Diamond point etching needles are amazing. I just bought this etching needle, and I am completely fascinated with how easy it is to draw onto metal. I've always avoided drypoint opting for etching, but I'm trying to get more health concious and drypoint is very safe. The tip of the needle is so tiny that I can barley see it, but that is good because I broke the tip off of my last needle.




Coming up events in the printworld of the Bay area:

SEPTEMBER 7, THURSDAY 2006
Residency Projects :2005-2006 Kala Fellowship Exhibition, Part II
Opening Reception:6-8 pm in the Kala Gallery

Exhibition Artists:
Miriam Dym, Gary Nakamoto, Sasha Petrenko, Tracey Snelling

Happy Happy man 

If you have never been to Berkeley at the beginning of a semester, you should know about the Happy Happy Happy man. He is an 80 yr old man who stands for at least eight hours on top of a bucket yelling slowly and with broken-english articulation "haaaaapy....haaaapy.....haaaaapy" I'm not quite sure what it means but it does get people's attention. He holds up cardboard with theories of doom written all over them. Last year was the disaster Katrina and somehow he came up with a theory about the coming of the end of the world because of it. Now he is on about Israel being terrorist #1. His theories don't seem to be biblically based, but he sure get's upset at the ignorance of Americans when it comes to important world issues.

Printmaking Opp.

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT
FACULTY POOL AT CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF THE ARTS
PRINTMAKING DEPARTMENT
JOB #1775
August 2006

THE COLLEGE:
Founded in 1907, California College of the Arts is the largest regionally accredited, independent school of art and design in the western United States. Noted for the interdisciplinary nature and breadth of its programs, the college offers studies in eighteen majors in the areas of fine arts, architecture, design, and writing. The college confers the bachelor of architecture, bachelor of arts, bachelor of fine arts, master of architecture, master of arts, and master of fine arts degrees. With campuses in San Francisco and Oakland, California College of the Arts currently enrolls fifteen hundred full-time students.

POSITION SUMMARY:
CCA is looking for a pool of instructors to teach courses on a semester to semester basis in the Photography and Printmaking Programs, starting in spring 2007.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:
Printmaking class possibilities include: Relief Print, Etching, Lithography, Bookmaking, Screenprint, and Monotype.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
•MFA.
•Prior College-level teaching experience in the specific disciplines covered above.
•Exhibition record and familiarity with contemporary practice.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest with statement of teaching philosophy and examples of syllabi, curriculum vitae, slides or CD of applicant’s work, and two professional references with phone numbers. All inquiries and application materials should be directed to:

California College of the Arts
Human Resources (Job #1775)
5212 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94618-1487
fax (510) 594-3681
employment@cca.edu

APPLICATION DEADLINE:
The review of applications will be ongoing and materials will be kept for future possibilities unless applicants indicate otherwise. The priority deadline is October 1, 2006.

California College of the Arts is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes
applications from individuals who will contribute to its diversity.

Home

I'm back again. Yes, back to the real world. Today I went to San Francisco to pick out my new studio which I won't be able to move into a week after school starts because it is still being constructed. I hope I picked the right one, but they really are all the same to me anyways. I met a woman who is also in the printmaking department. She seems really nice and seems to have also had the similar problems that I have had with the school. But, I feel like I am not as upset anymore, and I am glad I can focus on my work without all those negative feelings. The other students seemed really nice, and they were really kind to each other. It's obvious that they bonded really well last year which is a different feeling I had from my previous class. The Printmaking department BBQ was also today, so I got a ride back with M. I grabbed some blueberries and snap peas at safeway. I was nervous going back to the school because I had such a bad year with bad memories, but Nance was nice at welcoming me back and so were Greg, Tom, Betty, and Jack. I forgot how humorous Jack is and it was fun to be around him. I hope this year will be better. I feel like I'm making the right choice, but when it comes to signing the papers, it worries me. I also met Heather...finally. She seems really nice, and I look forward to working with her throughout the year. Heathers' teacher was Kurt Kemp, and she's a "dirty" printmaker.

Anyways, I've decided to start another blog for Skopelos which will be ongoing because it will take a long time to write. Here's a sneak peak:

christo 
I helped set up for our welcome dinner. BBQ chicken, pork and various Greek dishes were served. The food was spectacular. We were eating for hours. The wine came out the sunset, and we had ourselves a party. Some Greek music was playing and soon before we knew it, we were dancing like posessed Greek spirits. I don't remember much after this except Christo went to get his Rooster and was dancing with it on his head. Then Christo did a solo dancing femme which was just hilarious. There was loud laughter, shouting, dancing, and music. It was a great night. The first word I learned in Greek?....Penis. Christo kept singing about his or mens penises. We were just floored with laughter. While all this was going on Jills husband kept pouring more and more wine in me, and kept offering cigarettes. I was exhausted by 2am, and made it back to my bed where I passed out with a grin on my face.

more............

:

Skopelos

Hey people,
I made it to Skopelos and it is beautiful. Can you believe they use donkeys to pick up garbage instead of trucks. There are chickens running wild and kittns and dogs are everywhere. We arrived last night and were given a proper welcome. We got kisses and hugs and a welcoming meal. BBQ chicken and pork and various dishes. Absoluutely delicious!!! Then we sang songs and learned to dance the greek way. I'm preety good! Our hotel is at the top of the hill and overlooks the sea and the town. My little room has a kitchen and a wonderful view.
The printshop is out of this world. It is the largest one I've ever been in. There are two etching presses, and a huge litho press. The view is also incredible from the printshop. As soon as I walked into the printshop I suddenly felt joy and became highly inspired. I even beveled my plates with unusual care! We had breakfast in the printshop and had an orientation to Greek life. Then Linda showed the students how to bevel the plates. It was all we could take today because all of us had a crazy hangover. Too much wine. So, now I'm in the town. It's remarkable here. I'm so glad I came. I hope to write more, but right now I still have a hangover, and am extremely tired. Siesta time for me.

I'm OFF!!!

Off I go...so long farthee well printfreaks.

Woodblock Printmaking

Here is a cool little video on woodblock printmaking!!!

Lorg Printmakers

Galway is one of the most exciting and beautiful cities in all of Ireland. I am happy to find out that they have started a new printshop there. Next week, I'm leaving for Ireland again, and hope to go "printmaking spotting". I don't have very much time there before I head to Greece. I'm excited for Greece. I'm not sure what to expect. I have never been there and feel like it is more foreign than the rest of Europe mostly because they have a different alphabet. It will be an adventure. I'm excited to take in the surroundings and start printing again. My goal is to make 20 prints which isn't a lot since they will be monotypes, but I'm also taking an etched plate to experiment more with viscosity printing. I'm experimenting with the idea of creating black and white "Mandy world" images and chine colle(ing) viscosity prints onto them. It's not a traditional approach to printmaking, but I want to see what might come about. I feel like my blog has been suffering this past year, and hope when I get back to get more involved in it. I'm not sure why these past months have been so terrible, but i guess I have been putting most of my energy into other things which are more important, but a guilt settles into my stomach whenever I come back and dust off my precious blog. I'm not sure if I have regular readers, but I apologize to you, and will get back into the swing of things if possible while I'm in Greece, if not, then when I get back. I'm hoping I can get my digital camera to work in Greece, so that I can do daily reports.

If you have not already heard Lorg printmakers are looking for supplies for their printshop, so if you have extra stuff send it over there!!!


Lorg Printmakers

Lorg printmakers (formerly Connaught Association of Printmakers) came together in order to create a twenty-four hour access print workshop in Galway, Ireland. For the last six years, printmakers in Galway were fortunate enough to be have limited access to G.M.I.T. printmaking facilities through the membership of a print club, which allowed a capacity of fifteen artists. However, due to increase in demand, they needed to extend this facility.

Lorg printmakers aim to provide: A professional 24-hour open access print workshop. Both emerging & established artists with the opportunity to make & establish their work. Training classes to allow printmakers to advance their artistic careers by expanding their knowledge of all printmaking processes while also introducing artists working in other mediums to printmaking. Employment specifically linked to art, printmaking, and art administration. In addition, to promote: Encouragement and support for the development of a stronger printmaking community in Galway and to promote Galway as a major centre for the visual arts both nationally and internationally through residencies, workshops and touring exhibitions. Inter relations with other studios and collaboration with various art organisations. Awareness and appreciation of printmaking through workshops, community based projects, schools programmes and regular exhibitions. An environmentally friendly studio where the emphasis is on green products and materials.

Since May 2004, membership has grown in excess of 70 members. As part of their membership, members receive a quarterly newsletter, regular e-mail and text alerts as well as the opportunity to exhibit in Lorg member shows.

Recently Lorg were approved for funding from the Arts Council, while also receiving much support from artists, councillors and business people, not just in Galway but also throughout Ireland.

email: lorgprintmakers@gmail.com

Cannonball Press

There is a really interesting article on Artblog about a printshop called Cannonball Press in Brooklyn, New York.

The philosophy of Mike Houston and Martin Mazorra of Cannonball Press: "Inclusiveness and cooperation always get you further than elitism and exclusionism. By this age, I better have figured that one out. We think it's ridiculous that art is so costly. We understand fully why it is, but still think it's ridiculous. Printmaking has the capacity to be the people's medium—the democratic art. We believe in this strongly and are just thrilled that so many different people are able to afford what we make."

It's inspiring to know that printshops like this exist in America. While I was in Europe I saw many of these types of printshops opening up. As the contemporary art world moves forward in the direction of becoming inaccessiblee to the common people, it's inspiring to know that artists are thinking differently and are putting their values first.

Wabi sabi

I have found the perfect word for the core of all the art that I create: Wabi Sabi. I thought that there was no connection between my artworks, but this simple yet complex idea lies beneath all of my work. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete". This is how Rothko and Kathe Kollwitz work makes me feel. Even though the two artists are completely different, they both evoke this feeling for me. Now that I have found a word that best describes my aesthetics, I want to explore this term more, and see what I can make.

Wabi Sabi: According to Leonard Koren: "if an object or expression can bring about, within us, a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing, then that object could be said to be wabi-sabi." Richard R. Powell summarizes by saying "It (wabi-sabi) nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect."