I finally finished two new gigantic male nude pieces, YEAH!

Omar, 7feet by 7feet, mixed media

detail of Omar

The Everyday, appx 8feet by 10feet, mixed media

Advanced Viscosity Workshop

Lynn Schmidt

This latest viscosity workshop hosted some all-star printmakers.  Most of the participants have taken the workshop before so we were able to experiment with some new techniques including stencils, layering of plates and using tint base to create a more transparent build-up of color.

Lynn Schmidt continued her biomorphic structures.  The tint base worked well for her and she was able to get some great subtle variations in color and detail.

After the last workshop, Lynn showed us all how she used the dremmel tool to get a softer line.  I showed everyone this time around what I have coined the "Lynn Technique" and one participant in particular (Penny Pemberton) utilized the dremmel to make soft textures in the water of one of her prints and brushed atmospheric marks surrounding her Big Horn image.

Penny Pemberton

Penny Pemberton

Sue Roberts used the dremmel tool, too; making it easier to carve.  Notice the scratch marks in the background?  That's from the dremmel as opposed to crisp lines that are carved out with the linoleum cutter.

Sue Roberts

Tia Flores (used acetate stencils and selected colors)

Tia Flores in new to the group of artists that have been printing at Oxboo Press (actually she is new to printmaking, too) but when you see her prints you would think that she has been printing all her life!

She started using stencils cut from acetate in order to control different color sections in her prints.  In one day she printed around 40, all of them different in color and mood.  I'm so happy she found Oxboo Press and has been taking classes here.

Candace Nicol (built up different layers of plates and also used cut out solarplates)

On Saturday night, I started printing an varied edition to give to each of the participants.  (We always do a fun trade at the end of the workshop.)  I combined and layered different borco board plates using additive and subtractive viscosity methods.  I also combined solarplate "nude" cut-outs to create this hybrid print. I'm going to experiment more with this in a couple weeks when we all get together to print some more.

Carol Neel

Carol Neel was the first to experiment with stencils on Saturday.  Why?  Well, at first she wasn't happy with the abstractness of the figure in the lower picture plan.  He seemed to be lost in the entire composition.  Of course I liked it abstract like that and I LOVED the colors!  I suggested that maybe a stencil would work great to pull color out of the background and accent the figure.  Well, we played a bunch that morning and got some great results, even off-set printing with the acetate to have a double exposure look.

Kids, Sierra Water Gardens and Viscosity Printing....

Collagraph printed Viscosity by Gracen McQwire

Collagraph printed Viscosity by Carly Roberts

A couple of weeks ago, Sue Roberts, one of the artists renting a studio at Oxboo Press invited her grandchildren to come spend the day making art.  She took them over to our amazingly generous neighbors- Sam and Sutter at Sierra Water Gardens to be inspired by the Koi fish, plants and ponds.  When they came back to the studios they cut cardboard into these wonderful "water creatures" and glued them on to matboard.  Sue sealed the matboard and the next day I printed them for them using the Viscosity rollers and inks that I had set out for the workshop that weekend.

Collagraph printed Viscosity by Owen Roberts

Collagraph printed Viscosity by Owen Roberts

The prints were soooo inspiring that Sam and I are talking about doing the same thing with some of her clients' children next summer.  I'm always intrigued by how kids "get it".  They just now how to compose a picture!

4-color etching workshop a COMPLETE blast!

This year's workshop participants were amazing to work with.  Here are their final prints.  We had a blast this weekend and even put in overtime to print, print, print.  Thanks everyone for being such amazing students and artists!

Penny Pemberton

Sue Roberts

Tia Flores

Hana Atchenson

Candace Nicol

Carol Neel

WOW! Collagraph Print Exchange

In May, the artist group Women on Wednesdays learned collagraph printmaking techniques at Oxboo Press.  Everyone decided to participate in a little print exchange "showing off" what they learned.  WOW! Collagraph Print Exchange will be hanging at Oxboo Press during the month of July.  Great Job Gals!

Colophon, Women on Wednesday Art Group Collagraph Print Exchange June 2011

Chickie Roberts

Charlotte Voitoff

Gail Nelson

Gail Pfrommer

Jodie Rossi

Kathy Sederquist

Kim Webster

Pam Anderson

Sheila LeDrew

Allyson Adams

Candace Nicol

Carol Pallesen

2.25 International Print Exchange

2.25 International Print Exchange explores the universe of a square that measures 2.25”. Artists created an edition of printed images no larger than a few postage stamps and exchanged them with others to create the 2.25 exhibit for Oxboo Press, ARTOWN 2011, Reno, NV.  www.renoisartown.com

Danuta Muszynska "M.C. Mezzo Sphere I" mezzotint; Corvallis, OR

Angela Katona-Batchelor "Trillium" etching, aquatint, softground, drypoint, hand coloring; Lake Oswego, OR

Candace Nicol "Orna2.25" etching; Reno, NV

Carly Huibregtse "Dummy" Screenprint; Janesville, WI

Carole-Ann Ricketts "Yellow Rose" Linoleum Reduction; Reno, NV

Christopher Clark, layered printed transparencies; Bourbonnais, IL

Dale Thomason "CURVE" linocut; Lawton, OK

David C. Laws "Dream Girl" soft cut block (relief); Reno, NV

David Mohallatee "0523698CBR" digital, lithography, rubberstamp, string, chine colle; Richmond, Kentucky

David Roholt "Bather" solar print; Lakewood, WA

Diana Hartley "Heading East" reduction linocut w/chine colle; Phoenix, AZ

Dinah Coakely "Cancelled Dreams" relief; San Antonio, TX

Emily Benz "Moonrazor" intaglio; Ashland, OR

Ernest Cialone "Oxbow Pear" mezzotint; Fort Smith, AZ

Hector Hernandez "Birdy" relief; Los Angeles, CA

Hem Jyotika "Camaraderie" etching; Patparganj, Delhi - India

Jasmine Begeske "tank" handcolored screenprint on handmade cotton paper; W. Lafayette, IN

Jenna Crawford "Lost" photo etching, chine colle; Ashland, OR

Jenny Roholt "Mary Jane Klimt" solar print; Lakewood, WA

Joshua L. Yurcheshen "Small Dangers" intaglio; San Antonio, TX

Jules Floss, lithography

Karri A. Dieken "Paton's Double" screenprint and archival inkjet; Pullman, WA

Kirsten Kinnear "Nevada Sunset" multiple linocut relief; Verdi, NV

Kristine Toward "Ritual" solarplate print; Reno, NV

Leta Medina "Summertime P-nut" relief; Sparks, NV

Lindsey Morris "SPIN" linocut; Lawton, OK

Margaret Craig "Obtuse" intaglio with chine colle; San Antonio, TX

Marguerite Ogden, linocut; Hallowell, ME

Marina Soto "Dreams" intaglio and mezzotint; Ashland, OR

Martyna Matusiak "Lielieby" woodblock, mixed media; Pittsburgh, PA

Michael Baum "Two Minutes" digital archival print, screenprint and graphite; Pullman, WA

Monica Farrar "Gathered" mezzotint; Lafayette, IN

Patricia L. Giraud "Wayne" etching, aquatint, drypoint, handcolored with ink; Tigard, OR

Sarah Sipling "Homeless part 2" Japanese woodcut; Anchorage AK

Savitri Pal Salve "Self Portrait" woodcut; Patpar Ganj, Delhi, India

Shannon Yost "Set Out" photo etching, chine colle; Ashland, OR

Wendy Willis "Blue Tatoo" etching, chine colle; Phoenix, AZ