Artists - How to use your down time

Is your studio too hot to work or don't feel too inspired? Or did you just have an exhibition and you need a break? Or you are working away, but the art market is getting you down?

This is a good opportunity to take stock of your inventory, add it to your database (or create one if you don't have one), make sure all your work is signed and dated and document your work. Remember to use a good camera and crop and title your digital files. If you do not know how to do this, get professional help; we recommend Pat Berrett, (505)881-0935.

In addition, down-time can be used to organize your inventory, destroy works not up to par, and make sure everything is properly stored and protected.

Maybe it is time to learn a new technique. There are lots of great summer classes out there.

Last but not least, update your bio and take a good and hard look at your artist statement. Is it still relevant to your work or should it be rewritten? New Grounds offers professional help with these tasks.

Once you are ready to go back to work, start with an unfinished piece, or rework something that you were not happy with. It is less intimidating than a blank piece of paper or canvas.

Have a great summer!

Regina Held

Director, New Grounds Print Workshop & Gallery

Kathe Noe's first solo show at New Grounds was a hit

Being Kathe's first solo show, she had the honor of giving us a demonstration of the monotype process! Kathe has a great sense of humor and being a former art teacher she has a wealth of knowledge to share. Regina is introducing her to the crowd here.

Examples of monotypes Kathe has already started.

Kathe begins by applying ink to a stencil she has created of circles.

Brayers are small rollers printmakers use to apply even coats of ink to the plate. At New Grounds we use water based Akua Kolor inks.

This is a drawing that Kathe uses as a guide to make a monotype from.

She places the stencil on top of the print she had already stared. The young girls are going to help run the press for her!

Then, going back to ink up a second plate, Kathe uses a brush and ink to create a bamboo image.

And through the press one more time!

Voile!

The girls are showing off Kathe's work!

Left to Right: Tanya, Gallery Assistant, Kathe Noe, Artist and Regina Held, Director

Thanks to all the volunteers and Mike Rudahl for taking the photographs!!

Jacob Tarazon Mattesons opening and demonstration!

For the month of April we had a second reception for Jacob Tarazon Matteson’s solo show. His abstract landscapes brighten up the room with lively reds, oranges, and hints of blue. 

Many people headed out to see Jacob’s monotype demonstration that evening. It’s a great opportunity to see a master of his trade at work! 

Jacob begins by applying Akua Kolor inks to a thin polycarbonate plate. He uses a variety of brushes, small strips of matboard and other tools to apply the ink to create a variety of textures.

Once all the ink is applied and the artist thinks it’s ready to print, he takes it to the press and places it face up on the press bed.

 

The paper is then placed on top of the inked plate and run through the press, impressing the image from the plate onto the paper. 

 

 

Jacob then answers questions that people had. He is a retired high school art teacher and has a wealth of knowledge of art making!

Thanks to the volunteers that helped out and to Jeff Simpson for taking the photographs.

Tanya and Meredith

All About Texture in Monotype Workshop

One Day Workshop
Using Akua Kolor water-based inks, this workshop will be a day of exploration using stencils, textures, chine colle and more to create layered and richly textured monotypes! Chine colle is a beautiful process whereby a print is made onto a thin piece of Asian paper while simultaneously adhering it to a thicker sheet of Western paper. This class is open to all, but it is recommended that students take the “Introduction to Monotype” class first.
Class date: Sunday, March 4th
Class times: 10 AM - 5 PM, includes lunch break
Class fee: $ 95 + tax, includes most printing materials
Instructor: Mary Sundstrom, MFA

Please call 505-268-8952 to register

Ray Maseman's solo show!

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 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. 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 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. 

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 out tonight 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” runs through March 11th
www.newgroundsgallery.com

Last day of Holiday Sale Reception Recap

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?

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!