New Year, New Works Exhibition

Viewer enjoying the new work

New woodcuts by Kendall Murakami

On January 1, 2016, New Grounds Gallery hosted our opening exhibition - New - New Works by New Grounds Members. The show featured a rich array of fresh works, completed at the very end of 2015, and most of our current members showcased pieces.

Works by Shirley Levy, Dan Noyes and Wayne Chinander

Works by Wayne Chinander (L) and Pamela Wesolek (R)

The colorful, sophisticated body of new work demonstrated a variety of traditional and experimental printmaking techniques: from relief (linocut, woodcut and reduction relief) to multi-plate etching, monotype, monoprint, mixed media and gravure.

A viewer enjoys pieces by Elaine Soto

Work by Jessica Krichels (L), Lincoln Draper (C), Ray Maseman and Knicki Markolf (R)

Pieces L-R, left wall - Bruce Carpenter, Ren Adams, Jessica Krichels

Featured artists included:
Ray Maseman, Knicki Markolf (Canada), Jorge Tristani, Jessica Krichels, Ren Adams, Lincoln Draper, Bruce Carpenter, Elaine Soto, Kendall Murakami, Jessica Weybright, Dan Noyes, Wayne Chinander, Shirley Levy, Mary Sundstrom and Pamela Wesolek.

We also rang in the new year in style!

Other shots from the exhibition:

Works by Bruce Carpenter (L), Ren Adams (R)

Our excellent intern Allison talks about Kendall Murakami's work

The gallery!

Work in the foreground, right - Jessica Weybright, Jorge Tristani

Exposed: Group Photogravure Show

New Grounds Intern and artist Kaitlin Reese Preparing for her Photogravure demonstration.

Saturady evening was the opening reception of Exposed, a group photogravure show, at New Grounds Printshop and Gallery. Many guests attended and enjoyed wine, food, and of course all the wonderful art that had been created by members!

Artist Pam Wesolek and Gallery Assistant Tanya Landin greet guests in the main gallery.

New Grounds member Kathy Noe speaks with friends as the look at extra artwork on the tables in the classroom.

Former member Mike Ruhdal and artist and current member Jacqui Lewenes catch up with a friend.

Director Regina Held and Gallery Assistant Tanya Landin.

Kaitlin Reese's set up for demonstration.

After the demo Kaitlin speaks with member Elaine Soto and her mother. To watch the demo click the link below.

Kaitlin's Demo

Thank you to all who came and for those who couldn't make it we look forward to seeing you next First Friday!

Photos by Jeff Simpson

Blog by Kaitlin Reese

First Friday, August 2013

First Friday at New Grounds was a success! Many people came by to see the show and artist Pamela Wesolek demonstrated one of the many different printmaking techniques.

Pamela makes sure her art is hanging just right before the show.

Artists Mary Sundstrom and Kathe Noe pose with a friend between them.

A friend and artist Krista Barrett.

New Grounds artist Ryan Harris and his lovely girlfriend Taylor.

Gallery Assistant Tanya and New Grounds and Matrix artist Phil Peterson stand and have a snack in the New Grounds studio.

Artist Diane Alire and Krista Barrett in the New Grounds classroom.

Artist Jaqui Lewnes and Director Regina Held.

Artists Raul Dorn and Marilyn Dillard stand in the middle of their show Excavations in Matrix.

Pam's Demo Part 1
Pam's Demo Part 2 

Artist Susan Evans.

Don't forget to join us for the next First Friday!

Blog by Kaitlin Reese, Intern.

Photos by Kaitlin Reese and Jeff Simpson.

Photography to Gravure

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