseman’s show “Charismatic Megafauna” runsthrough March 11th
www.newgroundsgallery.com

Last day of Holiday Sale Reception Recap

2012-01-22T16:01:00.000-08:00

Apple cider, goodies, and art galore were the themes of this years holiday sale. Thank you everyone for your support of our local artists year after year! The $25 to $125 holiday sale has become a tradition for New Grounds. The stable of artists have become accustomed to providing art for the holiday sale and our regular clients (and new ones too) love to see what is new. We hope to see you again in December for this wonderful event!

Kathe Noe (New Grounds Artist) and Deborah Weaver (former member)

Thanks for the photographs Jeff Simpson!

Why take a printmaking class?

2011-12-31T15:08:00.000-08:00

Printmaking techniques such as etching and relief printing go back for many centuries. Envision a time without computers. Or a time without copy machines. Or a time without any machines for that matter. - difficult right? Original printmaking was the only way in those times to broadcast information such a botanical images, portraits, religious imagery, cityscapes and scenes of every day life. Today, printmaking remains a tool for artists to produce affordable original art. This is very different from making reproductions of existing images. In an etching for example, the artist has to draw the image from scratch on a plate, the image is then etched and for each impression the image has to be inked and rolled through the press by hand. Although printmaking takes skill and time, it is a rewarding way to make something with your own hands rather than sitting on the computer. Since we have plates we can pull multiples which can be sold for a lot less than paintings, but the collector still enjoys the benefits of purchasing something that is original and hand-made. So, artists, give yourself the gift of a new artmaking medium. Revisit your drawing and painting skills. Learn something that is rooted in history yet that can be applied to your own style and sensibility. Invest in yourself! Our trained teachers stand by to open a brand-new world to you!

“Emergence” by Adabel Allen was a hit!

2011-10-16T16:40:00.000-07:00

Adabel Allen is a well-known artist in Albuquerque and has many family and friends who come to support her as an artist. It was pouring rain out the night of her opening and people came anyway! It was lovely; all the smiles, hugs and good energy that everyone brought with them. Adabel was delighted to have her work hanging at New Grounds and we are proud to represent her. At each opening we have a featured artist give a demonstration of a printmaking process. For this opening she demoed a two plate gravure printmaking process.

She has many techniques up her sleeve that she uses in her work. Even experienced printmakers had a difficult time figuring out how she did it. As seen in the piece, “Nesting-Safety”, there are many colors and layers that have been applied using stencils and selective wiping.

A review of her solo show can be found at the Weekly Alibi newspaper.

Adabel Allen's solo show Review in the Alibi!!

2011-10-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Tale Feathers
Stories from a bird's-eye view at New Grounds Gallery
By Sam Adams

"Nesting—Origins” Adabel Allen speaks through birds.

Her gravure works on display at New Grounds Gallery, Emergence, use the avian subjects as muse and protagonist, and the effect is both sentimental and whimsical—not to mention visually stunning.

A UNM grad in fine arts and printmaking, Allen's process is meticulous and multitiered. She incorporates mediums including ink drawing, photography and poetry into her roughly 7-by-10 inch multi-plate prints, which she issues in series of six or seven. She blends methods of the new and old, using Photoshop to assemble her pieces and create photo positives to transfer onto gravure plates. (She uses nontoxic polymer plates, as opposed to the traditional copper plates first used in the early 19th century.)

The series is aptly titled, as it brings forth the idea of a weighed-down soul taking flight through self-expression, breaking free of an inner darkness. This can be seen in Allen's use of text in her images—poetry which is subtle yet sincere. In a piece titled "Drawn to Nature 2—Balance," she writes, "Keeping balance in this wayward life—as I weave in and out of waterfalls and waves of atmosphere—cresting atop the earth ... landing on each twig to perch—contemplate release and move on." This text hovers above an ornately feathered ink-drawn bird, contrasted against a background of moody deep purple and blue hues. The bird is perched atop a lonely, spiraling limb and seems to be pondering a departure.

“"Drawn to Nature 2—Balance” Allen's use of intricate inked patterns within the feathers of her subjects has a manic quality that, upon close inspection, can be unnerving. Despite the flawless technique of her printing and her mastery of mixed mediums, these pieces aren't simply pretty bird pictures.

The black and white tones in her characters jump out starkly from the blended, faded pigments of her backgrounds, which look often like fading sunsets or barren, forlorn fields. This is where some of the poignancy in Allen's work is—the contrast between the bold characters and their distanced surroundings. There is a feeling of extra-dimensionality to the pieces, as if the subjects are somewhat divorced from the world around them.

The crafted chaos in Allen's work spreads into the configuration of Emergence, which is divided into four subseries. Each set has a distinct look and feel. One, titled Nesting, appears to be about the ideas of environment and refuge. Another, titled Remembrance, delves into nostalgia and feels like it could be a set of visual eulogies. This series stands out from the others as it is all in monochrome grayscale and sepia tones, and it’s more straight photography than mixed-media. Each piece is a diptych, showing a bird in one image and a nature scene in its counterpart, such as a picture of withered, windblown flowers. They bring to mind century-old stereographs. And you get the feeling that in Allen's world of anthropomorphic metaphors, these birds are loved ones lost to time.

But the bleakness of this series is often offset by wry humor. One of the most stunning pieces is "Nesting—Origins," which depicts three cranes in a nest of haphazard twigs balanced on telephone poles, with wires hanging in the background. The boss crane holds a frog in its mouth. There is something devilish going on here—the coexistence of resplendent nature and industrial gloom; the admission that Allen's magnificent protagonists are not innocents.

Allen's work is frenzied and mysterious, but in a way that seems to perfectly capture and reflect the complex battleground of a poet's mind and heart. Her birds are messengers, flying home stories that are marked too deeply in love and pain to be nakedly exposed. Instead we must contemplate the delivery, and appreciate the beauty and courage that emerges from it.

Emergence
New Grounds Print Workshop & Gallery
3812 Central SE
Runs through Oct. 29
Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wednesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
286-8952
newgroundsprintshop.com
adabelallen.com

Christine Herman delights in this newest body of work!

2011-09-17T10:06:00.001-07:00

Christine created art for not only her first solo show at New Grounds; she also spent a lot of time preparing for the Affordable Art Fair in New York September 22-25!

You can see here that she is a prolific artist and she enjoys what she does!

Herman is ready to give her demonstration of a woodblock print and monotype combined. She has many tricks of the trade that she utilizes when creating her art work. It takes many years of practice to do what she does!

Herman starts by applying green ink with a brayer (like a roller) onto a thin sheet of polycarbonate.

She then finishes the top 2/3 of the plate by rolling yellow onto the plate

Now Herman gracefully carries her plate through the crowd to the nearby press!

She is now placing the paper on top of the inked plate while Kristen, Intern, is assisting with running the plate through the press. You can see Herman removing the paper from the plate which the ink has been transferred onto.

Now it's time to roll the ink onto the carved woodblocks. She is only applying ink to the surface of the block. The wood that has been carved away will not print. Herman also joins two woodblocks together by using masking tape to mask out areas she does not what the black ink to be on.

She then removes the tape and applies the maroon color to the edges.

Now she is ready to print. The blocks must be registered on top of the monotype that was already printed. This takes much concentration and precision.

And the final print!

Thanks to everyone who came out to the reception! Here are a few snapshots to share!
Christine Herman and Regina Held, Director

Mary Sundstrom, New Grounds Member and Teacher
Tanya and Richard Wolfson, poet
Nick Hudak, New Grounds Member

Thanks to Jeff Simpson for taking the photographs!

Jeff Simpson’s grand opening!

2011-08-27T13:47:00.001-07:00

Jeff's black and white relief prints drew quite a crowd! His images are graphic yet whimsical in design. Jeff was delighted to have his first art opening at New Grounds! If you wanted to know what his work was about he didn't hesitate to talk about it. The atmosphere was cheerful and lively. Everyone who showed up this month seemed very pleased about the opening.

An impromptu fashion show happened just before the demonstration by the artist. An up and coming designer named Aspen Couture, came along with four models wearing her designs. This was a great chance for publicity.

I have worked at New Grounds for 3 years now and have not seen a completely relief print show! It was a pleasure to be at Jeff's opening. I have a passion for relief prints so it was nice to see them all in one room. At the demonstration Regina introduced Jeff donning his fashionable ladybug apron. It is an old family heirloom and he wore it just for this special occasion.

Jeff starts the demo off with an introduction to carving tools and how to use them.

Then he rolls on the ink with a brayer, using the Akua Intaglio Water-based inks. New Grounds is almost completely water-based these days! It is a big change from oil-based inks however they have beautiful results!

Once Jeff has rolled the plate through the press he shows the final image to the crowd.

Thanks to Michael Rudahl for the photographs!

Molly, our summer intern has gone back to college for the Fall! Thanks for all your help

Tanya

KARL KOENIG ONE MAN SHOW

2011-07-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

The Albuquerque Photographers' Gallery is pleased to announce a one man show by Karl Koenig.

KARL KOENIG
"IN THIS PLACE..."
ONE MAN SHOW
GUMOILS
PHOTOGRAVURES

JULY 22 - LABOR DAY
RECEPTION FRIDAY, JULY 22ND
6 - 9:00 P. M.

Albuquerque Photographers' Gallery
303 Romero St. NW Ste N208
Plaza Don Luis
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104
(505) 244-9195
www.abqphotographersgallery.com

The Albuquerque Photographers Gallery is the only cooperative art gallery in New Mexico dedicated solely to exhibiting and promoting contemporary fine-art photography by local photographers.

303 Romero St., Suite N208 Don Luis Plaza, Old Town, Albuquerque, NM
Content ©Albuquerque Photographers Gallery - All images © to the respective artists
www.abqphotographersgallery.com

Photography to Gravure

2011-07-15T10:14:00.001-07:00

This group exhibition featured four photographers; Diane Alire, Karl Koenig, Rob Thalmann, and Jorge Tristani, who work in media ranging from silver gelatin photography to gumoil to gravure. This show included images in photography and their translation in gravure.

Diane and Jorge

Diane and Rob

At each opening we give a demonstration on one of the printmaking processes. Here is Diane Alire prepping for her demo.

In gravure, an image is generated by exposing a photo positive or transparency to a photo polymer plate via a high powered light. Artists need to do extensive testing to determine the exact exposing time for each image. The exposed plate is developed in water and can be printed almost immediately. Today, transparencies are computer generated and printed on inkjet printers which replace the large scale negatives used originally when the process was developed in the 19th century.

Diane’s image is created out two plates, one is the positive, the other is the negative of the same image. The positive will be printed in purple, the negative in yellow ochre. The printing is done as follows: First the plates are coved completely in ink using a brayer. The excess ink is removed using first a tarlatan (a very stiff cheese cloth) and then newsprint. The plates are ready for printing if only the recessed areas of the plate contain ink.

Diane first prints the negative plate. She places the plate on the press bed and places a sheet of Hahnemuhle printing paper on top of it. When she runs them trough the press, the ink is transferred to the paper.

After printing the first plate, Diane returns to ink the second or positive plate in purple. Here it is inked up and ready to go!

In order to print the second plate she places it upside down on top of the paper she just printed – this way she is very sure of her registration. The polymer plates are so thin that there is no loss of detail if the plate is printed upside down. Diane now runs the second plate through the press.

And – voila – we have a finished print.

If she was to create more impressions of this image she would have repeat the inking and printing process – these kind of old-fashioned printmaking processes are completely hand-made.

We had a good turnout for this show!

Thank you to all our volunteers and staff for your help. Jeff Simpson, photography!

Anise

Mary Sunstrom and Elena Betke-Brunswick

Tanya

The passing of Gerald Fitz-Gerald

2011-07-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

We are sad to announce the passing of Gerald Fitz-Gerald

GERALD FITZ-GERALD, JR. 1939 ~ 2011 Gerald Fitz-Gerald, Jr. was born July 2, 1939 in Houston, Texas to Gerald and Elizabeth “Betty” (Eyler) Fitz-Gerald, who raised their only son in Midland, Texas. He died of natural causes July 9, 2011, peacefully at home, surrounded by family and friends in Albuquerque, New Mexico, following an eight-month battle with cancer.
An accomplished artist who worked in numerous mediums, primarily watercolor in his early painting periods and most notably monotypes later in his career, Gerald’s still-life subjects and Southwestern landscape paintings were hailed as “hauntingly sensual” by The Albuquerque Journal circa 2002. Gerald printed at New Grounds Workshop in Albuquerque with close friends, and served on various art acquisition committees and in donation capacities for the Albuquerque Museum. Gerald was also proud of his tenure as the President of the Albuquerque Museum Foundation in the 1990s.
Gerald grew up in Midland, Texas, attending St. Edward’s High School in Austin before attending Rockhurst College in Kansas City. Gerald returned to Austin to earn a B.A. in English from the University of Texas, where he was an active member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. Following one year in pursuit of a law degree at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Gerald moved to Albuquerque in 1963.
The New Mexican city is where “Gerry” met his future wife, Dorothy Ann Burke, and established his life as a trust officer for Albuquerque National Bank, his employer for nearly 35 years under numerous banners, including SunWest, Boatmen’s, and eventually Bank of America.
He is survived by his son, Gerald III (“Trey”) and daughter-in-law Rachel, residents of Salt Lake City; daughter, Erin Elizabeth, and granddaughter, Catherine Ann, of Albquerque; and innumerable friends. Gerald was preceded in death by his wife of 40 years, Dorothy, in October, 2007.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, July 15, 2011 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in downtown Albuquerque, while a Rosary Service will be held from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. on Thursday evening, July 14, at French Mortuary (University Location).
Honorary pallbearers include Tommy Allison, Pat & Nannette Hurley, Jack & Kathleen Oestreicher, Roy Farmer, Susannah Lunenfeld and Sevie Taylor.
In lieu of flowers or gift, the family requests that donations be made in memoriam of Gerald Fitz-Gerald, Jr. to: The Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Road, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87194
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, July 15, 2011 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in downtown Albuquerque, while a Rosary Service will be held from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. on Thursday evening, July 14, at French Mortuary (University Location).
Honorary pallbearers include Tommy Allison, Pat & Nannette Hurley, Jack & Kathleen Oestreicher, Roy Farmer, Susannah Lunenfeld and Sevie Taylor.
In lieu of flowers or gift, the family requests that donations be made in memoriam of Gerald Fitz-Gerald, Jr. to: The Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Road, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87194

Albuquerque art thiefs on the loose!

2011-06-22T15:21:00.001-07:00

Albuquerque art thiefs on the loose! Two people one black man, one black woman in a white jeep have stole art from 3 galleries on Montgomery. Please if you see them call the police, report #111730489.

Updated inventory of Russian prints

2011-06-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

Check out our website at www.newgroundsgallery.com to see the newest inventory of Leonid Sroganov's etchings! Newly updated!

7 Vices
12 x 5.5"
Etching and Aquatint

Rachel Allen Memorial Fellowship

2011-06-11T13:33:00.001-07:00

This year's Rachel Allen Memorial Fellowship recipient is TK Ryn from Madrid, New Mexico. The runner-up is Ileen Weiss. Congratulations to the both of you! This annual fellowship, awarded by New Grounds, consists of a free class and a three month membership.

For more information please visit our website about next year's fellowship.

Artists of Dialectical Fusion - Serigraphs from India

2011-06-10T10:42:00.001-07:00

This is a first time exhibition of five different artists from India who have perfected the art of serigraphy, or screen printing. From softly hued abstract scenes to contemporary images of trains and traditional imagery, this show is full of surprises. Screen printing, made popular by Andy Warhol in the 1960s, is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink or other printable materials which can be pressed through the mesh as a sharp-edged image onto a substrate. A squeege is moved across the screen stencil, forcing or pumping ink past the threads of the woven mesh in the open areas.

The artists were not able to make it to the opening. Hariraam will be in Albuquerque to print at the studio sometime in the summer. We are looking forward to his arrival!

Participating artists:

Bhagwan Shankar Chavan, b. 1958, Chinkhill, India
Chavan creates his images from multiple screens to which he exposes mylar with watercolour washes. One can see in his work a gradual building up of tones from broad and flat brush strokes of pale water washes to more intense and almost calligraphic lines. The result abstract images have an almost poetic or lyrical feel to them.

K.G.Narendrababu, b.1961, Chennai, India
Narendrababu combines Hindu Mythology and its classic appeal with a touch of modernity. In his images, gods, goddess, humans, animals, birds, reptiles, utility objects, mechanical equipments, motorized vehicles, flying machines, fruits, ferns and fronds are interwoven into intricate patterns and designs.

S.Bhavani Shankar, b.1956, Chennai, India. He passed away May 9, 2011
Shankar uses computer graphics to generate his very painterly images. He pays special attention to textures, and often combines scans of partly torn or crumpled paper with images of fungi and moss, or dilapidated surfaces such as faded paint on walls and wood, floors, roofs, or anything that helps him achieve the pulsating energy that charges his work.

Ravi Dhanapal, b. 1956 Chennai, India
Dhanapal’s work can best be described as landscapes of the mind. Infused with an ethereal light, his images seem to represent worlds of unknown origin. Some of his collage-like compositions are almost topographical in nature while others look more like surreal cities.

V.Hariraam, b.1948, Bangalore, India
Hariraam’s work has slowly changed from figurative to abstract and now back to more realistic, yet abstracted rendering of Indian railroad cars.

Dan Noyes’ Floating World Exhibition

2011-05-28T13:10:00.001-07:00

Welcome to New Grounds Print Workshop and Gallery! Tanya Landin, Assistant, and Ray Maseman, Artist, are greeting everyone coming to see Dan’s Show!

Dan Noyes has been with New Grounds for ten years now and brings a sense of peace to the workshop. This serenity shows in his artwork as well. His art is inspired by Japanese prints of the Edo era which focus on the ordinary transient quality of life. He borrows the iconography from that era but combines them with contemporary symbols representing transience such as birds, butterflies, and bubbles.

Dan and former member, Robert Flinkmann

Dan gave a demonstration of how he uses multiple media to create the soft, serene images. He begins the demo using two collagraph plates that he has already made. Collagraphs are made using matboard with found objects glued to the surface. The plate is then coated with Polycrylic to seal it completely. The surface is then wiped with ink. Dan uses a tarlatan (cheese-cloth type material) to push the ink under the surface and to remove any excess ink.

Dan then takes the two collagraph plates shown below and places them on the press bed. He lays a sheet of paper on top of the plates, puts the blankets on top of that and runs it through the press. The image is impressed onto the paper.

For the next layer Dan has a piece of wood panel that he rolls the Akua water-based monotype ink onto.

He then places a sheet of paper on top of the wood panel

And with a baren, a circular flat disc with a handle, he applies pressure to the back of the paper. This pressure allows the ink to be released from the block onto the paper.

Dan’s final step is to take the yellow hand printed paper and cut out a square the same size as the first image he printed. (The purple collagraph print seen above) He then places the yellow square on top of the image. He will probably glue it down later.

final image

Now it is snack time!

Thanks to everyone who came out to see the show!

And to our amazing volunteers and Jeff Simpson who took the photographs!

Ray and Leonora

Mary Sundstrom’s new images are above the cut

2011-04-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

Mary and her work

New Grounds is excited to feature Mary Sundstrom’s monotypes and paper cuts in her current solo show titled “Untamed Gardens.” Mary is a published illustrator whose work can be found in books published by the NM Museum of History and Science and the book covers of Rudolfo Anaya. Sundstrom’s elegant and colorful monotypes and paper cuts are full of birds, blossoms and branches. Her paper cuts take hours to create, and she found a unique way to combine her paper cuts with monotypes either by layering them, or by printing with them.

During the reception, Mary gave a very ambitious demonstration of how she combines her monotypes and paper cuts. First she created a simple color-field background using a typical monotype technique of rolling Akua water-based ink onto a monotype plate. This is basically a clear piece of plastic. She removed and added ink until she was satisfied with the image and then transferred the image to paper using a printing press.

For the next layer of her image she inked up one of her paper cuts, thus using it as a stencil. To get it completely saturated, she covered an ink slab with brown ink, then placed the stencil on top of the ink and rolled more ink over it with a brayer.

She now places the inked stencil on the clean monotype plate, runs it through press to get an impression of the stencil on the plate

The then removes the stencil, places the plate with the stencil impression on the paper and runs it through the press again. The ink from the stencil which had been transferred to the plate now has become and impression on paper. If this was not a demonstration, Mary would add several more layers of monotype and stencil to complete the image.

This particular reception coincided with New Grounds 15 Year Anniversary. And yes, we had birthday cake which, according to Jeff Simpson’s pictures, was consumed entirely by Ray Maseman and Pamela DiMauro. Yes, we caught you red-handed!!!!

Thank you everybody for coming out to Mary’s reception and our anniversary party. Special thanks to our fabulous interns, Jennifer Jane (far left) and Elena Betke-Brunswick (far right). Photography by Jeff Simpson. The blog was written and submitted by Tanya Landin, gallery assistant (middle left) and Regina Held, gallery director (middle right).

Mary Sundstrom’s show runs until April 30, don’t miss it. www.newgroundsgallery.com.

Jessica Weybright’s gravure seduces with soft colors and haunting images

2011-03-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

Jessica

Jessica Weybright definitely surpassed herself in this third solo exhibition at New Grounds. Her new semi-abstract images are an interesting mixture of graveyard sculptures and floral imagery. The tight cropping, inventive juxtapositions, and unexpected color choices transform what could have been a very predictable set of images into one that is seductive and hauntingly beautiful.

Over the many years that Jessica has created art at New Grounds, she has mastered all printmaking techniques from monotype to etching and collagraph. This is her first show of gravure which lends itself beautifully to her subject matter. Jessica demonstrated a two plate gravure process in front of a packed house.

She begins by showing the transparencies she made to generate the two separate plates. In gravure, an image is generated by exposing a photo positive or transparency to a photo polymer plate via a high powered light. Artists need to do extensive testing to determine the exact exposing time for each image. The exposed plate is developed in water and can be printed almost immediately. It is important to understand that photo etchings are not a means of reproducing existing photographs or drawings. Photographs that will become the base for the photo etching usually need to be shot and developed differently than for photographic prints.

Today, transparencies are computer generated and printed on inkjet printers which replace the large scale negatives used originally when the process was developed in the 19th century. Jessica stresses the importance of marking the backs of the plates with the exposure time and printing sequence of the image to avoid mix-ups later.

Jessica’s image is created out two plates, one is the positive, the other the negative of the same image. The positive will be printed in sepia, the negative in yellow. The printing is done as follows: First the plates are coved completely in ink using a brayer. The excess ink is removed using first a tarlatan (a very stiff cheese cloth) and then newsprint. The plates are ready for printing if only the recessed areas of the plate contain ink.

Jessica first prints the negative plate. She places the plate on the press bed and places a sheet of Hahnemuhle printing paper on top of it. When she runs them trough the press, the ink is transferred to the paper. In order to print the second plate she places it upside down on top of the paper she just printed – this way she is very sure of her registration. The polymer plates are so thin that there is no loss of detail if the plate is printed upside down. Jessica now runs the second plate through the press and – voila – we have a finished print. If she was to create more impressions of this image she would have repeat the inking and printing process – these kind of old-fashioned printmaking processes are completely hand-made.

Tanya Landin and Kathe Noe

Jessica and her friends

Not only was Jessica’s reception well attended, but it turned into a college reunion of sorts! It was a fun event! Thank all of you for coming out to see her work, and a big thanks to all of our volunteers such as Kathe Noe, Beth Kassay and Mary Sundstrom who greeted and answered questions. The photographs were taken by Jeff Simpson and Mike Rudahl. If you missed the reception, the show will run until March 26. www.newgroundsgallery.com.

New grand entry way!

2011-03-05T12:33:00.000-08:00

Take a look at the old fence:

Then the newer purple wall:

And now! Way to go Regina for designing this beautiful steel entryway to New Grounds and Matrix Fine Art, as well as the newer businesses to come.

There’s no better way to bring in the New Year than…

2011-01-22T13:05:00.000-08:00

a show dedicated to new members of New Grounds Print Workshop and Gallery! And what a good time we all had! Phil Peterson is the youngest member to New Grounds and he is the oldest member surpassing Leonora Durrett by a few years! Phil invited a lot of his family and here are some of his nieces and nephews.

It is exciting to be a part of a group with such diversity. Christine Herman joined in January of 2010 and has been a wonderful addition to New Grounds. She is a prolific abstract artist and it showed in this group show. She has 7 prints in the show!

Here is one of Nick Hudak’s newest etchings called “Ascension”. Nick recently moved to Albuquerque from New York. His etchings are inspring.

Vicki Bolen, a New Grounds artist, brought in folded paper gifts for the new member’s. By default, I happened to get one!

We had a good turnout and many people came to see the show!

Regina, director and Pam, artist and master printer

Thanks for reading!

Holiday Sale and Reception Fun!

2010-12-12T16:15:00.001-08:00

Prints, prints, and more! Galore! What a lovely evening we had at this year’s opening with thousands of prints, paintings, and photographs for sale! Low prices too ($25 to $125).

This is a great time to see what the artist’s have been creating all year, and those years past! We had a good crowd for this opening and plenty of cream puffs to go around!

Bruce Childs and Mary Zaremba came to visit and to spread the holiday cheer!

Nick Hudak is one of New Grounds newest members who recently moved to Albuquerque from New York. He is enjoying learning the non-toxic etching method that we do here. Here is Tanya and Nick looking at Ray Maseman’s new batch of cards!

Ray Maseman is listening intently to what this woman is saying!

George Bair and his wife Mary came all the way from Kansas to be here for the “Perception” group show.

Shirley Levy and Mary

Here is his newest etching. This took him 200 hours to complete! It’s a beauty.

Laura Wacha made this awesome paper mache sculpture just for the holiday sale. It is called “Thirsty Dog”!

Thanks to all the volunteers that helped with this month’s reception and to Jeff Simpson for taking the photographs!

Pamela DiMauro’s multi-plate etchings and gravures give life to the gallery!

2010-11-18T09:29:00.000-08:00

Pamela DiMauro has created etchings of plants that are layered with abstract backgrounds, and colors that are not always literal. In these, multiple phases of the plants life are viewed simultaneously. Each print is like a portrait of the botanical, capturing its personality.

DiMauro was kind enough to demonstrate the etching process during her reception. Etching is part of the intaglio family of printmaking techniques. What they all have in common is that the design is below the plate surface.

To begin with, the blank copper plate is coated with an acid resistant material called hard ground. At New Grounds, we use Z-Acryl hard ground which does not require any harmful solvents to be removed from the plate. Instead, it is water-soluble when wet, and comes off with a mild soda ash solution when dry. A design is now drawn on the coated plate (not shown here) which exposes the copper underneath. It is made permanent by immersing the plate in ferric chloride – it literally etches the drawn lines into the plate.

The plate is now ready to be printed. To do so, ink (at New Grounds we use water soluble Akua intaglio inks) is carded over the entire plate with strips of mat board.

Once the plate is covered completely in ink, the excess is removed first by using strips of mat board and then a very stiff cheese cloth called “tarlatan.” To remove any excess plate tone, newsprint is used to wipe it off the surface.

The inked plate is now placed on the press bed, and it is covered with a sheet of printing paper. At New Grounds, we prefer Hahnemuhle paper because it is extremely absorbent.

Plate and paper are then covered with printing blankets which cushion the impact of the roller as the plate and paper are moved through the etching press. Note that the only purpose of the press is to apply very high pressure to the plate. We use Takach presses at New Grounds.

Now, Pam returns to repeat the steps above with the second plate which is being printed in an orange color.

The finished print!

Here are some clients who were admiring her finished piece. Thanks to everyone who made it out tonight and especially to the volunteers who helped make this show a success!

Joe Montano our newest intern

If you missed the reception, Pamela DiMauro’s show “Conservatory” runs through November 27th.
www.newgroundsgallery.com

Thanks!
Regina Held, Director

Photogravure with Karl Koenig

2010-10-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

Deborah Donelson is back!

2010-10-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce that Donelson's works on paper are once again available at New Grounds. Check out our fresh inventory of her hand-colored gravures.

Jorge Tristani’s “Paradise” and Mizraim Cardenas “Morelos: Estampas de la Independencia”

2010-10-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

This month’s reception was another huge success. With not just one, but two solo shows hanging, a few hundred visitors, and several sales, who could ask for more? Mizraim Cardenas sent us a portfolio of twenty engravings which commemorate Mexico’s 200th anniversary of their independence. New Grounds feels honored to show his exceptional and detailed work.

Mizraim Cardenas- Engravings

Jorge had a good turnout with many friends and family to join in the celebration of his second solo show at New Grounds!

Jorge and Sarah Anderson

Jorge gave a demonstration on a gravure process in which he printed a positive and negative version of the same image on top of each other. The result is a very painterly image quite different from printing just a single plate image.
First, the photographic image is adjusted in Photoshop so that it can be properly exposed to the light sensitive polymer plates used for this process. Then, a transparency is printed on an inkjet printer. He had to print two separate transparencies to create this image; one a positive and one a negative.

The transparency is then exposed to the light sensitive polymer-coated steel plate in a light unit. The polymer hardens and holds the ink that is wiped on the plate much like an etching. For this particular two plate process, the negative plate is printed in a lighter color so that it fills in the negative areas on commonly left white when the positive plate is printed. The positive plate is printed last and in a darker color.

Jorge’s mom even came out to see the demonstration and his show.

Once the ink is rolled or applied on the plate a tarlatan (a heavily sized cheesecloth) is used to wipe the plate to remove any excess ink. Newsprint is used to wipe any plate tone that may be left on the plate. The edges are then cleaned off with a q-tip as shown here.

It is best to have both plates inked and ready to go before running through the press. Here is Jorge inking up the second plate.

Now Jorge is registering or lining up his plate in the right place on the press bed. It is important that the plates are cut to the exact size so they line up perfectly on the sheet of paper.

Printing…

Now Jorge is registering the second plate on top of the first image that he just printed.

Printing…

And here is the final image

We just want to say thank you to everyone who came to the opening and to all those who volunteered!

Michael Rudahl was the photographer for the evening- Thank you!

Matteson’s landscapes hum

2010-09-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

Walking Rain Fugue
Monotype

Matteson’s abstract landscapes are vibrant, dramatic, and invite the viewer to observe the interaction of light, color, shape, pattern, and motion. In his landscapes, objects have been masterfully reduced to their essential qualities, yet his dramatic palette often evokes the tense moment of an approaching storm, simmering heat, or the steam rising from the drenched earth.

Matteson was kind enough to demonstrate the etching process during his reception. Etching is part of the intaglio family of printmaking techniques. They all have in common that the design is below the plate surface.

To begin with, the blank copper plate is coated with an acid resistant material called hard ground. At New Grounds, we use Z-Acryl hard ground which does not require any harmful solvents to be removed from the plate. Instead, it is water-soluble when wet, and comes off with a mild soda ash solution when dry. A design is now drawn on the coated plate (not shown here) which exposes the copper underneath. It is made permanent by immersing the plate in ferric chloride – it literally etches the drawn lines into the plate.

The plate is now ready to be printed. To do so, ink (at New Grounds we use water soluble Akua intaglio inks) is carded over the entire plate with strips of mat board.

Once the plate is covered completely in ink, the excess is removed first by using strips of mat board and then a very stiff cheese cloth called “tarlatan.”

The inked plate is now placed on the press bed, and it is covered with a sheet of printing paper. At New Grounds, we prefer Hahnemuhle paper because it is extremely absorbent.

Plate and paper are then covered with printing blankets which cushion the impact of the roller as the plate and paper are moved through the etching press. Note that the only purpose of the press is to apply very high pressure to the plate. We use Takach presses at New Grounds.

The finished print! Actually, a client who saw the demo purchased the print outright – how great is that!

If you missed the reception, Jacob Tarazon Matteson’s show “Landscape Voices” runs through September 25. It’s a fabulous show filled with surprises.
www.newgroundsgallery.com

Thanks to all our volunteers!

Tanya looking for music

Nick was our fabulous greeter for the evening!

Leonora Durrett's demonstration and opening reception!

2010-07-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

A monotype is a one of a kind image. Leonora begins to create her monotype by brushing and brayering ink onto a poly-carbonate plate which has a drawing on the back side so she knows where to apply ink based on her first drop of color. A brayer is a small roller that allows the artist to apply an even coat of ink to the plate.

Once the plate is evenly inked she takes a paper towel to remove ink from the plate in various places. This is called “working reductively.” Note that the monotype plate does not contain any permanent information. The image is created completely out of ink. Leonora is working additively in this demonstration by adding layers of ink at different times.

Leonora hands the plate to Gallery and Workshop Assistant, Tanya Landin, to run through the press. Leonora has already printed one color so Tanya is lining up the plate with the image already on the paper.

Leonora returns to clean the plate of any ink residue left on the plate and proceeds add yellow to the plate and more blue ink in the sky, using a brayer and brushes.

Tanya runs the plate through the press one more time adding the third layer of color.

And this is the final image!

And the aftermath!

Leonora has been with New Grounds for 14 years now and has progressed in her art-making abilities during this time. We are forever grateful for her dedication to printmaking and to New Grounds. We love your sparkly red Converses too!

Leonora was excited that we had our building painted purple just in time for her opening too!

We had a good turnout and even had a special guest! Santiago Perez, painter, came to visit the gallery. Jeff Simpson was more than ecstatic to meet him and even get a picture with him!

Thank you Bruce Childs and Jeff Simpson for photographing the event!

Thanks to all the volunteers and here are some pictures from the evening.

Leonora Durrett and Deborah Weaver

Mike Rudahl

Tanya Landin, Gallery and Workshop Assistant and Regina Held, Director

See you all soon!

The etching workshop experience by Justin

2010-06-24T10:35:00.001-07:00

Hey, I just got done with etching boot camp all last week. Ray, you drilled us hard, but now I'm ready for battle against copper. This was an interesting class to take for me because there were many concepts of nontoxic etching that were almost the same as the traditional techniques I'd already learned. The only fear I had about nontoxic compared to traditional was that certain techniques would've been left out. Thankfully they were all options with nontoxic just achieved in different ways. Spitbite, Soft ground, Chine colle, Sugar lift, and others are all options just a little different. Before this class I avoided Aquatint with my life but not I hold it dear to my heart. Ray, thanks for your entertaining banter and insight on the world; i enjoyed it.

Justin takes Monotype Workshop!

2010-06-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

It's Justin again, and I just finished the Monotype class taught by Mary. It was a completely new frontier to my printmaking career. The direct results of this form was my favorite part. I realized that monotype is either instant satisfaction or instant disappointment. You can also build up layers easily to fix the weaklings. Thanks Mary, you were a great teacher and I hope we're monotypin' side by side again soon.

Brian Giza makes an impression with his drypoints!

2010-06-10T09:27:00.001-07:00

Giza’s show of ballet dancers and backstage scenes is reminiscent of old master drawings. Giza, who is a retired dancer himself, spends all his spare time sketching and drawing. Most of his plates are created directly in the ballet studio – dancers have become quite accustomed to be drawn by him while they are tying their shoes, doing their hair, or stretching.

In fact, Giza spent the reception drawing one of his dancers. His drypoint demonstration, a first for New Grounds, drew a huge crowd.

In this technique a sharp tool such as an etching needle is used to scratch directly in the metal plate creating a burr that yields a characteristically soft and expressive line. In addition, Giza also uses a mezzotint rocker to layer darker areas into his plate.

Mezzotint, just like drypoint, is a non-etch intaglio technique. No acid is used to create information on the plate. Instead, the plate is worked on directly with positive marks as in drypoint, or with negative marks as in mezzotint. In the latter, the plate is literally covered with small pits by rocking the toothed tool systematically across the plate which results in a completely black plate. The image is then created by burnishing some of those pits which will create a variety of gray values. Brian uses the rocker as a positive tool to create dark areas which are not intended to be burnished. He creates some shading by only partially rocking the plate. The resulting image has rich color, texture and depth such as seen in “Sylphide.”

To proof the image, Brian covers the plate completely with ink, removes the excess with a heavily sized cheesecloth also referred to as a “tarlatan and places the inked plate on the press bed (not shown here).

Printmaking paper is placed over the inked plate, and the image is then transferred to paper by rolling it through the etching press.

Ah, the moment of “lift-off” when the paper is peeled off the plate and the image is revealed. What a lovely image, Brian!

Brian also does portraits from life directly on plates. Here is a plate with an image of gallery assistant Tanya Landin.

A special thanks to everybody who helped with this reception, Mike Rudahl, Mary Sundstrom, Pamela Wesolek, Tanya Landin and Anise.

Last but not least, our intern Justin (here with his girlfriend) did a tremendous job as a greeter. We love you Justin!!!!!!!!!

The show will run until June 26 if you missed the reception or if you would like to see it again. It’s a stunning show.

Also, click below to see a video of the demonstration!

http://www.facebook.com/v/401327754183

Oh, and here is the embed code for sharing the video:

First Friday from our Intern, Justin Camilli

2010-06-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Justin Camilli and I'm the new intern here. New Grounds has taken me under its wing to teach me the art of nontoxic printing. Sadly I'm only here for the summer and I'll go back as a junior to CSU in Fort Collins, Colorado where I'm majoring in traditional printmaking.
This was my first First Friday experience and it was great. I was surprised at how friendly people were and how much everybody was "jonesin' " to see art. It was also my first time as a greeter of anything, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the eager faces enter and the satisfied exit. I was especially stoked to see shirtless tan man. The only thing was that my face muscles couldn't function afterward because of my extreme greeter smile. Anyways, I'm excited for the next one and the interesting faces it brings in.

The Figure in Ballet – Drypoint and Gravure by Brian Giza

2010-06-01T14:50:00.001-07:00

Blanca
14 x 11"
Drypoint

Sylphide
12 x 15.5"
Drypoint

Brian Giza is a former dancer and current balletomane. His elegant and monochromatic prints focus on portraits, nudes, and the environment of the ballet. Giza is an expert drafts person who takes his plates to rehearsals and dressing rooms to work on them directly. He will produce several plates in one drawing session, considering some of them “sketches” and print only the one he considers successful. The resulting images exude an immediacy, intimacy and refinement comparable to old Master drawings.

Exhibition dates: June 4 – 26
(Early Bird Preview: June 1 - 4)

First Friday Artscrawl Reception: June 4, 5 – 8:00 PM

Demonstration during the reception: 6:30- 7:00 PM.

Bruce Child's solo show

2010-05-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

This was Bruce Child’s first solo show at New Grounds! The excitement was in the air. Many people gathered for the demonstration of etching and monotypes combined.

Bruce begins by inking up the copper plate which is already etched with one of his landscapes.

He wipes the plate with tarlatan, a cheesecloth type material, to get the ink in the lines. Then he uses newsprint to wipe off the excess ink. In this photograph below he is using the palm of his hand to wipe off even more ink in certain areas that he wants to be whiter.

The he lays down the plate on the press and registers or aligns the paper so the print will be in the middle of the paper.

There is always a helping hand to run the press for the artist!

Here is the first layer of his image, the key plate.

Now he begins the monotype layer.

Bruce is using brayers to apply ink to the monotype plate. He has a drawing of the key plate underneath the monotype plate as a guide.

Here he is adding the finishing touches.

Printing….. and here is the final image!

Bruce’s niece, pictured below, took the photographs this evening! Thank you

Thank you Tanya, Gallery Assistant and Colleen, Intern, for helping at this opening!

And here is the artist of the evening, Bruce Childs!

The Rachel Allen Printmaking Scholarship

2010-04-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

Open to all women living in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe areas, who can demonstrate participation in the art community. Please do not call- send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope or e-mail for complete scholarship guidelines. Guidelines can also be downloaded from the New Grounds website at www.newgroundsprintshop.com.

Scholarship Applications must be postmarked by April 25, 2010.

The Rachel Allen Scholarship will be awarded to one person every year. It consists of one printmaking class and three consecutive months of membership at New Grounds (this amounts to more than $ 1000 in value).

Body Language – Monotypes by Sarah Anderson

2010-04-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

Beauty
20 x 16"
Monotype

I Can't Believe he Called You Cupcake
16 x 20"
Monotype

Anderson’s vibrant monotypes depict ordinary women – sometimes accompanied by their dog - in everyday situations. Anderson is well known for her distinct Matisse like style. Her images are always thoughtful, often humorous, and never fail to entertain.

Exhibition dates: April 2 – May 1
(Early Bird Preview: March 30 – April 2)

First Friday Artscrawl Reception: April 2, 5 – 8:00 PM

Demonstration during the reception: Figurative monotypes by Sarah Anderson from 6:30- 7:00 PM.

Ray Maseman makes a big impression with his new etchings!

2010-03-10T13:35:00.000-08:00

There is a consensus. Ray Maseman was voted “Best Artist” in Local IQ’s smart list because he IS the best! He has had five successful solo shows at New Grounds, his work was voted “best of show” at numerous art festivals, his work is sold in several galleries throughout the United States, and he is one of the few artists whose editions sell out on a regular basis. We bow before you Ray!

Our March 5 reception started out slowly, mainly because it was one of the few nice days we have seen recently. However, by the time Ray had to present his demonstration the house was once again packed!

Yet Ray seemed to be crying when New Grounds director Regina Held introduced him before the demo. Seriously Ray, what DID she say to you?!?

Ray uses “Hansel and Gretel” from his new fairy tales series to demonstrate how in etching we can to achieve all kinds of colors with only two plates. In this image, the key plate was used to create the details and grey values. This plate is printed in sepia. The color plate consists of aquatints only, which are basically a dot pattern etched on the plate capable of holding ink.

Here Ray is ready to ink the plates. He starts by spreading sepia ink on the key plate, and then wiping off the excess ink with a tarlatan (a heavily sized piece of cheese cloth) and phone book pages so that ink remains only in the lower, etched areas of the plate.

The inked plate is quite beautiful. Not shown is how Ray treats the color plate. If you look carefully you see three different colors in the image. There is a green band of color on the top, a yellow field inside the witch’s house, and everything else is infused with an orange glow. We call this kind of color application “selective wiping” as opposed to covering the entire plate with on color. Ray used tiny strips of mat board to carefully card the different colors of ink on the plate, the excess ink is equally carefully removed with card board strips, and then the excess ink is wiped away with phone book pages, or newsprint in order not to contaminate the lighter colors with black printers ink.

Ray now places the color plate on the press bed and covers it with a piece of printmaking paper. Both are run through the press. Using a brick as weight, the paper is lifted up but held in place and the color plate is replaced with the key plate. The paper is placed over it and then both are run through the press again. Now the details of the key plates sit on top of the color fields of the first plate!

Ray also teaches the etching class at New Grounds which is held in June and November. If you like detailed line work, this class is for you. A slightly obsessive streak is very helpful in this medium!

Thank you all for coming to New Grounds for this reception. The pictures were taken by Mike Rudahl, and the blog was submitted by Tanya and Regina.

We see you again for our April show which will be monotypes by Sarah Anderson.

Fairy Tales – Etchings by Ray Maseman

2010-02-28T13:17:00.000-08:00

Ray Maseman, St. Uriel; multiple-plate etching; 9 x 6,” 2009

Ray Maseman, Explorers; etching, 10 x 8,” 2009

Myths, legends, children’s stories and dreams provide the building blocks for Maseman’s show of intricate and whimsical etchings. Be prepared for tales of exploration, collaboration, and transformation!

Exhibition dates: March 5 - 27
(Early Bird Preview: March 2 - 5)

First Friday Artscrawl Reception: March 5, 5 – 8:00 PM

Demonstration during the reception: How to create etchings, by Ray Maseman 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, (505) 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.

Sign-up at www.ArtscrawlABQ.org to receive the free bi-monthly newsletter covering art events in Albuquerque. This newsletter is published by the Albuquerque Art Business Organization - the Artscrawl people. Stay updated with current events and shows!

Karl Koenig’s “Feast or Famine” feeds art lovers souls

2010-02-13T12:54:00.000-08:00

This was another successful opening reception at New Grounds as droves of visitors came to see Karl Koenig’s new gravure and gumoil prints.

Crowds spilled into every room at New Grounds and business was brisk.

Karl Koenig is the author of “Gumoil Photography,” and his work has been is so many major museum shows that his resume fills several pages. He has traveled the world to teach and to take photographs, and this particular show features images from Italy to Barcelona and the American Midwest.

During the reception, Karl gave a demonstration on gravure. He was assisted by one of New Grounds master printers, Rob Thalmann, It is very common in printmaking to have the plate editioned by a printer as long as the artist creates the plate. This process is often referred to as a print collaboration.

Director Regina Held introduced Karl and Rob to the packed audience. This is Karl’s forth show at New Grounds.

Karl begins his demonstration by showing the photo positive that was made to create his plate. In a nutshell, the photogravure process generates an image by exposing a photo positive to a photo polymer plate via a high powered light. Usually, artists need to do extensive testing to determine the exact exposing time for each image. The exposed plate is developed in water and then printed like an etching.

Here Rob shows how the finished plate is printed. He uses a brayer to cover the entire plate in ink.

The excess ink is then removed by gently wiping the plate with a tarlatan and then with a phone book. Rob finishes the plate by carefully cleaning the edges with a q-tip.

The inked plate is now placed on the press bed and it is covered with a piece of archival European printmaking paper.

Rob runs the plate and paper through the etching press. The high pressure applied in this 16th century process facilitates the transfer of ink from the recessed areas of the plate to the dampened paper.

The finished print next to the plate. In order to print additional images, Rob will have to repeat the inking and wiping process for every impression.

Thank you to all the volunteers and staff, such as Anise, our lovely waitress, who made this reception such a great success!

Mary Sundstrom helps at almost every reception. Thank you Mary! We also want to thank Bruce Childs who took these great pictures. This blog was submitted by Regina and Tanya.

Karl’s show will run until February 27.

“NEW” at New Grounds promises a fresh look for 2010!

2010-01-10T15:27:00.001-08:00

To host an event on January 1 seemed like a daring idea, but it proved to be another successful First Friday Artscrawl! We had some lovely pieces in the “New Members Show,” and since it was the last day of the Holiday Sale a lot of visitors snatched up some of the great pieces we were offering at some incredibly affordable prices.

Tanya and some of our volunteers could barely keep up with the check-out!

Visitors entering the gallery were greeted by an exuberant Jeff Simpson! Thanks for doing such a great job, Jeff!

Andrew Fabry

Deborah Weaver

Colleen Donohoe, our intern

Mike Rudahl

Donna Simmons

Aaron Marie

The new members continue to add to the diversity that New Grounds has become so well-known for. Where else can you have elegant relief prints next to rodeo scenes, delicate figurative drawings, bright abstract monotypes, quirky etchings, or gravures that combine fashion with anatomical renderings all in one room?

Thank you Anise for keeping everybody properly hydrated throughout the evening. Are you loosing weight, by any chance???

Thank you Bruce Childs and Jeff Simpson for recording this event – you are the best! Wait, were you snapping pictures of each other taking pictures of each other (oh, now my head hurts….). Well, this was a fun event and if you missed it, there are eleven more to come this year!

Introduction to Monotype Workshop

2010-01-10T15:17:00.000-08:00

Deborah Weaver
And Joy Returned
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 Jan. 16, 17, 23 and 24
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

Registration: Payment must be made at time of registration. No refunds will be given if a cancellation occurs less than 96 hours before class. To register, call 268-8952. Maximum enrollment: 8 students per class. All major credit cards accepted.

Prints Galore!

2010-01-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

The holiday season has struck again and every year New Grounds has a huge holiday print sale! All the printmakers have raided their portfolios and have prints for prices ranging $25 to $125.

During this opening we had the Exquisite Beast Collaboration project hanging in New Grounds!

Tanya Landin and her Beast

Ray Maseman and his Beast

Kathe Noe and her Beast

Jeanette Cook and her Beast

NEW: New Work by New Gallery Artists and New Year’s Celebration

2010-01-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

Michael Rudahl
Out of the Chute
Gravure

Donna Simmons
Melodic
Linoleum Cut and Monotype

Some of these artists are just starting in printmaking, some of them have had a long career and are adding printmaking to their repertoire. This is an exciting show featuring a lot of new talent working in a variety of styles and printmaking media.

Exhibition dates: January 1 - 30
(Early Bird Preview: December 29 – January 1)

First Friday Artscrawl Reception: January 1, 5 – 8:00 PM. This is also the absolute last day of the Holiday Print Sale.

Gallery hours: Tuesday 10 - 4, Wednesday - Sunday, 9 - 6

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.

Suzanne Marshall fuses media and meaning!

2009-11-21T10:58:00.000-08:00

High Noon

Tsunami

Suzanne Marshall has been with New Grounds since it opened in 1996 – she has had so many solo shows we lost track. And yet, show after show her works gets more exciting and more sophisticated. Her new body of work features etchings and gravures that are torn, collaged, scorched and waxed to create visually seductive surfaces. Several images are presented in hand made steel frames by the late Barbara Pfaff which makes the work even more exciting.

Her images deal with volcanoes, tsunamis, and the Yangtze River Dam project and the general human proclivity to exploit the natural world with potential consequence of a ravaged environment. However, her point of view is that of an observer rather than of someone who points her finger at others. While Marshall’s work is thoughtful and slightly cynical it also infused with quirky elegance and uncommon beauty.

As always, we had a great attendance for the reception, and a full house for the demonstration. Suzanne, like most artists, does not like this part of the evening and we appreciate that she did such a great job showing us how she combines gravure and chine collé.

Suzanne used the gravure medium mainly as a substitute for lithography since she can draw with a pencil to create rich tonal drawings. Here she shows how she creates her images: She uses a Stabillo pencil to draw on prepared mylar. Not shown in this demo is the actual plate making: The drawing on mylar is transferred to a light sensitive polymer plate with the help of an exposing unit – basically a powerful vacuum combined with a bright UV light. The plates, once exposed and developed are then printed like etchings.

Chine collé is a technique in which a piece of Japanese paper is fused to the sheet of heavy European paper while printing the plate. Here Suzanne brushes rice paste to a piece of Japanese paper; the rice past acts as a glue. The Japanese paper will be rewetted when it comes in touch with the damp European paper. The combination of water, glue and pressure from the printing press will make it adhere to the support sheet.

Suzanne now cards ink on the polymer plates and removes the excess with a tarlatan. The objective is to leave ink in just the recessed areas of the plate which are the image areas.

In order to print the inked plate it is placed on the press bed, the collé paper is placed over it, glue side up, and finally the European paper goes on top of both the plate and collé paper. Here Suzanne wets the European paper with a spray bottle.

The press blankets are placed over the plate/paper package and Suzanne rolls everything trough the press; the pressure of the rollers will force the ink in the recessed areas to be transferred to the damp paper.

The finished print! As always, our featured artist makes this look so easy. If you wish to learn more about this process, our next gravure class is scheduled for February of next year. In the meanwhile, check out Suzanne Marshall’s show – it makes such good use of the gravure medium. The show runs until November 28.

Thank all of you who made it to the reception, and for all the New Grounds and Matrix artists who volunteered their time to make this event even better. A special thanks to Mike Ruhdal who took the photographs. See you again December 11 for our Holiday Sale!

Fusion – Mixed Media Prints by Suzanne Marshall

2009-11-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

Crepuscular
7.5 x 7.5"
Gravure, Collage, Mixed Media, and Encaustic

Marshall’s bold, semi-abstract etchings and gravures are torn, collaged, scorched and waxed to create visually seductive surfaces. Her images deal with the human proclivity to exploit the natural world with potential consequence of a ravaged environment. However, her point of view is that of an observer rather than of someone who points her finger at others. While Marshall’s work is thoughtful and slightly cynical it also infused with quirky elegance and uncommon beauty.

Exhibition dates: November 6 – 28
(Early Bird Preview: November 3 – 6)

First Friday Artscrawl Reception: November 6, 5 – 8:00 PM

Demonstration during the reception: How to create a gravure from a drawing, by Suzanne Marshall 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

Vicki Bolen’s best show yet!

2009-10-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

If you enjoy art with lots of textures, layers, rich colors and the occasional crane, you will love Vicki Bolen’s work.

We had a great turn-out for Vicki’s First Friday Artscrawl reception. The crowd spilled into the various studios of the workshop and almost everybody stayed to watch Vicki’s Collagraph demonstration.

Director Regina Held had the pleasure to introduce Vicki just before her demo. This is Vicki’s third solo show, and she makes her living selling artwork during artfairs around the country. She is a complete pro, just see how calm and collected she is. And look at all those beautiful Collagraph plates in front of her.

Whatever Vicki just said, it totally cracked up gallery assistant Tanya Landin! Tanya will give Vicki a hand with printing.

A Collagraph is an intaglio technique in which objects (cardboard, fibers, fabrics, organic materials etc) are added to the surface of the plate, usually heavy cardboard, until a low relief is achieved. Front, back and sides of the plate are then sealed with several coats of acrylic mat medium. Once the plate is dry it can be inked, wiped and printed in the same manner as a etched metal plate. Collagraphs can also be printed as relief images which Vicki will demonstrate as well.

Vicki begins by covering the entire plate with ink using a brayer.

She then uses a heavily starched cheesecloth, or tarlatan, to wipe away the excess ink until only the lower areas of the plate retain ink.

Here is the inked plate.

It is placed upside down on top of the paper which already has some color from a previously applied monotype.

The plate and paper are now run through the printing press with the help of some very young helpers – we always say that even a kid can make prints!

The result! Vicki usually applies a lot more layers to her pieces – this would just be an intermediate state of the image for her.

Vicki now shows us a different plate which she will ink up relief style, not shown here. Unlike the previous plate, she simply brayers ink over the raised surface and leaves it just the way it is inked.

The resulting image looks very different from the intaglio wiped plate. The image will be bolder and have more contrast, while the first image displayed a lot more intermediate values.

Just before closing, James and Craig, long-time friends of Vicki and clients of New Grounds came to visit. It is so good to see you again!

Thank you Anise for keeping our visitors happy!

Bruce Childs took these awesome pictures – here he is in front of his work. He is getting ready for a solo show in 2010!

Thank you everybody for coming. This is a great show, don’t miss it. It runs until October 30.

Four of New Grounds artists are participating in the Urban Forest Project

2009-10-04T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Urban Forest Project is a collaboration of artists who have designed tree-like images to be displayed as banners downtown. Dan Noyes, Tanya Landin, Denise Weaver-Ross, and Bruce Childs have been accepted into this project. The banners will be on display for three months downtown. Once the banners come down they will be recycled and made into tote bags. The profits will go to Tree New Mexico. For more information and to view the banners online visit:

http://www.ufp-abq.com/

View Phase One UFP ABQ in a larger map

Print Collector's Club! Join today! :)

2009-09-26T12:04:00.001-07:00

Art You Can Afford!!!

Become a member of the New Grounds Print Collector’s Club and receive four original, limited edition prints - valued at $ 200 or more each - for only $ 400. NM sales tax and shipping, if applicable, is not included in this amount.

The first image will be published in November (and rumors have it that it is an etching by Ray Maseman). The other prints will be available in three month intervals. Each piece will be created specifically for the Print Collector’s Club.

Sign up before November 1 and join the Print Collector’s Club for only $ 380!

The tradition of the Collector’s Club
Most printshops around the world offer this kind of service which is cherished by art collectors. Part of the appeal is the surprise – the collector does not know whose work they will be receiving. They trust that the workshop will make the absolute best selections for them.

The artwork
New Grounds Gallery has an incredible talented and widely exhibited stable of artists from which to choose from. In addition, some of the published artists will be selected from New Grounds’ sister gallery, Matrix Fine Art. The selected artist will create a work of art in the same style and subject matter that we have come to expect from them. The images sizes will vary, but the minimum image size will be 12 x 9.” Some images will be printed in black and white, some in color.

Life Among the Margins - Woven Monotypes by Vicki Bolen

2009-09-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

Life Among the Margins

8 x 8"

Handstitched Monotype and Collagraph

Vicki Bolen’s colorful abstract monotypes go far beyond the traditional look of this 19th century printmaking medium. By incorporating applications such as weaving, stitching, quilting and, most recently, origami, she infuses her painterly work with dimensionality, movement and texture.

Exhibition dates: October 2 – 31
(Early Bird Preview: September 29 – October 2)

First Friday Artscrawl Reception: October 2, 5 – 8:00 PM

Demonstration during the reception: Collagraphs by Vicki Bolen from 6:30- 7:00 PM.

Upcoming Gravure Workshop

2009-09-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

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

Registration: Payment must be made at time of registration. No refunds will be given if a cancellation occurs less than 96 hours before class. To register, call 268-8952. Maximum enrollment: 8 students per class. All major credit cards accepted.

Diane Alire
Waiting for Godot
10 x 14.5"
Two Plate Gravure

Upcoming Fall Classes!

2009-08-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

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!

Adabel Allen’s show not just for the birds!

2009-08-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

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!

Convergence - Mixed Media prints by Adabel Allen

2009-08-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

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.

Sign-up at http://www.artscrawlabq.org/ to receive the free bi-monthly newsletter covering art events in Albuquerque. This newsletter is published by the Albuquerque Art Business Organization - the Artscrawl people. Stay updated with current events and shows!

Gravure- the new Medium! Reception and Demonstration Re-cap

2009-07-12T11:55:00.003-07:00

Gravure is a 19th century technique which proceeds photography. For the last ten years, this technique has experienced a revival by printmakers thanks to the ready availability of non-toxic light sensitive emulsions and plates. At New Grounds, we use KM plates for pad printing which are available from New Grounds, or from Takach Press, http://www.takachpress.com/.
Photographers use gravure to achieve the rich tonalities and detail found in the works of Stieglitz, while artists who like to draw use it as a substitute for lithography. During the July 3 reception, New Grounds artist Jessica Weybright demonstrated how to create a colorful gravure by combining positive and negative plates of the same image.

To make the gravure plates from photographs the artist prints a black and white transparency of the image on a good photo printer. This transparency, or photo positive, simulates the large scale negatives of early photography.

The plates that we use are coated with a positive light sensitive emulsion which means that the image has to be positive in order to create a print that looks like the original. By comparison, in traditional photography photographic paper is coated with a negative emulsion which means that it has to be exposed to a negative image in order to create a positive version. It sounds a lot more confusing than it is! Really! Well, just to stretch your brain a little further, Jessica also created a negative, or inverted image in photoshop which she uses to make the second plate. The negative image deposits inks in the areas that are left white in the positive plate. The processes of making the plates are not shown here. However, watch as Jessica prints her two plates on the same piece of paper to achieve a very colorful and abstract image.

Jessica begins by brayering red ink on the positive plate. She then uses a tarlatan (a heavily sized cheese cloth) to remove the excess ink from the plate. The plate is now ready to print. She repeats these steps with the negative plate which she inkes up in green.

The negative plate is printed first.

Here is the first state of the image. Great color!

Now Jessica takes the positive plate and places it on top of the print she just pulled. The plates we use are thin steel plates coated with polymer emulsion. They can be printed upside down which can be messy, but eliminates the need for a complicated registration sheet. The second plate is simply placed upside down into the image area of the first impression.

Here she goes running the plate through the press one more time! She removes the plate and voila – the finished print!

The final image.

The aftermath of printing in half an hour…

The reception for the gravure show went well; we had many artists and visitors. Adabel Allen had three pieces in the show and she manned the door for a large portion of the night (thanks!).

Tanya Landin, Gallery and Workshop Assistant, and Jessica Weybright, Artist, were enjoying themselves throughout the night.

Jeff Simpson, Artist (and our photographer for the evening), is shown here standing by his infamous “The Spokestoaster is in Rehab” gravure print.

Tyler is the owner of one of these lovely little toasters!

Jacqui Lewnes, Artist, and former member Carrie Kaser who is now apprenticing at the Tamarind Institute of Lithography came to see the show and the demonstration!

Jacqui, Tyler, and Susan Reid, Matrix Artist, are having a blast!

Thank you to everyone who came to the opening! Let’s give a round of applause to our photographer, Jeff Simpson.

Gravure – the New Medium in Printmaking

2009-07-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

Jorge Tristani
Anole on Ginger
Multiple Plate Gravure

It’s a photograph! It’s a lithograph! It’s digital art! Actually, the new gravure prints can look very much like either. This group show demonstrates the incredible versatility of this rediscovered medium which precedes photography. New work by Adabel Allen, Diane Alire, Suzanne Marshall, Karl Koenig, Jorge Tristani and others.

Exhibition dates: July 3 – August 1
(Early Bird Preview: May 31 – July 3)

Traveling Artists at Art Fairs!

2009-07-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

Mary Sundstrom
"Brushstrokes"
16 x 16"
Monotype and Gravure

Ray Maseman
St. Michael
Multiple plate Etching
12 x 9"

If you are going to Madison, WI don't forget to stop by the "Art on the Square" Festival. This is happening July 11th and 12th. Ray Maseman and Mary Sundstrom will be there to show their wonderful art.

Ray Maseman will also be at the Midsummer Festival of the Arts in Sheboygan, WI on July 18th and 19th. He is the featured artist this year! We are so proud of Ray, congratulations!

Ray Maseman takes on St. Uriel!!!!

2009-06-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

Archangel Uriel depicted as an elephant carrying eggs and, wait, is that an outhouse??? This quirky, tongue-in-cheek, yet thoughtful imagery simply oozes out the brain of New Grounds’ etcher Ray Maseman and continues to keep us entertained and, at times, scratching our heads.

“Stars of the Show”

Jeanette Cook and Carol Walker

Maseman is one of the several New Grounds artists represented in this show of “Realism in Printmaking” with artists from several continents as well as the different categories of realism from contemporary to magical and surreal. From left to right, New Grounds artists included Jeannette Cook, Carol Walker, Ray, Brian Giza. Joel Nowlin and Pamela DiMauro also have work in this show but could not make it to the reception.

As always, our reception was well attended. Gallery visitors spend a lot of time taking a close look at those highly detailed images, some of created by well known artists from Japan, France, Bulgaria and Mexico.

For those wanted to get their hands on the artwork, our “back room” was stuffed to the brim with more work!

For those of you, who like to find out more about printmaking, check out our demos which are held at 6:30 during First Friday Artscrawl receptions. For this show, Ray Maseman, with the assistance of his daughter Nora, showed us some of his tricks for printing his colorful etchings. The key to his images: 2 plates and several stencils for selected color!

For “St Uriel” Ray created his first plate, or “key” plate out of line etching (see description below) and the application of some aquatints (see description below); it defines the image and also contains most of the shading. This plate is inked up completely in sepia. The second plate was created mainly out of flat aquatints which are used to print the vivid background colors. This plate is inked and printed with several colors, a technique called “selective wiping.”

Place Demo 7, 9 and 10 here
Now that both plates are inked, Ray places the color plate on the press bed, printmaking paper is laid over the plate, and his daughter Nora runs the press for him!

Note: for printmaking paper we prefer Hahnemuhle, it is super absorbent and will pick up the slightest details and subtest gray values!

The paper is locked into position with a brick wrapped in newsprint. The paper is gently flipped over the brick, the color plate is exchanged for the key plate, and it is run again trough the press, this time with the assistance of Ray’s older daughter Meghan. Sorry, you have to bring your own kids if you want free help pulling prints at New Grounds….!!!!

Place Demo 13, 14 and 15 here
But we are not done yet! Two crucial elements, the elephant and the outhouse, are still missing from the picture. For those, Ray cut stencils out of Duralar. This is a plastic material perfect for this process. New Ground is a supplier for this stuff, by the way. It is soft enough that it can be cut easily with a scissors or x-acto knife, but stiff enough so it won’t curl around the brayer when it is inked – something mylar does. It is sturdy enough so it can be used multiple times – the stencil does not have to be re-cut for each impression. Ray inks the stencils with a brayer just as he would roll ink on a monotype plate.

The inked stencils are then picked up with a tweezers and carefully placed ink side down on the previously printed paper. To transfer the ink the paper together with the stencils have to be run through the press one more time (not shown here). Voila - the finished print! Awesome, Ray!!!!! Now, seriously, what IS the meaning of the outhouse?

All photos courtesy of Jeff Simpson who was filling in for Bruce Childs. Great job, Jeff!

Aquatint: This effect of this method produces solid areas of tone. The plate has to be covered at one point with very fine particles (traditionally rosin, at New Grounds Z-Acryl hard-ground is air-brushed onto the plate) so that the almost invisible openings between those particles can be etched. To the naked eye those tiny etched dots will appear as a gray tone. Shades of gray are achieved by altering the length of the etch; the longer the etch, the darker the tone will appear.

Line etching: In this technique the plate is covered with an acid resistant ground (at New Grounds we use Z-Acryl hard-ground), then worked with an etching needle to create an image. The thus exposed metal is then "eaten" in an acid bath such as Nitric Acid which today is considered “toxic” or an etchant such as Ferric Chloride which is used at New Grounds because it is “non-toxic”. Etching the drawn lines creates depressed areas that are inked and printed. Etching was developed during the 16th century, and started to replace engraving by the 17th century.

Non-toxic Photogravure/Solarplate-Etching

2009-06-06T12:45:00.001-07:00

Jeff Simpson
The Spokestoaster is in Rehab
Gravure
3.5 x 3"

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! Students will work with high-quality water-based Akua-Kolor etching inks.

Class date: Tuesday thru Friday, July 14, 15, 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

Introduction to Monotype

2009-06-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

This liberating medium combines painting and printmaking techniques. Monotypes are one of the most immediate forms of printmaking. You 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: Tuesday thru Friday Jun. 16, 17, 18, and 19
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

New Grounds and Matrix Artists’ swept up a huge amount of purchase awards from the CABQ 1% for the Arts Program.

2009-06-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

We want to give a round of applause to the artists’ whose work was chosen by the city. Artists’ represented by Matrix Fine Art include Sally Condon, Harriette Lawler, Katrina Lasko and Iva Morris. Chosen from New Grounds Print Workshop and Gallery were pieces by Diane Alire and Dan Noyes.
The City of Albuquerque's Public Art Program, one of the oldest in the country, began in 1978, with the passage of the Art in Municipal Places Ordinance. This bold initiative set aside 1% of City construction funds derived from the general obligation bond program and certain revenue bonds for the purchase or commission of works of art. (Read more about it at http://www.cabq.gov/publicart/about-1-for-art).

Contemporary Realism in Printmaking

2009-06-04T10:27:00.000-07:00

Dimo Koliborav
An Autumn Day
Etching and Aquatint
9 x 6"

Although great strides have been made to move printmaking into different directions, it continues to attract those detail-loving, obsessive artists who find great satisfaction spending hundreds of hours on a cross-hatched line etching. This International group show features some outstanding examples of contemporary realism, magic realism and surrealism in printmaking.

Exhibition dates: June 5 – 27, 2009
(Early Bird Preview: June 2 - 5)

First Friday Artscrawl Reception: June 5, 5 – 8:00 PM.

Demonstration during the reception: Etching demonstration by Ray Maseman from 6:30- 7:00 PM.

Diane Alire's "Peep Show" Demonstration

2009-05-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

Here we are at another lovely reception to introduce Diane Alire’s recent body of work titled – daringly - “Peep Show!” It is definitely slightly x-rated work; as always, Diane covers difficult subjects such as gender and sexual orientation, but she does it with a great sense of humor and an impeccable aesthetic.

As always, several New Grounds artists volunteered to help with the reception. Here Mary Sundstrom and Denise Weaver-Ross are greeting people as they enter the gallery, while Krista Barrett answers questions in the back studio and Adabel Allen and Pamela DiMauro are, well, sometimes our artists simply just need time to catch-up!

As always, the 6:30 demonstration proves to be the highlight of the evening. Director Regina Held and Diane Alire have known each other since their days in Austin, Texas, and it was easy for Regina to introduce Diane to the waiting crowd.

Diane Alire is not only a fabulous artist, but also the gravure instructor at New Grounds. In addition, she teaches anything photography at the Albuquerque Art and Design College. Her demo for the evening is on how to create a two plate photogravure. Diane begins by showing the two transparencies from which the plates were created. Transparencies are printed on a good quality photo printer – this pretty much replaces the old oversized negatives that Stieglitz and Adams used in the early days of photogravure.

To create this particular image, “Voyeur,” Diane used Photoshop to create two plates: the key plate will hold the information to be printed in purple while the flat color plate will be printed in orange. The transparencies are exposed onto a light-sensitive polymer plate which prints like an etching once developed (the exposure is not shown in this demo due to time constraints).

Diane begins the printing process by covering the orange plate completely with ink using a brayer. Then she removes the excess ink with a tarlatan and then newsprint so that only the recessed image areas contain ink. She repeats the process with the black plate and now has two inked-up plates. Now to the difficult part: Registration!

Diane created a precise set-up sheet in which she outlined the plates exactly the way the are supposed to be printed on the paper. The orange plate is printed first; she places the plate on the press-bed, the paper goes on top of it into the marked place on the registration sheet and she runs both through the press (not shown).

Now both the printed paper and the orange plate are removed from the press bed and she continues to print “upside down.” This would not work with a copper plate, but the polymer plates are so thin that we are still able to get a good impression from a plate printed this way. Diane places the printed paper on the press bed first, thereby reversing the order of the first run. Then the black plate is placed face-down onto the image area. Diane runs this through the press as well. She makes it look so easy, all kinds of things can go wrong at this time.

And – voila – the print is completed!!!!! Good job, Diane!

If you missed the opening, Diane Alire’s show is still up until Saturday, May 30. If you have any questions about the demo or gravure don’t hesitate to contact us. And yes, we have a gravure class scheduled for July 14, 15, 16 and 17. See you soon!

Peep Show – Gravure by Diane Alire

2009-04-29T15:05:00.000-07:00

Peep Show
Two Plate Gravure
15 x 10"

Alire’s subtle and often humorous photogravure prints cover gritty and controversial subject matters from gender to race and identity. Her images are not only layered in meaning, but she often uses multiple plates to create depth and rich colors. Alire’s pieces are a great example of how the sensuous 19th century gravure process can be combined with the edgy collage possibilies of digital technology to create a new breed of hand-printed images.

Exhibition dates: May 1 - 30
(Early Bird Preview: April 27 – May 1, 2009)

First Friday Artscrawl Reception: May 1, 5 – 8:00 PM.

Demonstration during the reception: Diane Alire will demonstrate the gravure process from 6:30 – 7 PM.

Gallery hours: Tuesdays 10 AM – 4 PM and Wednesdays - Sundays 9 AM - 6 PM; closed Mondays.

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.

Sign-up at http://www.artscrawlabq.org/ to receive the free bi-monthly newsletter covering art events in Albuquerque. This newsletter is published by the Albuquerque Art Business Organization - the Artscrawl people. Stay updated with current events and shows!

Mapping Efforts: Mixed media prints by Barbara Shapiro

2009-03-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

Germinal
Woodcut
20 x 20”

Shapiro’s subtle, earth-toned and richly layered mixed media prints use maps as a metaphor for recording life’s patterns and changes. Just as each hill, lake and ocean recorded on a map provides a snapshot of the ever evolving earth, humans are the sum of their experiences during their various stages in life. While maps chart the constant transformation of the outside world, Shapiro’s abstract and map-like images reflect on the shifting dynamics of the inside world.

Exhibition dates: April 3 - 25
(Early Bird Preview: April 1- 3)

First Friday Artscrawl Reception: April 3, 5 – 8:00 PM.

Demonstration during the reception: Barbara Shapiro will demonstrate her mixed media approach to printmaking from 6:30 – 7 PM.

Gallery hours: Tuesday 10 AM – 4 PM and Wednesday - Sunday 9 AM - 6 PM

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.

Beth Kassay rocks our world with a three-plate mezzotint

2009-03-22T09:56:00.001-07:00

Mezzotint: In this unique printmaking technique which is also called manière noire, or the black method, the plate is worked in reverse; from dark tones to light. The copper plate is first roughened with a mezzotint rocker so that, if inked, it would print a rich, solid black.

The areas that are not to print are then burnished and flattened to produce various grays and white. The outstanding quality of the mezzotint process is to produce the most subtle nuances of tone and value from rich, velvety blacks to glowing highlights. Although the origin of the mezzotint is not entirely known, in 18th- and 19th century England the process reached a zenith of technical perfection and popularity.

Tidbit: The term “off the rocker” derives from this process; often children were employed to rock plates and the mindless, repetitive process drove some of them crazy.

To achieve maximum amount of color, Beth Kassay created three mezzotint plates with each containing part of the image. The first will be printed in yellow, the second in red, and the third in blue. For her demonstration, she will ink each plate and print it in perfect registration. Here New Grounds director Regina Held introduces the very nervous and emotional artist to the packed audience.

Beth begins by laying out her three different color inks. At New Grounds, we use Akua Kolor water-based intaglio inks.

To completely cover the plates with ink, Beth rolls the ink on the printing surface with a brayer.

The plates are now ready to be wiped. The objective is to remove all the ink from the top layer of the plate and leave only the ink in the recessed areas behind. If she removes too much ink the image will be “over-wiped” and look grainy. If she does not remove enough ink the image will be too dark or “under-wiped.”

She finishes the plates by carefully wiping the edges.

Beth is now ready to print the first plate. Here she places the yellow plate on her registration sheet. The paper is then placed on top of the plate and she transfers the information on the plate to paper using the etching press. The etching press exerts between 500 and 2000 pounds of pressure and thus literally squeezes the ink into the dampened paper.

Now that Beth has printed the first color, she removes the printing blankets and “locks” the paper into position with a weight. This enables her to retain the exact position of the paper while she exchanges the yellow plate with the red plate.

Beth can now prints the red plate and finally the blue one (not shown) to pull the final print. Applause!!!!

If Beth wants to make a second impression, she will have to repeat all of the steps above, from inking and wiping the plates to putting them through the printing press. It is a labor of love.

This reception was a great success thanks to all of you who visited New Grounds, our fabulous volunteers who greet visitors and answer questions, our indispensable workshop and gallery assistant Tanya Landin, and Anise and Cornelius who take care of the refreshments!

We hope to see you again in April!

Bruce Childs Monotype and Gravure Demonstration

2009-03-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

This video was taken in January for the new members show. Courtesy of Brian Giza

Mezzotint class coming soon!

2009-03-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

The mezzotint class is only offered one time a year and it is a technique that is not taught in many places. Our infamous Ray Maseman, etcher extraordinare, will be teaching the class this year. Please contact us if you are interested. 268-8952 or by e-mail- director@newgroundsprintshop.com

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, April 4 and 5
Class time: 9 AM - 5 PM, includes lunch break
Class fee: $ 250 + tax, includes most printing materials.
Instructor: Ray Maseman, BFA

A Fowl Affair- Mezzotints and Monotypes by Elizabeth Kassay

2009-02-28T11:15:00.000-08:00

“Everything in life I learned from the chicken coop” is the motto of this playful exhibition. From kindness to sorrow, politics to social behavior, Kassay gets her inspiration for life and work from the chicken and roosters she raises. Rendered in brilliant tones, she captures their fluffy back ends, scaly legs, rubber-like wattles and silky feathers. This is a joyful show which brings to life these complex and beautiful creatures that are chickens.

Exhibition dates: March 6 - 28
(Early Bird Preview: March 3 to 6)

First Friday Artscrawl Reception: March 6, 5 – 8:00 PM.

Demonstration during the reception: Beth Kassay will demonstrate the three-plate mezzotint process from 6:30 – 7 PM.

Gallery hours: Tuesday 10 AM – 4 PM and Wednesday - Sunday 9 AM - 6 PM

Contact person: Regina Held, 268-8952.

Cost of event: free

Dawn

5 x 3"

Multiple Plate Mezzotint

Collins Redman juried into the Women Artists of the West Exhibition

2009-02-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

Collins Redman is a printmaker here at New Grounds. She is participating in the Women Artists of the West 39th Annual National Juried Exhibition. If you happen to be in Denver, CO Feb 6- 28, 2009 stop by the Saks Gallery at 3019 East 2nd Ave. 80206

For more information go to www.waow.org.

Shrines – Monotypes by Dan Noyes

2009-01-28T09:33:00.000-08:00

Lantern
8 x 6.5"
Monotype and Mixed Media

In this predominantly blue-hued show of semi-abstract monotypes, Noyes investigates how we find sacred space both within us and within the landscape. Although his images are quiet and soothing, this is an exciting show with a personal message and a unique approach to the monotype medium.

Exhibition dates: February 6 - 28
(Early Bird Preview: February 3 to 6)

First Friday Artscrawl Reception: February 6, 5 – 8:00 PM.

Demonstration during the reception: Dan Noyes will demonstrate the monotype process from 6:30 – 7 PM.

Gallery hours: Tuesdays 10 AM – 4 PM and Wednesdays - Sundays 9 AM - 6 PM

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.

For preview of the exhibition, visit our webpage at http://newgroundsgallery.com/

Sign-up at http://www.artscrawlabq.org/ to receive the free bi-monthly newsletter covering art events in Albuquerque. This newsletter is published by the Albuquerque Art Business Organization - the Artscrawl people. Stay updated with current events and shows!

Upcoming Gravure Class

2009-01-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Here is the information regarding our upcoming gravure class. Below are a couple images by Karl Koenig and Diane Alire to give you examples of what you can achieve through the process of photo gravure. If you have any questions please give us a call or shoot us an e-mail.

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: Saturdays & Sundays, February 7, 8, 14 and 15
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

Jewels Portfolio on display at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts

2009-01-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

The entrance to the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts.

When Ando Shinji came to New Grounds for his gallery opening in September 2008, he graciously accepted to display the Jewels portfolio at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts. Ando Shinji is a professor at the University. The prints from the portfolio were displayed with the biographies of each artist.

The gallery opening went well and the portfolio was inspiring to many students at the University.

The Tokyo National University of Fine Arts has an excellent printmaking program. Ando Shinji has shared pictures of the studio there.

New Members Show

2009-01-15T12:01:00.000-08:00

The New Year brought in many new faces and art to the gallery. This was the last day of the holiday sale and people were excited to see the great prices for the art on the tables!

Denise Weaver-Ross is an artist here and volunteered to check out people who were buying art. She was busy all night.

New Members of the gallery got to talk with each other and to others about their art process. Here is Brian Giza and Dale Zomerhuis chatting away.

Kathe Noe had no problem talking with people about her art-making process.

Bruce Childs got to give a demonstration on gravure and monotype. He was not feeling well that night but gave a beautiful demo. That people enjoyed.

Art enthusiasts were everywhere. Rob Thalmann and an admirer of his work were having a good discussion about his gravure prints.

Thanks to all who volunteered and those who came to the gallery. It was a great night!