Gel Plate Monotype Printing and Collage Workshop with Holly Hughes

This workshop is sold out. If you would like to be on the wait list in case of a cancellation, please send an email to [email protected], specifying “Wait list for Print Workshop” in the subject line. Workshop Description: Gel plate printing is a “super user-friendly,” kitchen table compatible printmaking technique with NO need for a press. Applicable to painters, printmakers, ceramic artists, journal keepers, book artists, etc., once the basics of Gel plate printing are learned, it lends itself to both home, studio and travel purposes with ease and practicality. Fun and open to experimentation and improvisation – this is a method where artists with any experience level can discover new motifs and approaches for their art practice. This introductory workshop is geared for beginners and practicing artists alike – and adapts to many different aesthetic directions. Suitable for: All levels, including Beginners or practicing artists new to gel-printing and collage. Ages: 15+ Minimum #of participants: 7 Maximum #of participants: 12 Lunch: There will be a 45 minute lunch break You can either pack your own lunch or order-in a sandwich as part of a group order from a local restaurant. If you wish to order-in as part of the group, please bring small bills and change so your cash payment will be easy. The Studio will provide sparkling water, tea or coffee and cookies. Techniques Covered: The workshop will cover “invisible” collage technique – interspersed with your hands-on making of prints. Vibrant colorful works can be finished prints on their own, but printed papers can become raw material for larger collaged works on paper that you can make later. Holly will offer an introduction to a terrific adhesive as part of the class and show how to use it. We will print mostly on mulberry paper and use slow drying Golden’s Open Acrylic paint using an extender medium for most works. A few additional methods utilizing pastel and charcoal will be briefly covered. Simple tools like rubber brayers, Q-tips, brushes, clay shapers, leaves and cut paper allow you to build up layers as you add complexity and texture with opaque and transparent color. Holly will share some of her commercial stencils with you and help you cut some of your own from printer paper which works really well. Participants will leave with prints on Mulberry paper and material for collage. Materials & Supplies Included: All necessary materials will be provided at the workshop. For those who want to take the techniques further, a Supply List will be provided and explained. You will also learn how to clean and care for the Gelli brand plates of various sizes. Gel plate clean-up is incredibly easy making use of water, paper towels and baby wipes along with a drop of Dawn dish soap. You will learn how to protect your plumbing from waste acrylic paint. This is a safe technique suitable for use at home. What to Bring: All participants: Please bring an apron or work shirt to protect your clothes. Practicing artists: If you want Holly’s advice on what printmaking methods have to offer for your current art practice, please bring 5 images of your work, preferably in digital format (on a jump drive, laptop, tablet or phone) for Holly to review during the workshop. Follow your curiosity and spend one day on this fun workshop with us. Discover new avenues for your art. About Holly Hughes Holly has taught Gel Plate Printing at HandShake Press, Anderson Ranch Art Center, Women’s Studio Workshop, Sugar Maples, etc. A very experienced teacher, Hughes is currently Professor Emeritus of Painting at Rhode Island School of Design where she has taught art for 26 years. Holly was born in San Antonio, Texas and works in studios both on NYC’s Lower East Side and in Ghent in Columbia County, New York. Holly’s work is inspired by nature and the decorative arts and takes the form of painting, ceramics and printmaking. Serving as a visiting artist, critic or curator, she has visited dozens of colleges and institutions in the US and abroad and her exhibition record is extensive. Her work is held in collections such as Citibank, Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley, The Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, Museum of the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI, Prudential Bache, Atlantic Richfield Corporation, Fred Alger Management Company, Bartlett Schlumberger & Company, Pepsico, Benziger Winery Imagery Collection, the Francis Greenberger ART OMI Collection, Pfizer Collection, etc. Currently, Holly is part of the Contemporary Printmakers at Spencertown Academy (thru Nov. 1) and her exhibit “Hortus” at Michael Warren Contemporary in Denver, CO (thru Oct. 10.) Holly loves “Salon Style” installations such as her BLAZON created for the Dorsky Museum and frequently mixes her mediums in the space of exhibitions. Her ceramic work was recently on display in ON THE SURFACE: Contemporary Ceramics at the Museum of the Rhode Island. Registration required Register Here Price: Academy Members: $140 Non-Members: $160